The Georgia Coast is an unparalleled landscape that can support as many as 300,000 shorebirds every year– from the small, inconspicuous sandpipers to the large, flashy American Oystercatchers. Many of the species that we host are imperiled, but conservation partnerships have shown that reversing these population declines is possible. Join Dr. Abby Sterling, from Manomet Conservation Sciences, to learn more about our incredible coast and the dazzling shorebirds that it supports. Using photos, videos, and storytelling, this lecture will transport you to the sandy shores and barrier islands, highlighting ways that we can all get involved in shorebird conservation and building connections across the hemisphere.

Join us for Georgia Aquarium’s 21+ science lecture series, Science on Tap, on Wednesday, November 12. We’re offering a reception with light hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine, and a fascinating presentation beginning at 6:30 pm. Following the talk, there will be time for a Q&A session.

Come mingle, enjoy some libations, and learn! Space is limited, so please reserve your tickets now to secure your entrance into this exclusive lecture series held in our beautiful Oceans Ballroom.

Abby Sterling works for Manomet Conservation Sciences, a non-profit based in Massachusetts that uses science and partnerships to address coastal conservation challenges throughout the hemisphere.

Based in Georgia, she is working on shorebird conservation in the Southeast and Gulf. She is the director of Manomet’s Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative, which focuses on sustaining shorebird populations within the Atlantic Flyway by increasing attention to the Southeastern United States. Abby works with stakeholders actively involved in shorebird conservation, identifying research and management objectives, building education and outreach efforts, and increasing capacity through partnerships. She hopes to achieve measurable progress for shorebird conservation along the South Carolina, Georgia and Northern Florida coasts, and with work in Louisiana’s working wetlands. Abby earned her doctorate from the University of Georgia, where she studied how habitat and landscape features influence beach nesting shorebirds and chick survival. Prior to working on her degree, she lived on Little St. Simons Island, where she worked as a naturalist guide and assisted on a variety of environmental projects. She currently lives in Athens with her husband, her adorable son (who is a mini biologist), and her (rescued) dog.

Georgia Aquarium conducts crucial research by working with animals both in human care and in their natural habitats to improve husbandry methods, develop innovative and exciting new exhibits, contribute to the understanding of the underwater world and apply new discoveries to the conservation of aquatic life. Every day, researchers in the Aquarium’s exhibits and labs are learning more about marine life in order to develop new methods of animal care and veterinary medicine. By combining field research with the study of on-site animals in a controlled environment, the Aquarium is contributing to the advancement of human knowledge in the area of animal science.