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Life Solved Live

Life Solved Live

Life Solved Live is a lecture series held by the University of Portsmouth presenting discoveries intended to change the way you see and understand things.

The introductory lecture by Professor Alex Ford discussed the shocking truth behind our pollutants and our marine life in his talk ‘Sex changing sea life’. This was an absolute light bulb moment for the CHASM project about what might be happening on our coast affecting not only crabs and lobsters, but also other marine biota.

Professor Ford is an Environmental Biologist in the University’s School of Biological Sciences and Deputy Director of the Centre for Blue Governance. His research looks at what impact chemicals can have on marine environments when human action puts them in places they shouldn't be.

Professor Ford said: “This talk explores some of the synergies between the effects of chemical contaminants on human sperm counts through to reproductive abnormalities found in sea life. In the past, we were concerned about chemicals that act like oestrogens getting into the water and changing the sex of fish, for instance. Now we're concerned about a vast array of chemicals that might interfere hormones in aquatic organisms, some of which can change behaviour.”

The talk is essential viewing and can be seen via the following link:

Life Solved Live: Sex changing  sea life