Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Conference to Tackle Ecosystem-Based Approaches to Managing Coastal Issues in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina

Wilmington, NC - As Americans' love affair with living near the coast brings an ever-increasing population, so does the growing population bring increasing concerns about the impact on America's coasts and marine resources.

There is general agreement that America's coasts and marine resources are in serious trouble. There is less consensus on how to address the problems. Because of the extent of the coasts, their ecological sensitivity, and their economic value, it is critically important that scientists and technical specialists in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida give this situation immediate attention.

To help set the agenda for confronting these challenges, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, College of Charleston, Clean Water Management Trust Fund, and the Nature Conservancy are presenting a conference March 19-21 at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

The objective of this conference is to define the problems, examine best practices, identify the most critical issues, and reach consensus on priorities. A more general objective is to encourage interstate cooperation on research and in addressing common problems.

A second follow up conference will present the findings to an audience of elected leaders and decision makers to help them gain greater insight into the urgency of this evolving situation and set priorities of their own.

Program Topics Include:

• Fish, Fisheries, and Protected Species

• Coastal Habitats

• Pollution and Connections to Ecosystems and Human Health

• Socio-Economic Assessment

• Water Supply and Water Flow

Featured Topic Speakers include:

• Louis Daniel, chair, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

• Bob Van Dolah, director, S.C. Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute

• Paul Sandifer, senior scientist, Coastal Ecology, NOAA National Ocean Service

• Judith Kildow, principal investigator and director, National Ocean Economics Program

• Elizabeth Blood, program director for research resources, National Science Foundation

Special Keynote Presentations will be given by:

• Kameran Onley, assistant deputy secretary, Department of the Interior

• Jack Dunnigan, assistant administrator for ocean services and coastal zone management, National Ocean Service, NOAA

• John Ogden, chief environmental scientist, South Florida Water Management District

• Peter Ortner, chief scientist, NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

• Daniel Botkin, professor emeritus, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara

• Katherine "Kacky" Andrews, executive director, Coastal States Organization

• Jim Leutze, chancellor emeritus, UNC Wilmington

For a complete listing of speakers and schedule, or to register, please go to the Web site www.uncw.edu/ecosystemconference. Media do not have to register to cover any of the sessions and are encouraged to attend.

For more information, please contact Lynne Goodspeed 910/962-7261 or goodspeedl@uncw.edu.