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AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY HOSTS
THE SPRING LUNCH: SCIENCE, SOCIETY, AND OUR
ENVIRONMENT
Panel Discussion With Leading Ocean
Researchers including Fabian Cousteau, Curator John
Sparks, To Take Place Under the Iconic Blue Whale
Annual Benefit Luncheon Will Address
Oceans
DATE
Thursday, April 26, 2018
WHEN
Noon–2 pm (doors open at 11:30 am)
WHERE
American Museum of Natural History, Milstein Hall of
Ocean Life
CHAIRMEN Sarah
M. Belz, Katheryn
P. Kempner, Alexandra Mondre, Catherine B.
Sidamon-Eristoff
TOPIC
The depths of the world’s oceans are
little-understood—but cutting-edge technology and
recent exploration is broadening researchers’
understanding of our planet and beyond. Join famed
ocean explorer Fabien
Cousteau; President of the New York Harbor
Foundation Murray
Fisher; National Geographic Explorer Tierney
Thys; and the Museum’s own John
Sparks, curator, Department of Ichthyology, and
curator of our special exhibition Unseen Oceans, as
they discuss their innovative research. Following
this compelling roundtable in the Irma and Paul
Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life, linger under the
iconic blue whale to share ideas and conversation.
Lynn
Sherr,
an award-winning correspondent for ABC News’ “20/20”
for more than twenty years, who currently freelances
on the air, in print, and online. Throughout her
career, she has covered a wide range of stories,
specializing in women’s issues and social change as
well as investigative reports.
John Sparks,
curator, Department of Ichthyology, Division of
Vertebrate Zoology,
at the American Museum of Natural
History, and curator of the current Unseen
Oceans exhibition. Principal investigator at
Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics and
professor at the Richard Gilder Graduate School, Dr.
Sparks travels the world in search of bioluminescent
and biofluorescent marine organisms. His research
focuses on the evolution and function of
bioluminescence and biofluorescence in marine
systems, and the role that these phenomena play in
the diversification of both shallow-reef and
deep-sea fishes. Sparks also studies the systematics
and biogeography of bony fishes, the cavefishes of
Madagascar, and the evolution of specialized hearing
in marine and freshwater fishes.
Fabien Cousteau,
an aquanaut, oceanographic explorer, environmental
advocate, and founder of Fabien Cousteau Ocean
Learning Center. He is well known for his study of
sharks, and from 2000–2002, as an explorer-at-large
for National Geographic, Cousteau collaborated on a
television special aimed at changing public
perceptions about sharks, titled “Attack of the
Mystery Shark.” Then in 2003–2006, he produced the
documentary “Mind of a Demon,” which aired on CBS.
Cousteau created a 14-foot, 1,200-pound lifelike
shark submarine named “Troy” that enabled him to
immerse himself inside the shark world. In recent
years, Cousteau has been working with local
communities and children worldwide to help restore
local water ecosystems. In 2014, Cousteau completed
a monumental project, Mission 31, where he and his
team lived and worked underwater for 31 days, based
out of the world’s only undersea marine laboratory.
Murray Fisher,
creator of the New York Harbor School and the
Billion Oyster
Project, who has spent his
twenty-year career working to connect people to the
natural places that sustain and
enrich us. Over the course of his decade-long role
developing the Harbor School, Murray
was responsible for leading the effort to design and
create a marine-focused curriculum; raising
operating expenses of $15 million; securing a
$35-million academic facility on Governors Island;
and running a $5-million capital campaign for a
Marine Science and Technology Center. In 2010, he
created the New York Harbor Foundation as a vehicle
for expanding the effort to engage more people
region-wide in restoring New York Harbor. The Harbor
Foundation initially served to support Harbor School
students but it was through this platform that he
and aquaculture teacher Peter Malinowski created the
Billion Oyster Project. Fisher transitioned out of
the day to day at Billion Oyster Project as of
September 1, 2017, to become the chairman of the
board. He continues to look for ways to connect more
people—particularly young people in cities—to
nature.
Tierney Thys,
marine biologist, science educator, filmmaker,
National Geographic
Explorer, and research associate at
the California Academy of Sciences. Her ocean
research focuses on the behavior of
giant ocean sunfish and the effects of climate
change and bycatch. She also studies
the effects of nature on human wellbeing and on
incarcerated populations. Dr. Thys and her team have
been tracking molas to learn about how they live and
has current study sites in Indonesia and Galápagos.
She was past director of research at the Sea Studios
Foundation, a team of scientists and filmmakers that
created media to raise awareness of environmental
issues. Thys is a TED All-Star speaker and has
produced numerous TED-Ed lessons. She also serves as
the Daily Explorer in an online kids’ world called
Animal Jam, where children choose an animal to play.
Animal Jam boasts 80 million registered players
worldwide. Time allowing, Thys lectures on trips for
National Geographic Expeditions around the world.
PROCEEDS
All proceeds from The Spring Lunch: Science,
Society, and Our Environment support the Museum’s
scientific research and educational initiatives,
including important work in biodiversity
conservation.
TICKETS To
purchase tables or tickets to The Spring Lunch,
please call (212) 769-5932, email
SpringLunch@amnh.org or visit
www.amnh.org/SpringLunch
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