Life beneath the waves

Humans continue to threaten many species with extinction. IUCN assesses extinction risk in plants and animals of the world but how is this done? My talk I will cover the power this has for protecting species across the world and preventing extinctions as well as why this is important for us, our health and wellbeing.

African cichlid fish are often found in home aquaria because they make fascinating and beautiful pets- but they are also really useful for studying and understanding evolution. I'd like to talk about some of the deep water species native to Lake Malawi, and the changes in their genome that have allowed them to adapt to that environment. These changes aren't only relevant for cichlids, but may be important for organisms in many different extreme environments.

A look into the wonderful & bizarre world of jellyfish, focusing on their lifecycle and culture in laboratory conditions.