The 2026 Season Lecture Series at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium continues February 12th with A Decade of Conch-Servation Research to Protect Queen Conch, led by Dr. Andrew Kough, Research Biologist at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
The presentation is Thursday, February 12 at 5:30pm at the Museum, located at 3075 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel.
The Queen Conch is an herbivorous marine snail with an iconic pink shell that was once ubiquitous throughout the Caribbean, but populations have been decimated by overharvest. Given the important role of conch in the ecosystems, cultures, and economies where they are found, the Queen Conch was recently listed on the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Since 2015, Dr. Kough’s team at Shedd Aquarium has used diverse methods to explore the conservation ecology of Queen Conch. In this talk, he will share how thousands of surveys on snorkel and SCUBA, computational modeling, monitoring of predation, and tracking of animal behavior have combined to build knowledge, prompt policy changes, and lead to a rosier future for a cherished species.
Cost to attend the lecture is $10 per person and is free for Museum Members. Registration is required and includes choice of wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverage, and light snacks. Register HERE.