# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass”
- **Event Start and End Date**: Sun, 15 Feb, 2026 at 03:00 pm
- **Event Description**: Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass”
Sunday, February 15
3pm
Wheeler Theater
Please note: A Discover Pass is required to park at Fort Worden Historical State Park. 

Space is limited. To keep this series accessible to all, regardless of the ability to pay, there is no set charge for the event; however, donations are always welcomed and appreciated.

...

The animals that inhabit the deep ocean are the most poorly known group of fauna in the world. This is particularly true of glass sponges in the class Hexactinellida, which are very important members of deepwater communities.  Glass sponges provide homes to all types of deepwater invertebrates and have formed amazing sponge reefs off the coasts of Canada and Alaska. As their name implies, this group has skeletal parts, called spicules, that are made of glass. Glass sponges evolved in the Cambrian period, hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs and are very different from any other type of animal. They come in a mind-boggling variety of body forms and their spicules represent nature’s finest glass art creations that surpass anything we humans could make. These ancient and incredible animals have many other fascinating characteristics that will be introduced in this talk.

Dr. Christopher Kelley retired in 2018 after 18 years as program biologist for the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) and graduate research faculty in oceanography at the University of Hawaii. He led deep-water research cruises, fisheries projects, and a video annotation lab identifying deep-sea fish and invertebrates from submersible and ROV footage. Two deep-water species—a seastar (Apollonaster kelleyi) and a coral (Crypthelia kelleyi)—have been named in his honor. After moving to Port Townsend in 2019, Dr. Kelley has volunteered with the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Wooden Boat Festival, and Jefferson Land Trust. He continues to support Pacific research cruises as an onshore scientist and works on deep-water glass sponge identification and new species publications.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/port-townsend/future-of-oceans-lecture-deepwater-sponges-of-the-pacific-incredible-living-animals-made-of-glass/200029633724037
- **Event Categories**: art, festivals, workshops, theatre, nonprofit
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 34

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Port Townsend
- **state**: WA
- **country**: United States
- **location**: Fort Worden State Park
- **lat**: 48.12179367287
- **long**: -122.77204651807
- **full address**: Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, United States

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass”
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/50a0a8dd961deae73097c1883e7c8c18e1dc15e8c23398043c005b5f339a5ded-rimg-w1200-h673-dc05070e-gmir?v=1771090693

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass” being held?
  - **A:** Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass” takes place on Sun, 15 Feb, 2026 at 03:00 pm to Sun, 15 Feb, 2026 at 03:00 pm at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, United States.
- **Q**: Who is organizing Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass”?
  - **A:** Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass” is organized by Port Townsend Marine Science Center.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass” is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Port Townsend, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass” sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

## Structured Data (JSON-LD)

```json
[
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "Event",
        "name": "Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass”",
        "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/50a0a8dd961deae73097c1883e7c8c18e1dc15e8c23398043c005b5f339a5ded-rimg-w1200-h673-dc05070e-gmir?v=1771090693",
        "startDate": "2026-02-15",
        "url": "https://allevents.in/port-townsend/future-of-oceans-lecture-deepwater-sponges-of-the-pacific-incredible-living-animals-made-of-glass/200029633724037",
        "location": {
            "@type": "Place",
            "name": "Fort Worden State Park",
            "address": {
                "@type": "PostalAddress",
                "name": "Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, United States",
                "addressLocality": "Port Townsend",
                "addressRegion": "WA",
                "addressCountry": "US"
            },
            "geo": {
                "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
                "latitude": "48.12179367287",
                "longitude": "-122.77204651807"
            }
        },
        "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode",
        "description": "Future of Oceans lecture “Deepwater Sponges of the Pacific: Incredible Living Animals Made of Glass”\nSunday, February 15\n3pm\nWheeler Theater\nPlease note: A Discover Pass is required to park at Fort Worden Historical State Park. \n\nSpace is limited. To keep this series accessible to all, regardless",
        "organizer": [
            {
                "@type": "Organization",
                "name": "Port Townsend Marine Science Center",
                "url": "https://allevents.in/org/port-townsend-marine-science-center/12063538",
                "description": "Founded in 1982, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center is a non-profit 501c3 educational organization located at Fort Worden State Park, WA, whose mission is to inspire conservation of the Salish Sea. For public visiting hours and more: www.ptmsc.org."
            }
        ]
    }
]
```