Deep-sea corals bring people together. Geologists, ecologists, taxonomists, managers and climatologists all get a kick out of our heartless, brainless, colonial friends. So, we get together once every two years to kick back and share stories at the International Deep-Sea Coral Symposium. The first was in Halifax, Canada; the second in Erlangen, Germany, the third in Ft. Lauderdale, USA, and the fourth is in... oh yeah... Wellington, New Zealand, December 1-5, 2008. Abstracts are now being accepted. The website is here.
Themes include:
1. Systematics and Biogeography (genetics, taxonomy, larval dispersal).
2. Sampling methods and mapping.
3. Coral ecosystems and habitats associated with seamounts.
4. Geology and Palaeontology (palaeo-climate).
5. Climate change (ocean acidification).
6. Biology: feeding, growth, and reproduction.
7. Ecology and species associations (biodiversity, microbial, fish and invertebrate association).
8. Management decisions and policy for corals, conservation and human impacts.
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Hey Peter.....are the wonderful people at "Deep Sea News" providing any support for students to attend the meeting? :-)
Of course, Mercer. We'll be offering emotional support and online technical support starting today. At the conference, I will man a booth offering free subscriptions to DSN. Kisses will cost one dollar, though, with all proceeds going towards beer.
You better start raising travel funds now, my friend! We're expecting you.
DSN is ran by two graduate students and post doc. If we had support, an idea laughable in itself, what makes you think we would share it?
Airfare won't be cheap either. I've saved 50,000 miles though, fortunately, so mostly I'll be worrying about the cost of accommodations.
SEED Media Group sponsorship??
They can dress you up like a NASCAR racer, and paste logos all over you.
Well, we'll be welcoming you down-under. A word to the wise: Early December in Wellington can still have the occasional cold southerly blast sweeping through so remember a jacket. There's plenty of good beer to be had, so pucker-up, Peter :-)