When people think of sinkholes they often think of ones that happen on land, but sinkholes also exist in the Great Lakes, a topic that will be explored in the next lecture hosted by the Maritime Museum as part of its Working Waterfronts Lecture Series.
Bopi A. Biddanda, an aquatic microbial ecologist and biogeochemist from southwest India, will present the lecture, “Exploring Great Lakes’ Hidden Geoparks: Lake Huron’s Sinkholes,” at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 18 at the Maritime Museum, 260 Dyckman Ave.
Sinkholes, according to Biddanda, offer scientists an opportunity to study bacteria and microbes similar to those found in Earth’s early shallow seas. The findings can shed light not only on the past, but also on the present and future.
Biddanda has a doctorate degree in ecology from the University of Georgia where he explored new mechanisms of movement of carbon through microbes in the sea.
He went on research and teaching adventures at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, University of Texas Marine Science Institute, University of Rio Grande in Brazil and the University of Minnesota. Currently, at Grand Valley State University at the Annis Water Resources Institute, he studies and teaches about the microbial biogeochemistry of the Laurentian Great Lakes – explores life in extreme environments, operates a time-series buoy observatory in Muskegon Lake and teaches graduate and undergraduate classes. In 2022, he was a Fulbright Fellow in Spain studying Earth’s lakes as sentinels of ongoing global change. He serves as GVSU’s representative to NASA’s Michigan Space Grant Consortium.
“We could not be more pleased to host Dr. Biddanda during our lecture series. We strive to showcase the highest caliber of presenters and Dr. Biddanda is a wonderful example of that.” said Ashley Deming, director of education and administration at the Maritime Museum. “There is scientific exploration happening all over the Great Lakes on many fronts. This presentation illustrates a ‘working waterfront’ from a new and fascinating perspective.”
Tickets to the lecture are free for museum members and $10 for non-members. For more information about the Museum’s events, visit https://www.michiganmaritime museum.org/events/
