Communication and Collaboration:
Coastal Systems of the Gulf of Mexico and Southeastern United States

March 30 - April 2, 2005

Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center
Pensacola Beach, Florida

For 2004, our annual Fall South Atlantic Chapter workshop was to take place in conjunction with a meeting of the Gulf Estuarine Research Society (GERS) and with our neighboring South Central Chapter of SWS. The Gulf Ecology Division of EPA's Office of Research and Development (Pensacola Beach, FL) would have been serving as the local host with many of it's staff (and fellow SWS and ERF members) assisting with the coordination of this important event. This gathering of wetland and estuarine scientists would have taken place at the Hampton Inn and Conference Center on Pensacola Beach from October 6 - 9, 2004. As you know, the Pensacola area was devastated by Hurricane Ivan three weeks prior to the original meeting date. Darrin Dantin, meeting organizer, has been able to reschdule this meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center for March 30th through April 2nd.

The theme of the meeting will be "Communication and Collaboration: Coastal Systems of the Gulf of Mexico and Southeastern United States." With this meeting, the host organizations are joining to provide a forum for attendees and invited guests to acquire new information and obtain opportunities for collaboration with the many active research, regulatory, and conservation programs of the coastal states of the Southeastern Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. This first ever meeting will gather colleagues from all disciplines of the aquatic sciences to meet in one location - appropriately selected near the geographic center of the Gulf of Mexico coastline of the United States. Graduate student representatives from each society will be able to compete for student travel awards for attendance at future international meetings. Scheduled activities include professional workshops, numerous invited and submitted presentations, specials sessions, field trips of selected areas of ecological uniqueness or importance, a Friday evening dinner and social and student presentation competition for travel awards to an international meeting.

The host societies and sponsors hope to encourage a future mutual exchange of ideas with opportunities to develop new or enhance existing relationships within our unique ecoregion.

Go to the 2004/05 Joint Society Meeting and Workshop Website for more information on the workshop.