OCEAN EATS, REEFS ILLUMINATED and More Set for AMNH's 2013 Milstein Science Series

The American Museum of Natural History presents the 2013 Milstein Science Series, weekend family-friendly programs sponsored by the Paul and Irma Milstein Family. Free with Museum admission, the afternoon programs give visitors a chance to meet scientists, discover amazing creatures, and explore science under the iconic 94-foot blue whale in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Upcoming Milstein Science Series programs include:

· Ocean Eats
Sunday, March 10, 11 am-4:30 pm
Visitors can explore the relationship between humans and the oceans, from cultural traditions and fishing practices to sustainable seafood, and learn how to be a steward of Earth's seas in this family-friendly program. The afternoon includes discussions with scientists, hands-on activities, and special performances and screening.

The program is hosted by Mark Sidall, curator in the Museum's Division of Invertebrate Zoology; speakers include Eleanor Sterling, director of the Museum's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation; Mark Kurlansky, sustainability expert and author of COD and World Without Fish, which was co-written with his 11-year-old daughter, Talia; and Chris Young, principal co-author of the acclaimed six-volume work Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking.

At 5 pm in Kaufmann Theater, the Museum will present a special screening of SHELLSHOCKED: Saving Oysters to Save Ourselves. The film follows efforts in New York Harbor to prevent the extinction of wild oyster reefs. Because of overfishing and pollution, wild oyster reefs have been declared "the most severely impacted marine habitat on Earth." Now scientists, government officials, artists and environmentalists are fighting to bring oysters back to the former oyster capital of the world: New York Harbor.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Emily Driscoll, Peter Malinowski from the New York Harbor School, and musical guests Bob Wright and Harbortown.

· Island Life
Sunday, April 14, from 11 am-4 pm
From the Cocos Island off of the coast of Costa Rica to the famed Galapagos, oceanic islands foster a vast array of wondrous cultures, biodiversity, and diverse environments. Their waters are home to fascinating species ranging from sharks to corals, while the islands themselves feature a variety of plant and animal life, much of which is uniquely endemic to specific islands, and others of which have yet to be discovered. This Milstein Science Series program will explore what scientists have learned about island species since Darwin's famous voyage on the Beagle brought him to the Galapagos in 1831, with a focus on current island discovery, adventure, and cutting-edge science.

This program is hosted by Jenny Newell, assistant curator of Pacific Ethnology in the Museum's Division of Anthropology; speakers include Christopher Filardi of the Museum's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation; Chris Meyer, director of the Moorea Biocode Project at the Smithsonian Institute; and Jarod Miller, naturalist and zoologist, who will lead a live-animal presentation.

Milstein Science Series Special Exhibition: Reefs Illuminated
April 14-May 3 during Museum hours
In this new film directed by Brennan Vance John Sparks, curator in the Museum's Department of Ichthyology and David Gruber, Museum research associate and an assistant professor at The City University of New York, take a journey to the remote South Pacific coral reefs of the Solomon Islands to explore newly discovered biofluorescent species of fishes and stingrays, along with biofluorescent corals, crinoids, anemones, and other glowing invertebrates. The film will screen in the Geodome theater in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.

· Whales
Sunday, May 19, from 11 am-4 pm
The ocean is home to more than 70 species of whales, and over the centuries, people from around the world have both hunted and revered them. Visitors can learn about the work scientists are doing to protect these gentle giants through an exploration of whale anatomy and behavior; go inside a 45-foot, life-size replica of Istar, a humpback whale; explore hands-on activities; and meet scientists.

Christopher Clark, from Whale Bioacoustics at Cornell University, will be speaking at the event. The host and additional speakers will be announced shortly.

American Museum of Natural History (amnh.org): The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world's preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions. It is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, New York State's official memorial to its 33rd governor and the nation's 26th president, and a tribute to Roosevelt's enduring legacy of conservation. The Museum's five active research divisions and three cross-disciplinary centers support 200 scientists, whose work draws on a world-class Permanent Collection of more than 32 million specimens and artifacts, including specialized collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data, as well as one of the largest natural history libraries in the Western Hemisphere. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, it is the only American museum authorized to grant the Ph.D. degree. In 2012, the Museum began offering a pilot Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in earth science. Approximately 5 million visitors from around the world came to the Museum last year, and its exhibitions and Space Shows can be seen in venues on five continents. The Museum's website and collection of apps for mobile devices extend its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to millions more beyond its walls.

The Museum is open daily, 10 am-5:45 pm, and is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Space Shows are shown Monday through Friday every half hour, 10:30 am-4:30 pm except Wednesdays (first show on Wednesday begins at 11 am). Saturday through Sunday, every half hour, 10:30 am-5 pm.

Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum's scientific and educational endeavors and includes 46 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $19 (adults) suggested; $14.50 (students/seniors) suggested; $10.50 (children) suggested.

The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX films, and Space Shows.
- Museum plus special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show: $25 (adults), $19 (students/seniors), $14.50 (children)
- Museum Supersaver, which includes the Space Show, IMAX, and all special exhibitions: $33 (adults), $25.50 (students/seniors), $20.50 (children)

Visitors who wish to pay less than the suggested Museum admission and also want to attend a special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show may do so only on site at the Museum. To the amount they wish to pay for general admission, they should add $22 (adults), $18 (students/seniors), or $12 (children) for a Space Show, special exhibition, or IMAX film.

For additional information, call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum's website, amnh.org. Find the Museum on Facebook at facebook.com/naturalhistory or visit twitter.com/AMNH to follow us on Twitter.