Regular hours: 9:30 am – 6 pm
Last entry at 5 pm

Lightning Talks: Diseases & Underwater Medicine

A white wave shape.
Thursday, December 10, 2026 | 6pm Pacific

Lightning Talks: Diseases and Underwater Medicine

Join us for an infectiously exciting talk all about diseases and underwater medicine! During this Lightning Talk, five speakers will have five minutes each to spark our curiosity about the cures for ailing corals, saving monk seals and more fascinating topics. And stay tuned for a post-talk discussion answering audience questions. 

Photo featuring a scuba diver under water conducting a scientific study of coral. Seattle Aquarium Lighting Talks: Diseases & Underwater Medicine.

Lightning Talks are free digital events, streamed live on YouTube, where curious community members can connect with scientists and researchers from around the world. Your support keeps programs like these free to all. Donate to the Seattle Aquarium today!

Featured speakers

  • Karen Neely (research scientist at Nova Southeastern University) on helping stony corals
  • Lindy McMorran (senior veterinary technician at the Seattle Aquarium) on sea lion rehabilitation 
  • Michael Metzger (associate investigator at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute and associate professor at the University of Washington) on cancer in clams
  • Chelsea Wood (professor at the University of Washington) on understanding parasites
  • Dr. Michelle Barbieri Lino (veterinary translational scientist at the SeaDoc Society) on vaccinating monk seals 

Book giveaway

During this talk, we will be giving away five copies of Lightning Talks host Nora Nickum’s newest book, Wild Medicine: Inventing Ways to Save Endangered Animals. Make sure to tune in live for your chance to win a copy! 

Giveaway for U.S. residents watching during the live broadcast only. 

New podcast!

Lightning Strikes Twice

Can’t get enough of Lightning Talks? Then have we got the podcast for you!

Lightning Strikes Twice welcomes back guests from Lightning Talks to discuss all the fun facts, cool stories and unanswered audience questions they missed during their initial five-minute talk. This is the perfect show for the “science curious,” aka anyone who wants to learn more about the ocean and the incredible creatures who rely on it (including us)! The show is co-hosted by the Aquarium’s own Cari Garand and Amy Olsen.

Lightning Strikes Twice is available wherever you get your podcasts!

The Lightning Strikes Twice logo.

Previous seasons of Lightning Talks

Watch Season 1: Sharks; Octopuses; Otters; Orcas 

Watch Season 2: Sharks; Creatures of the Deep; Birds; Kelp Forests

Watch Season 3: Life on the Frozen Edge; Myths and Misconceptions; Jellies; Snails

Watch Season 4: Ocean Tech; Cephalopods; Experience the Coral Triangle; Rays

Watch Season 5: Salmon; Ocean Ancients; Spineless; Seahorses and Seadragons

Watch Season 6: Sea Turtles; Whales; Corals; Bioluminescence

[custom_side_nav]

GiveBIG to conservation in action.

This year, we’ve set a GiveBIG goal of $70,000, and thanks to the generous support of Al & Pat Friedrich, Clint & Barb Bennett, Marshall & Janice Brumer, Michael Klein & Catherine Melfi, and an anonymous donor, every gift will be matched up to $30,000, doubling your impact.

Thursday, November 12 from 5:30–8:30pm

Come in from the cold for a happy hour-style event!

Today only, your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 thanks to the generosity of donors Betsy Cadwallader, J & Tim, and Jess & Andy Peet. Help us reach our $50,000 goal!

End the year with a gift to the ocean.