An expert with an encyclopedic knowledge of Olympic coastal resources, Dr. Steven Fradkin, will overview the current state of Olympic coastal ecology — including perspectives on intertidal biodiversity, the wildly fluctuating role of sea stars as primary predators, and how climate change is impacting our Olympic coast — at the next Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society meeting.

Fradkin will share his expertise from 7-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road.

After completing his earlier academic studies at Michigan State University, Fradkin received his doctorate from Dartmouth College. He continued his post-doctoral research studies at the University of Oregon’s Institute of Marine Biology.

Since 2000, he has been the coastal ecologist and limnologist at Olympic National Park. He also serves as the chief of the Marine, Lakes and Climate Branch for the park’s Resource Management Division. He conducts research and long term monitoring on intertidal resources, mountain lakes and climate change from an ecosystem perspective.

Steve lives in Port Angeles with his wife, a wildlife biologist, and their two children.