On Tuesday, Dec. 13 come enjoy a free dinner and free lecture about how urban stormwater is killing coho salmon before they can even make it far enough up the stream to spawn. The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila are presenting this special dinner and family night as part of their free Marine Lecture Series. The event will be hosted at YMCA Camp Orkila’s Larry Norman Lodge. Dinner will start at 6 p.m. and the lecture and separate activities for children will start at 7 p.m.

Dr. Nat Scholz, the Ecotoxicology Program Manager at NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, will tell the story of how toxic stormwater runoff into urban streams are killing adult Coho salmon at rates that are too high to sustain wild populations. Fortunately, early research on green stormwater infrastructure, such as bioinfiltration, is showing great promise in reducing this toxic soup and protecting the health of salmon and other aquatic species.

Scholtz is an accomplished scientist and acclaimed public speaker. His work has lead to numerous peer-reviewed publications that have helped improve management and restoration of the Salish Sea. Last year, he and two other colleagues received the SeaDoc Society’s Salish Sea Science Prize for their work showing that copper from brake pads damages salmon’s sense of smell and decreases their survival. Their work led to legislation that removed copper from car brake pads in Washington State and ultimately the rest of the United States.

The 2016-17 Marine Science Lecture Series is designed to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free.