[Booking via eventbrite. Free to attend but donations to running costs are greatly appreciated]
Eels! Where do they breed? What was ‘eel rent’? And where have all the eels gone?
On Wednesday 20th September PubSci is delighted to welcome Dr Michael Williamson of ZSL Institute of Zoology to talk about the weird and wonderful world of eels.
The common European eel (Wikimedia Commons)
Eels are one of the UK’s most mysterious native fish species, so much so that a rich cultural folklore surrounds them. The Mighty Boosh even sang about them.
Eels were once so common that taxes were sometimes paid by the 10,000 eels but a recent environmental DNA survey found absolutely no trace of them in the Somerset Levels – a landscape once famous for eels. So what is going on?
In this talk, Mike will discuss the history of eels in human culture, their bizarre – and still mysterious – lifecycle and migration habits, and the enormous threat that now faces this most curious of fish. He’ll even address a question we’ve all wanted to ask but were too shy to say out loud… “Are eels better than whales?”
Once again, we’re using Eventbrite booking – please follow this link to reserve your spot.
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Mike Williamson is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Institute of Zoology, the research division of the Zoological Society of London (the global conservation organisation best known to children as Regents Park Zoo). He works at the interface of conservation, climate change and biodiversity, seeking to minimise the impact human-activity has on the natural world.
Michael uses tagging technology and remote sensing to investigate the movements and migrations of marine and freshwater fauna, exploring how this is influenced by environmental drivers, anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. He has tagged whales, tracked sharks and is currently knee-deep in eels.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear what he has to say. Booking via Eventbrite is now live!
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Photo: Michael Williamson
PubSci is grateful to Mike for stepping in at short notice. Erica McAlister’s talk will now take place next year.
Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge station. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.
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Please support PubSci.
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. Because so few of us carry cash these days, you can contribute digitally too. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.
We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, although it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the function room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.
Please check our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our iCal feed. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.
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We used to meet on the first Wednesday of the month but PubSci is now on the third Wednesday.
Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
PubSci 