{"id":1,"date":"2024-02-13T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/learning-technologies\/?p=1"},"modified":"2025-10-08T01:04:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T01:04:24","slug":"event-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/rp-hannahfreeman\/event-coverage\/","title":{"rendered":"James W. Porter shares collection of coral specimens and manuscripts, talks importance of conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hannah Freeman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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James W. Porter, emeritus Josiah Meigs professor of Ecology, discusses the coral collection featured in Hargrett\u2019s newest exhibition, \u201cSunken Treasure: The Art and Science of Coral Reefs\u201d at UGA Special Collections. He will host a lecture on coral reefs on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. in UGA Special Collections, Room 271. (Photo\/ Sam Tupper).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James W. Porter, Josiah Meigs Professor of Ecology, will host a lecture detailing his research on coral reefs and efforts to protect Earth\u2019s most biologically diverse ecosystems on Thursday, Feb. 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. in UGA Special Collections, Room 271. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the lecture, guests are invited to browse Hargrett Library\u2019s newest exhibition, \u201cSunken Treasure: The Art and Science of Coral Reefs<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore the University of Georgia acquired them, I owned 90% of every book or monograph ever published on corals and coral reefs back to 1500,\u201d said Porter. \u201cAnd what you\u2019re seeing is the exhibition of that material.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition features coral specimens Porter has collected during his 50-year career as a marine ecologist, as well as historical texts from scientists including Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no place else in the world that this exhibit could have occurred,\u201d said Porter. \u201cThis is just entirely unique to have these ancient manuscripts alongside these gorgeous corals, it\u2019s unique to UGA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Porter said the exhibition can give visitors an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and the history of science. Another central theme of the exhibition is the conservation of coral reefs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis exhibit is an exceptionally strong conservation statement,\u201d said Porter. \u201cAnd it\u2019s visual, so the impact is beauty as well as change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the items currently on display, Porter has been able to speak to Congress and show the devastating changes that have occurred to the world\u2019s coral reefs due to climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are the images that really told the congressmen and women that these changes were real,\u201d Porter said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t solved the climate change problem, but we have made some advances in conservation, and I feel that I played a part in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reservations for the lecture can be made online<\/a>. The exhibit will be open to the public for six months. Porter will also be providing guided tours through the exhibition on the first Friday of every month at 2 p.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. James W. Porter, Meigs professor of Ecology, explains how life on Earth would not be possible without coral reefs in his lecture today, Feb. 15. pic.twitter.com\/5Pt36wdzHX<\/a><\/p>— Hannah Freeman (@hfreemanwrites) February 16, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>