From mussels in Quartermaster Harbor, to forests, island waste and shoreline preservation, the Vashon Nature Center’s second annual ED Talks on Sunday will bring together high school students with professional scientists to discuss environmental issues on Vashon.

Beginning at 2 p.m. at the Open Space for Arts & Community, Vashon High School (VHS) sophomores, along with professional scientists they have been working with, will present a local spin on the popular TED Talks series. The event is free and open to the public.

Vashon Nature Center’s Jen Williams said the event is unique because students have the opportunity to go out on research expeditions with the scientists and study local wildlife, habitats and sustainability issues. The students will address topics through a variety of projects, including juvenile salmon surveys, sea star counts in Raab’s Lagoon and a study on “whether our island can feed itself sustainably,” Williams said.

“They get to interact with these people who do this for a living,” she said. “It’s really relevant. Vashon is also a hotspot for researchers at the University of Washington (UW) … so they can share findings with the people who live here.”

Sunday’s event will consist of six 10-minute presentations on these studies. Six groups of students will do presentations, and roughly 30 other groups will display posters and answer questions

“The collaboration between professionals and students is unique and generative for both groups,” Williams said.

Scientists speaking at the event include:

1. Jennifer Lanksbury, ­from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, presenting her research on the mussel populations in Quartermaster Harbor.

2. Greg Rabourn,­ King County’s Vashon Basin Steward, presenting information about shoreline habitat restoration.

3. Cheryl Greengrove, from the ­UW, Tacoma, presenting her research on nitrogen levels in Quartermaster Harbor.

4. Derek Churchill,­ from UW, presenting research on forest stewardship.

5. Bianca Perla, from­ Vashon Nature Center, presenting four years of BioBlitz data.

6. Gib Damann,­ from Zero Waste Vashon, presenting on waste issues on the rock.