Free Hybrid Special Event
Location: Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Peter Girguis, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
Chet Van Duzer, Lazarus Project, University of Rochester
Advance registration recommended. Free event parking at 52 Oxford Street Garage.
For centuries, sea monsters have adorned maps, serving as both warnings and wonders of the unknown ocean. These artistic depictions reflected early attempts to understand the deep, blending legend with reality. From krakens to serpents, cartographers illustrated creatures based on sailors’ tales, inspiring fear and curiosity. Over time, these mythical beasts influenced marine biology, shaping early studies of unknown species. Join us as we explore the fascinating history of sea monsters on maps and their role in unraveling the mysteries of the ocean.
After the program, enjoy free access to the exhibition Sea Monsters: Wonders of Nature and Imagination at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture.
Photo © Jessie James
About the Speakers
Peter R. Girguis is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and the Co-Director of the Harvard Microbial Sciences Initiative. He is also an adjunct scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering group. Professor Girguis studies how marine microbes and animals have adapted to their environments, and how their metabolic activity—in turn—shapes those environments. Girguis is also known for developing novel “open-design” instruments such as underwater mass spectrometers and microbial samplers, and he strives to make these tools available to the broadest research community, with the goal of democratizing science around the world. He has authored or co-authored approximately 140 publications, and also serves on several notable ocean science advisory boards.
Chet Van Duzer is a board member of the Lazarus Project at the University of Rochester, which brings multispectral imaging to cultural institutions around the world—he directs the projects relating to maps and globes. He has published extensively on medieval and Renaissance maps; his book Frames that Speak: Cartouches on Early Modern Maps was recently published by Brill in Open Access. His current projects are a book about self-portraits by cartographers that appear on maps, and a book about images of terrestrial animals and birds on maps.
