The Mar Menor is a huge, shallow lagoon on the margin of the Mediterranean Sea.  It is a wetland recognized by the international Ramsar Convention.  A number of man-caused impacts has resulted in the recent collapse of the wetland ecosystems, with substantial consequences to biological, political, economic and environmental consequences. The talk will set the stage and introduce engineering solutions and actions that can be taken to mitigate the damage and begin the process of restoring the wetland.  

Dr. Charlton is founder and executive in several international clean technology companies that use innovative engineered technologies to reduce solid waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, generate clean energy, and clean up contaminated water. In these businesses, Dr. Charlton works with environmental engineers and scientists to design, develop, test and launch new products that clean the environment and pursue sustainable use of water and other natural resources. Current projects involve destroying solid organic waste using low plasma energy (US-Japan), removing nitrates from power plant emissions using algae (US-Spain), cleaning up wastewater at dairies using microbes (Cal Poly Engineering), generating new drinking supply using biotechnology (California), and cleaning up mining waste using biochemistry (USA).

Dr. Charlton's has degrees in Geological Sciences from Dartmouth (AB), the Mackay School of Mines, Nevada (MS), and the University of California. His core competencies are geohydrology, environmental engineering, biochemistry, economics, risk management, and business management. He is also a 4H Geology Project Leader in San Rafael.

Octover 10, 7:30 – 8:30 pm at Terra Linda High School, in Physiology Lab Room 207.

For more info, please contact Marin Science Seminar