Lecture Series
JOIN US AT THE RIVER CENTER FOR OUR MONTHLY LECTURE SERIES
The first Friday of each month we have a Noon Lecture from 12pm – 1pm
The third Friday of each month we have an Evening Lecture from 6pm – 7pm
Registration is required to attend.
This event is not for children. Ages 16+ are welcome to attend.
February
NOON LECTURE
Endangered Species – Chronicles of a New England Fisherman & the Fishing Vessel Ellen Diane
Friday, February 6th , 2026 | 12pm – 1pm
Speaker: David Goethel
David is a small boat fisherman, an “endangered species”, who works tirelessly for himself and others like him to survive. Follow along on that journey, sea stories and autobiography mixed with twists and turns of science and management as David and his family work relentlessly to feed America sustainable seafood.
Fishing is not a job; it is a way of life. David is determined to maintain that life fighting through storm-tossed adversity that nature lays out endlessly, and the new sinister efforts of a modern society that lives on land and has no concept of how those at sea ensure their own survival, as well as the fish on which they depend. Reading Endangered Species will take readers on a journey through time while demonstrating why some individuals will always be called to work the sea.
David will be reading an excerpt from the book, then discussing a series of photos depicting his decades on the water, followed by a book signing.
EVENING LECTURE
Long-term Assessments of Sea Turtle Populations in Palm Beach County
Friday, February 20th , 2026 | 6pm – 7pm
Speaker: Annessia Michaels
Since 2005, Inwater Research Group has studied the health, behavior, diet, and habitat use of sea turtles in Palm Beach County. This presentation will highlight the research conducted at Lake Worth Lagoon and Jupiter Inlet, diving into the importance of studying these animals and how this information can help us protect their species for generations to come.
March
NOON LECTURE
Ecological Restoration
Friday, March 6th , 2026 | 12pm – 1pm
Speaker: Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Florida in Gainesville. From 2022-2024, he worked as a postdoc in the McCoy lab at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University. His dissertation research at East Carolina University (2016-2022) advanced the rationale for using trophically transmitted parasites as indicators or “surrogates” of overall biodiversity in coastal environments.
EVENING LECTURE
The Reef Institute
Friday, March 20th , 2026 | 6pm – 7pm
Speaker: The Reef Institute
The Reef Institute aims to transition our education systems from mere awareness of ocean challenges to fostering active stewardship of our reefs. The Reef Institute focuses on biobanking corals, promoting propagation, facilitating larval settlement, juvenile rearing, and outplanting corals. They are dedicated to rebuilding the reef, beginning in Palm Beach County, extending throughout Florida, and collaborating across the Caribbean.
April
NOON LECTURE
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Museum – Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Historical Society
Friday, Apri 3rd, 2026 | 12pm – 1pm
Speaker: Josh Liller
Josh Liller has been the Historian and Collections Manager for the Loxahatchee River Historical Society for the last decade. A graduate of Florida Atlantic University, he is the co-author of Five Thousand Years on the Loxahatchee (Revised Edition), editor of The Florida Lighthouse Trail 2nd Edition, and editor-author of the LRHS Quarterly local history newsletter.
EVENING LECTURE
Schoolyard Films
Friday, April 17th , 2026 | 6pm – 7pm
Speaker: Tom Fitz
Tom Fitz is a multiple Emmy Award winning cameraman whose work has been broadcast by PBS, BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, ABC, NHK, Tokyo Broadcasting, and others. His programs have also been displayed in museums (including the Smithsonian, in Washington D.C.) and in other non-broadcast venues. Tom has over 35 years of experience in natural history camerawork, and his projects have taken him all over the world. In 2004 Tom began producing his own films too, earning numerous awards, and in 2008, with Karina Fitz, he co-founded Schoolyard Films with a mission to educate and inspire, while promoting good stewardship of the planet. In 2021, Tom was inducted into the “Florida Artist’s Hall of Fame,” a very exclusive honor. And in 2023, Tom shifted his work to follow his growing passion for environmental education. He now devotes himself full-time to Schoolyard Films, trying to save the world… one film at a time.
May
NOON LECTURE
Seaweed Research – UF
Friday, May 1st , 2026 | 12pm – 1pm
Speaker: Gabrielle Foursa