Bays & Bayous 2012 - Call for Abstracts

  Finding a Common Currency: Natural Resource Economics, Ecology and Culture   November 14-15, 2012
Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center
Biloxi, MS 

 

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Abstracts can be submitted for both oral and poster presentations. The oral presentations will be 15 minutes and a 5-minute question-and-answer session will follow each presentation. Individuals wishing to present are invited to submit a proposal abstract no later than Sept. 14, 2012. Please see the Guidelines for Abstracts and Guidelines for Abstract Submission in this document for additional information.

Climate and Hazard Resilience
Niki Pace, Chair
This session will encompass the expansive topic of natural, anthropogenic and social impacts to coastal natural hazard resilience and the ocean’s role in climate. This session will encourage a broad range of presentations focusing on state and local efforts to minimize environmental impacts while enhancing economic opportunity and improving resilience to both natural and technological hazards. This session will also include education and outreach efforts aimed at raising awareness and understanding of climate and hazard challenges. Topics may include land use policies; innovative floodplain management strategies; sustainable building design techniques and methodologies; community response and adaptation activities related to climate change, sea-level rise and inundation events; and cultural and sociological impacts associated with coastal hazards, both natural and anthropogenic. Submissions discussing innovative data analysis methods employed to study these issues, such as engineering, living shorelines, modeling, remote sensing, field-based experiments, social vulnerability indexing and other topically relevant behavioral science, are also encouraged.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Science
Steve Sempier, Chair
This session will center on the science related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and how the research results have been shared with affected industries, the public, scientists, students and others. Since the Deepwater Horizon incident on April 20, 2010, a tremendous amount of resources has been devoted to predicting and understanding the environmental, social and economic impact of the oil spill. Although there is substantial work left to be done, the last two and a half years have given significant and interesting results to share from a wide array of topics. Presentations may include various disciplines, such as ecology, fisheries, oceanography, chemistry, toxicology, education, sociology, psychology, economics and others. All presentations should focus both on the completed or nearly completed research and how the research results have been communicated through outreach and education programs and efforts. Completed standalone education and outreach programs related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are also encouraged.

Habitat Management and Restoration
Meg Goecker, Chair
Human activities have significantly altered coastal and marine habitats over time because of increases in coastal development, land-based pollution, coastal and marine resource use, invasive species and changes in coastal geography. With a continuing trend for human populations to concentrate near the coasts, the pressures and potential impacts on coastal and marine habitats will only increase. Once habitats are damaged or lost, it is difficult and costly to recover the benefits and services that they provide. However, in recent decades, we have seen increased efforts to identify, conserve and/or restore critical aquatic habitats. Additionally, we have seen efforts by natural resource managers to devise strategies that allow for human use of coastal watersheds that is environmentally sustainable. Efforts by academic, federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations and concerned community groups have contributed to an increased knowledge base on restoration science of which results are starting to be used by environmental managers and regulators in planning and permitting processes. In this session, presentations will focus on research and monitoring results of coastal and marine habitat restoration efforts in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We also encourage managers and regulators to share their experiences of how they have utilized restoration science to inform regional planning, strategies and management.

Living Estuarine Resources
Chet Rakocinski, Chair
Living estuarine resources provide valuable goods and services for people to consume and appreciate. Environmental health, harvestable seafood and aesthetic coastal settings require diligent stewardship of living estuarine resources. Learning how habitat integrity and biodiversity mediate ecosystem function is critical for the wise management of living estuarine resources in the face of anthropogenic and catastrophic natural impacts. This session will focus on how ecological interactions involving coastal living resources can inform management efforts within the north Gulf of Mexico region. Thus, presentations should feature findings relevant to applied problems including the conservation of regional coastal resources. Topics should be relevant to the implementation of habitat management and restoration efforts. Science-based management provides the best approach for mediating multiple resource use scenarios, while conserving vital ecological function. A science-based management approach also provides a common theme for unifying research, education and coastal decision communities.

Water Quality and Quantity
Avia Huisman, Chair
Water is our most precious natural resource. All living things depend upon water to survive and thrive – and this is especially true in coastal, riverine and estuarine ecosystems. Along the northern Gulf, bays and bayous provide essential habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species. In addition, the Gulf of Mexico provides many recreational and economic opportunities for coastal residents and tourists. The culture of the coast is rooted in the bounty that its ecosystems provide, thereby increasing the need for human factors to be included in research efforts and the communication of science. In this session, research, extension, outreach and education efforts focused on water quality and quantity issues within this critical human-environmental interface will be presented. Topics, such as stormwater runoff and watershed management, benefits of wetlands, eutrophication, sedimentation, harmful algal blooms, non-point source pollution, saltwater intrusion, tidal influences and water quality monitoring, will be explored. Completed standalone extension, outreach and education programs related to water quality and supply are also encouraged.

Steering Committee
The Bays and Bayous Symposium is organized by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gulf Coast Services Center, Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center, Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center, The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ocean Conservancy, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Legal Program, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Northern Gulf Institute and Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

Guidelines for Abstracts

The standard word processing software will be Microsoft Word. Abstracts must follow the following guidelines:

1. Title: The title of the presentation should be written in bold using sentence case (capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns, names, etc.). Only the presentation title should be in bold. Do not use italics or underline, to distinguish other headings or subheadings, with the exception of scientific names (which should be italicized). Leave a blank line after the title.
2. Session: Type the name of the session that best represents your presentation topic. The sessions are Climate and Hazard Resilience, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Science, Habitat Management and Restoration, Living Estuarine Resources, and Water Quality and Quantity.
3. Presentation Type: Specify if you would like the presentation to be an oral or a poster presentation.
4. Authors(s):  The first author’s name should be the presenting author. Place an * after the presenting author. List all authors.
5. Institution(s) and email:  Type all authors’ institutional affiliations and the e-mail address of the presenting author only.
6. Biography: A 50-word biography of the presenting author.
7. Maximum abstract length: 500 words plus any figures, tables or photographs.
8. Figures and tables: Figures must have captions below them. Tables must have captions above them. Include three or fewer figures and tables.
9. Margins: 1-inch margins on all sides.
10. Spacing: Single spaced.
11. Paragraphs: Paragraphs must be separated by a blank line and not indented.
12. Font: Times or Times New Roman, 12-point type.
13. Page limit: No more than one page, not including the primary author’s biography.

Poster Submissions
Follow the Guidelines for Abstracts from the previous section. The maximum poster size will be 4 feet long by 4 feet wide (48 inches by 48 inches). Submissions should provide case studies or offer innovative solutions that will encourage interactive discussion.

Guidelines for Abstract Submissions

Attach your abstract as a Microsoft Word document. Name the attachment using this convention:

SessionID_lastname_ firstname_abstract.doc

Use the following for session ID:

• Climate and Hazard Resilience  (CHR)
• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Science  (DHS)
• Habitat Management and Restoration (HM)
• Living Estuarine Resources (LR)
• Water Quality and Quantity (WQ)

Example: HM_Swann_Roberta_abstract.doc

If you are submitting more than one abstract, use this convention:
SessionID_lastname_firstname_abstract1.doc
and SessionID_lastname_ firstname_abstract2.doc

In order for your abstract to be searchable in the PDF of the Bays and Bayous Symposium Program, please follow the directions below before submitting your abstract.

1. Access the properties for your Word document
   1. In Microsoft Word 2010:
      Click File and then Info. File properties are available on the right side of the screen.
   2. In Microsoft Word 2007:
      Click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Prepare, and then click Properties.
   3. In older versions of Microsoft Word:
      Select File and then Properties.
2. Type in the following fields:
   1. Author: Presenting author’s name as he/she would like it to appear in the program.
   2. Title: Title of the abstract.
3. Save file

A sample abstract is provided here. You can download a PDF of this entire page here.

Abstracts are due by the close of business Sept. 14, 2012. Abstracts must be submitted via e-mail to abstracts@masgc.org. Questions regarding submissions should be directed to Melissa Schneider at Melissa.Schneider@usm.edu. The Program Committee will provide you with its recommendation by Oct. 1, 2012. Presenters must register for the symposium and are responsible for registration costs. Go to http://masgc.org/bb2012/registration to register.