Science for Community Leaders Poster Session Update!

Be there or B²

Show-off Your Research to Community Leaders at CERF 2011

Holly Greening, CERF 2011 Conference Co-Chair

hgreening@tbep.org

Bob Chamberlain, CERF Conference Communications Chair

rchamber@sjrwmd.com

You are cordially invited to attend

Science for Community Leaders Special Poster Session

CERF 2011

Daytona Beach, Florida, USA

Tuesday evening, 8 November 2011

New at CERF 2011, Science for Community Leaders (SCL) will provide a venue to encourage interaction between our conference attendees, the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences membership, and other community leaders. Community leaders will be invited to talk with our conference attendees in an informal social setting, which will be contained within the main poster hall. Invitations will also be sent to other local and regional leaders (nearby National Estuarine Research Reserve directors, National Seashore director, Florida Water Management officials, college presidents, etc).

Be there! (whether presenting an SCL poster or not)

While the invitees would be initially welcomed at the special poster area, they would also be encouraged to view posters throughout the poster hall and talk to all of the presenters available that evening. So, even if you are not participating directly in the special poster session, we encourage you to show-off your research when the community leaders tour the poster hall.

Community Leaders in Daytona Beach have spoken…

Topics of interest identified by local community leaders and the CERF conference team include:

• Invasive species and how to control them
• Macro (drift) algae: nuisance, important habitat, and control
• Coastal erosion and methods for control
• Possibility of a tsunami
• Diminishing seafood
• Is seafood safe?
• Hurricanes
• Urbanizing coastlines
• Conflicting uses for freshwater (public supply and environment)
• Climate change effects
• Impacts to human resources from sea level rise (global, regional, and examples of local response planning)
• Sea level rise effects on wetlands and shallow submerged resources
• Impacts of the BP oil spill
• Monitoring programs to determine impacts from BP and future oil spills
• Water quality regulations (what has been their benefit…why and where do we need more)
• Making links between nutrient loading and potential impacts
• Existing assessment programs, and proposed solutions for nutrient reduction
• State and federal programs for financial and planning assistance to address: sea level rise, nutrient reduction, and other estuarine resource protection efforts

Don’t miss this opportunity to reach out to community leaders and share the cutting-edge of coastal and estuarine science, found only at CERF 2011.

Integrated Ecosystem Assessment – Change, Change and More Change

William Nuttle, Organizer for CERF 2011 Synthesis Sessions

wnuttle@eco-hydrology.com

As I write this I am tracking the progress of three flood events. Two of them are real, and one virtual. Along with residents of coastal Louisiana I am keenly watching the progress of the great Mississippi River flood of 2011, which is cresting today near Helena, Arkansas, heading for New Orleans. I also join my colleagues on the program committee for CERF 2011 as we watch the flood of abstracts pouring in just before tonight’s deadline for submissions. These real floods are life-changing events.

Adaptively managing the Mississippi River
 in 2011 to protect New Orleans from flooding

So too is the virtual flood of change currently washing through coastal and estuarine management programs. This flood has been building around the globe over the past ten years or so, with rising acceptance of ecosystem based management applied at a regional scale. Implementation of a new national ocean policy in the coastal waters of the US marks its most recent high water event. Add to this the confluence of climate change, rising sea level and growing human populations in coastal communities, and it is clear that this flood has not yet reached its crest.

How will the flood of change in coastal management affect coastal and estuarine scientists? Integrated ecosystem assessment lies at the interface between management and science. Integrated ecosystem assessment provides a mechanism used by both scientists and managers to gather and synthesize scientific information required to support an ecosystem-based approach to management. Therefore, we can trace the effects of change in coastal management, back through the elements of integrated ecosystem assessment, to their impact on coastal and estuarine science.

Integrated – Changes in coastal management drive coastal and estuarine scientists to work at larger and longer scales. For example, what will be the impacts of the Mississippi River flood on the ecosystem in it deltaic region and the coupled coastal marine waters? And how far will they extend into the future - years, decades, longer? The need to respond to questions like these drive coastal managers to look for ways to integrate science more directly with management.

Ecosystem – Coastal ecosystems include people! Protecting ecosystems has been an explicit goal of environmental management ever since the early days of the environmental movement, forty years ago. However, for most of this period, managers have pursued the strategy of erecting barriers around our activities, both real and through regulation, to protect the natural environment from human disturbance, and vice versa. Implicit in this strategy is the view that people are separate from nature, not an integral part of ecosystems. The movement to adopt ecosystem-based management is motivated in large degree by failures of this separatist strategy. Dikes built to control flooding along the Mississippi also starve coastal wetlands from inputs of river sediment needed to sustain them. Both managers and scientists need to rethink the relationship between people and the coastal environment.

Assessment – We need to move beyond simply assessing risks on to solving the knotty problems facing coastal managers. Can integrated ecosystem assessment be used to design diversions from the Mississippi River that both protect human communities from floods, when we need it, and restore and sustain wetlands, when they need it? What are we trying to protect, and therefore to assess – sustainability, biodiversity, ecosystem services, economic opportunity? What is it about large-scale, regional coastal and estuarine ecosystems that people care about? And can these attributes be evaluated using the objective tools of scientific analysis?

Are we, coastal and estuarine scientists, prepared to deal with the flood of change already pooling at our feet? No doubt the deluge of abstracts just now cresting on the CERF 2011 meeting website carries the answer to this question. Like you, I am looking forward to hearing these talks and viewing these posters at the meeting in Daytona Beach.

Societies, Estuaries & Coasts: Adapting to Change

But why wait? Between now and the CERF 2011 meeting in November, this blog will host a series of posts on the sink or swim issues outlined above. The discussion begun here sets the stage for the synthesis sessions planned as part of the conference program.

Join the discussion! Read, comment, and offer your own views on what changes lie ahead and what changes might already be taking place.

Photo credit: New Orleans Times-Picayune.

CERF Green Meetings Policy: Making strides to minimize the environmental footprint of CERF conferences

Despite the many benefits of CERF conferences, they create adverse
impacts upon the environment by generating carbon emissions, primarily
from attendees’ air transport. They also create an environmental
footprint through consumption of natural resources and generation of
waste at the conference center and hotels. For the sake of estuarine and
coastal ecosystems and to lead by good example, the Governing Board in
March approved a green meeting policy to mitigate that impact as much as
possible.
According to the United Nations Environment Program, a green meeting is
one that minimizes negative environmental impacts and leaves a positive
legacy for the host community. Benefits of greener conferences include:
saving money, enhancing organization’s reputation, promoting
environmental innovation, providing local social benefits, raising
awareness, influencing decision-making, and spreading best practices
within the organization.
At past conferences, CERF has encouraged green practices at the hotel,
conference center, and meeting site and has offered registrants a
voluntary carbon offset. Now, CERF will join other scientific
organizations in reducing the environmental footprint of conferences
even further by moving “Toward Green CERF Conferences.”

Call For Abstracts Now Open!

 CERF 2011: Societies, Estuaries and Coasts: Adapting to Change

Daytona Beach, Florida, 6 – 10 November 2011

David Rudnick, Co-Chair, General Program

David Yoskowitz, Co-Chair, Socio-economics

Linda Walters, Poster Session Chair

Bill Nuttle, Plenary and Synthesis Sessions

Bob Virnstein, Scientific Program Team - Regional Issues

Nuria Marba, Scientific Program Team - International Issues

Victor Rivera-Monroy, Scientific Program Team - International Issues

Ruth Carmichael, Workshops Chair

Susan Chalifoux, Scientific Program Database Manager

To Submit, visit the Abstracts Portal at http://cerf2011.abstractcentral.com/index.jsp

Review the program sessions at: http://www.erf.org/cerf-2011

Abstract submittal service online: 16 February 2011

Abstract submission and fee deadline: 12 May 2011

The CERF 2011 Program Committee invites you to submit an abstract for an oral or poster presentation for CERF 2011. The Federation is committed to bringing scientists and students from around the world together to exchange information and ideas about the science and management of coastal ecosystems. Our Federation conferences provide outstanding opportunities for professionals at all stages in their career for continuing education and development.

***Education Sessions and Science for Community Leaders Poster Session***

The conference limit of one first author oral or poster presentation per individual does not apply to the Education sessions and Science for Community Leaders poster session. The abstract fee will be waived for a second abstract submitted to this session. To allow second abstracts to be submitted, we invite you to submit an abstract between May 13-20 for this session rather than during the regular abstract submittal period.

Policies and Procedures for Submitting Abstracts to CERF 2011

 

The abstract submittal deadline is

May 12, 2011 11:59 PM PST/May 13, 2011 04:59 GMT

Electronic submittal: This method is highly encouraged. The abstract submittal portal is accessed via the CERF 2011 conference Web site found at http://www.erf.org. All abstracts must be received by the closing date noted above. Any abstracts received after the deadline may not be eligible for inclusion in the conference program.

Postal/Courier Mail: Under special circumstances and to encourage submittals from regions and countries with historically low submission rates, we will also accept submittal by mail. Mailed submittals must be received, not postmarked, by 12 May 2011. Please call 1-254-776-3550 (Texas, USA) or e-mail cerf2011@sgmeet.com for mailing instructions.

Abstract Fee: All submittals, including invited abstracts, must be accompanied by the abstract fee of $60USD for electronic submission or $70USD for other forms of submission.

Guidelines: Submittal guidelines and procedures are posted on the CERF 2011 conference Web site and must be followed exactly. If the guidelines are not followed, your paper will not be accepted. Questions or concerns about your submittal or the scientific program should be directed to Susan Chalifoux, Scientific Program Committee Abstract Database Manager at sue.chalifoux@unh.edu.

One abstract submittal per person

Please note that the Federation has a one presentation per person policy. This means that each participant is permitted to be the lead author or presenter on only one poster OR oral presentation. You may be co-author on other presentations. This policy was adopted to ensure that Federation conference sessions contain contributions from as many people as possible.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

CERF Will Celebrate Four Decades on 6 November 2011

Forty on Forty 

Leila Hamdan, CERF Secretary, leila.hamdan@nrl.navy.mil

Janet Nestlerode, CERF Member at Large, nestlerode.janet@epa.gov

As CERF prepares for an important birthday celebration on 6 November 2011, the first day of the CERF 2011 conference in Daytona Beach, we third-decade CERF members thought a trip down memory lane with the CERF archives is in order—to remind ourselves of how far CERF has come and to preview what lies in store for our future. The following is the beginning of a series called, “Forty on Forty.” As the title suggests, these will be articles of 40 lines in length on the events of the past forty years. Our goal for the series is to inform, entertain and pay homage to the wisdom in informality that our CERF predecessors have fought to preserve.

Bring Your Birthday Suit???

The saying goes: there are no new ideas. A review of the C/ERF news archives suggests that this saying also applies to environmental issues facing coastal and estuarine systems. In 1974, just three short years after ERF formed, the newsletter that went out to the 1,200 ERF members was a simple, bi-folded sheet of thin white paper. It lacked embellishment, illustration or color.  

There were no traces of the beaming photos of estuarine professionals in action that we are now accustomed to, and the CERF logo was little more than a line drawing. The single article, written by ERF’s second President, Perry Jeffries (1973–1975), detailed all of the day’s news, including the oft-asked question heard at the Second International Symposium on Estuaries:  

“What is this Estuarine Research Federation, anyhow?” The characteristic lack of self-importance shared by so many C/ERF Presidents of the past four decades shone through in the article when Jeffries concluded, “who cares?” In a world concerned with name recognition, branding and marketing, he proclaimed that it was not important that everyone knew what ERF was, so long as its mission was carried out through low-keyed informal conferences that brought interdisciplinary research and discussion to the forefront.  

The 1974 newsletter detailed plans for the 1975 ERF conference in Galveston, Texas, which focused on Estuarine Processes and revealed the role that ERF would play in the upcoming Congressional report on the status of estuaries in the United States. It seems that ERF’s second President and CERF’s current President, Susan Williams, were kindred spirits in that they were keen on interfacing decision makers with the scientific community through the vehicle of C/ERF and “catalyzing national goals and perspectives on significant problems.” Experts from our ranks then began the C/ERF tradition of informing policy decisions through science and innovative thinking. 

However, it is possible that our dress code stood in the way of progress in more formal circles. The terms “quirky,” “informal” and “eclectic” are meant as terms of endearment, and can describe the general fashion (yes, we are going there) of a CERF conference in any decade. Upon seeing the masses of CERFers at the Oregon Conference Center during CERF 2009, a non-CERF member commented, “Do you even know you are at a professional conference? Most of you are wearing fleece vests, as if you are about to spring into action; and I am pretty sure a third of you have utility knives on your belts.” Yes, we know we are at a conference. 

We are just following tradition. President Jeffries was fond of the informal CERF dress code and the power of sacrificing the professional facade in the name of progress in discovery. In his newsletter article, he recited the advice of one ERF mentor to a new ERF student about to give his first presentation ca. 1973, “Rubber boots are allowed here, but for goodness’ sake, take off that tie!”  

Perhaps the most poignant reminder that the coastal problems are the same then and now was the summary of the conference convened by ERF in 1974 for the Bureau of Land Management on Marine Environmental Implications of Offshore Drilling. ERF members at the conference contributed to developing a series of offshore drilling recommendations, ranging from ecological theory to the socio-economic implications of dependency on marine resources. It would be difficult to imagine a contemporary session that would fit in better with the conference theme for 2011 than this.  

So it would seem from this article that the problems of estuaries and coasts, past and present, may be similar; and the readiness of CERF to challenge them is an ageless quality. But most importantly, when action strikes, we will be dressed for success.

Exhibiting proper attire: Scott Lerberg and

Darrin Dantin leave the ties at home and

gear up for a "double thumbs up" meeting at

ERF2007 in Providence.

Photo Credit: Janet Nestlerode

CERF 2011 Special Poster Session: Science for Community Leaders

Holly Greening, CERF 2011 Conference Co-Chair/Session Lead

hgreening@tbep.org

Thanks to input and encouragement from the CERF Conference Core Team and the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS), Science for Community Leaders is on the way to becoming a Special Poster Session at CERF 2011! Communicating estuarine and coastal science findings and status regarding current topics to decision-makers is recognized as an important objective of CERF—and is probably one of the more difficult tasks to implement. At the Science for Community Leaders session, we plan to provide a venue to encourage interaction between our conference attendees and the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences membership.

The poster session will be held in conjunction with a scheduled evening poster/social event. Daytona Beach MOAS members will be invited to attend and talk with our conference attendees in an informal social setting, which will be contained within the main poster hall. Invitations will also be sent to other local and regional leaders (nearby National Estuarine Research Reserve directors, National Seashore director, Florida Water Management officials, college presidents, etc.). The invitees would be initially welcomed at the special poster area, and then would be encouraged to view posters throughout the poster hall and talk to all of the presenters available that evening.

MOAS leaders are enthusiastic about the upcoming CERF conference in Daytona Beach; CERF 2011 will be the largest scientific conference the city has hosted! MOAS sees this as an opportunity to promote the role of arts and science in the community. The MOAS membership roster includes many local decision-makers and successful business leaders, who actively support the arts and sciences in the Daytona Beach area. They are interested in partnering with  CERF 2011 to create an event that engages their membership and our scientists in a meaningful and enjoyable way. The Director and Curator of MOAS also believe that their members would be interested in being invited “inside” the conference and in interacting with CERF’s scientists and managers as they work.

Contributed posters are encouraged on important coastal topics (oil spill impacts, hurricanes, marine spatial planning, urbanization, climate change, etc.) or case studies addressing these and other topics of interest to coastal community leaders.

For this special poster session, the CERF Conference

Team will waive the ban on being the primary author on only one presentation; the abstract fee for this poster session is also being waived. The CERF Conference Team will provide guidance on poster presentations for the public (more pictures and graphics, less words).

If you are interested in finding out more or participating in this Special Session, please contact CERF 2011 Co-Chair Holly Greening at hgreening@tbep.org. We welcome your ideas and comments—and look forward to a lively new venue for communicating coastal and estuarine science to local decision-makers.

CERF 2011: Exploring the Daytona Beach Area

Airboat tours of the Upper St Johns River

Several different companies run large airboat tours through the beautiful Upper St. Johns. All are very reputable companies and boast a wide variety of wildlife sightings…particularly the infamous FL gator. The tours have restaurants/fish camps, gift shops, and wildlife exhibits on site.

-Black Hammock Adventures is on Lake Jessup and will explore every creek and cranny for wildlife. Tours run about $35 for an hour with 12 people to a boat…can be longer.

http://www.theblackhammock.com/ 

-Lone Cabbage Tours is on Lake Poinsett and will glide through the grassy marshes of the St. Johns. Tours run about $40-65 depending on length of time and size of boat.

http://twisterairboatrides.tripod.com/rides.htm 

-Loughman Lake Lodge is on Loughman Lake and will tour the St Johns River and the grassy wetlands. Tours run about $40 for VIP private services.

http://airboatridesatloughman.com/the_best_airboat_eco-tour_in_central_fl 

-Central Florida Airboat tours is a smaller operation boasting close-up tours deeper into the swamps. Tours run about $40 per hour.

http://www.centralfloridaairboattours.com/index.htm 

Gamble Rogers Music and Nature Festival

Available on Sunday only, you can spend the day at a regional folk festival at Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area. 

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, this windswept park is named for Florida folk singer Gamble Rogers. Gamble Rogers State Park is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intra coastal waterway to the west. This 144 acre park offers coastal camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing and scenic relaxation.

Gamble Roger was a legendary folk hero who drowned trying to save someone in the ocean in 1991. He refined his storytelling craft, unique in its colorful cast of characters, settings, and philosophical humor and has been compared to that of Mark Twain and Will Rogers.

http://www.abfla.com/parks/GambleRogers/gamblerogers.html 

http://www.floridastateparks.org/gamblerogers/default.cfm 

For kayak and canoe lovers….

Here’s a great link to appeal to all of you kayak and canoe lovers…for adventurers on your own. Scroll down and read some excellent reviews of regional paddles.

http://spacecoastpaddling.com/index.html

Kayak Sights.

Photos Credit: Marilyn Sullivan