HOMEABOUT CERFMissionBoard & StaffJOB LISTPUBLICATIONSJournalNewsletterCESNMEMBER SERVICESApplicationRenewalDirectoryMEETINGS2007 ConferenceOther ConferencesEDUCATIONEReFsAFFILIATESFEDERATION BUSINESSLINKS

CERF Members can read the latest edition of Estuaries and Coasts on-line.

August '07 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN is proud to announce its latest issue, volume 30 number 3. Topics covered include speculation that eutrophication may not be as bad as has been assumed; an improved technique for using detergents as an indicator of human fecal contamination; weirs and dams preventing fish migration in response to seasonal salinity changes; and human development promoting phragmites invasion in the Chesapeake Bay. (read more)

July '07 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
Summertime brings a new issue of CESN, volume 30 number 2, with articles discusing the predicted effects of oyster restoration on Chesapeake Bay eutrophication; modeling larval dispersion to design marine reserves; finding ballance between societal and scientific concerns in restoration efforts; and the effect of sea level rise on marsh plants. (read more)

Journal Appoints New Co-Editor-In-Chief
On behalf of the Presidents of the Federation and ERF Editor-in-Chief Carlos Duarte, it gives me great pleasure to tell you that Jim Cloern, United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, has graciously accepted our invitation to join Carlos as Estuaries and Coasts’ second Co-Editor in Chief. (read more)

Candidates Announced for ERF 2007-9 Governing Board
Ballots and information on the candidates’ qualifications and their statements about the Board’s business will be mailed to members in good standing in July. (read more)

Plan Your Fall Migration to ERF 2007!
It is June now in Narragansett Bay, and many of our coastal and estuarine migrations are in full swing. And this fall will see another coastal and estuarine migration as well: November 4th through 8th, hundreds of scientists and managers will come to upper Narragansett Bay to gather in Providence, for the 2007 ERF Conference. (read more)

Nominations Sought for Scientific Awards
Submissions Now Closed
We urge you to nominate one of your colleagues for an Estuarine Research Federation award. Four awards will be presented at the ERF 2007 conference in Providence, Rhode Island: the Cronin, the Odum, the William A. Niering and the Donald W. Pritchard awards. (read more)

April '07 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN has released a new issue, volume 30 number 1.  Topics under discussion include the effects of relocating Boston's sewage outfall from the harbor into the Bay; the effects of diking and channelization on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's fish assemblage; a surprisingly simple method for reducing terrapin bycatch in blue crab traps; and the potential for natural reseeding to supplement marsh restoration. (read more)

February '07 Edition of CESN, now in Spanish
CESN releases its first issue for the year, and for the first time it is available in both English and Spanish.  This edition addresses such topics as using benthic indicators to assess development's harm to estuarine health; a tale of two phragmites; a new South African index for estuarine health, the Estuarine Fish Community Index (EFCI); and using bioenergetics modelling to understand crab habitat selection. (read more in English, Lea en Español)

DOE-NICCR Coastal Center Call for Proposals
The DOE National Institute for Climatic Change Research (NICCR) has released its third call for proposals, which includes a focus area on coastal ecosystem response to climate and sea-level change. One-page, electronic preproposals are required, and are due on September 19, 2006. Full proposals are due on May 15, 2007. (read more)

November '06 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN releases its penultimate issue for the year, volume 29 number 5.  This edition addresses such topics as human development's effect on water quality; the effect of sampling rate in water quality testing protocols; Jamaica Bay's potential as a horseshoe crab breeding ground; and the positive effects of adding sediment to deteriorated marshes in North Carolina. (read more)

September '06 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN continues to bring the latest research results to coastal managers with the release of its September issue, volume 29 number 4.  Read about how a new nutrient model for the Chesapeake bay helps predict the effects of recent nitrogen policies on hypoxia; how a better understanding of horseshoe crab life history is shaping fisheries management in three Cape Cod bays; how carbon isotopes can be used to track food web changes caused by tidal flow restoration; and some unexpectedly bad news about hypoxia in southeastern estuaries. (read more)

August '06 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
Hot on the heels of the July edition, CESN has prepared  its August issue, volume 29 number 3.  Topics include the surprisingly positive effect of one invasive alga on biodiversity, the less surprising negative effect of phragmites on mummichog habitat, freshwater discharge and oyster landings in the Gulf of Mexico, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics in a Danish estuary. (read more)
  

2007 Conference Gaining Focus
Still fifteen months away, the Federation's next biennial conference is already taking shape.  Read a note from the conference chairs and a funding opportunity for undergraduates from our most recent newsletter.  Also, be sure to mark these dates on your calendar:

• February 2007 - Abstract submission opens
• May 23, 2007 - Abstract deadline

(read more)

July '06 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN has released its newest issue, volume 29 number 2, featuring articles on the long-term effects of more fresh water on an estuary, spreading wild celery beds in the Gulf Coast, using PIT tags to track estuarine fish, and alternatives to fecal coliform bacteria as sewage indicators. (read more) 

Membership Matters - From Executive Director Joy Bartholomew
Dear Federation Members: Actions of individual members and our members' dues build the Federation. They produce the journal, our advocacy for research and education and our lively conferences. The dues you pay do not create the Federation; they give you access to the knowledge, connections and relevance that members previously built. (read more)

Denise Reed selected as Aldo Leopold Program Fellow
Long-time ERF member Denise Reed, professor at the University of New Orleans, Department of Earth and Environmental Studies was awarded a 2006 Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship. (read more)

NOAA Summer 2007 CSCOR/COP News
Read about recent CSCOR program activities, including the Coastal Hypoxia Research Program, responses to Harmful Algal Blooms, the impact of multiple stressors on coastal ocean ecosystems, and Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies. (read more)

The Loss of a Colleague and a Leader: Dr. Ken Tenore
Professor Ken Tenore served with great distinction as Director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory for twenty years. He left a legacy of greatly improved facilities and most of the Laboratory's outstanding faculty whom he recruited. (read more) 

Affiliate Society News from the Summer Newsletter
The Federation's December newsletter contained updates about the latest happenings in ACCESS, NEERS, GERS, CAERS, AERS, PERS and SEERS.  Find out when your affiliate is holding its fall meeting! (read more)

YSI "Minding the Planet" Grant
YSI launches a new $10,000 grant targetting sustainability of the earth, its habitants and its natural resources; and the preservation or restoration of natural habitat. (read more) 

March '06 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN has released its newest issue, volume 29 number 1, featuring articles on marsh inundation, shoreline alteration in the Puget Sound, marsh plant reintroduction in Georgia, and hypoxia in the Potomac River. (read more) 

Visions II: What lies ahead for ERF?
In 1993, the Federation Governing Board formulated the first "Visions Report," outlining priorities for the continued growth of the organization. Now, the board is drafting a follow-up document, "Visions II," charting our goals for the next ten years. Draft versions of the new plan are now availabe on-line for comment. (read more)

From the March Newsletter ... Estuaries becomes Estuaries and Coasts in 2006 Message from the Federation President Federation Members' Code of Ethics Post-Katrina: Making a Difference Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico NOAA CSCOR/COP News Affiliate Society News: ACCESS, AERS, GERS, CAERS, NEERS, PERS, SEERS

Robert Twilley's Congressional Testimony
Federation member Robert Twilley testified before the House subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans about the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  His full testimony is available as a PDF.  (download PDF)

ERF's Past Presidents Endorse Adding "Coasts" to the Federation's Name
Eight of the Federation's past presidents, spanning the years 1987 to 2005, have cast their votes in support of the proposed name revision.  (read more) 

Interagency Teams Assess Hurricane Katrina's Extent and Effects
The EPA, NOAA, the FDA and USGS are coordinating a comprehensive, interagency environmental impact assessment of Hurricane Katrina in coastal waters throughout the affected region. (read more) 

ERF Leaders Offer Timely Input for Federal Coastal Research Priorities
After the US Commission on Ocean Policy gave their report to President Bush in December 2004, he created the Commission on Ocean Policy to develop an action plan to bring their recommendations to fruition. To provide the perspective of estuarine and coastal researchers, the Federation's leaders recently created the following recommendations. (read more)

Affiliate Society News from the December Newsletter
The Federation's December newsletter contained updates about the latest happenings in ACCESS, NEERS, GERS, CAERS, AERS, PERS and SEERS.
 

January '06 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN has released its newest issue, volume 28 number 6, featuring articles on drainage networks in restored wetlands, nitrogen dynamics in subterranean estuaries, salt marsh loss, and eelgrass restoration. (read more) 

November '05 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN has released volume 28 number 5, featuring articles on submarine groundwater in Venice, water quality improvement in the New River, brown tides and toxaphene-contaminated  sediment remediation. (read more) 

Post-Katrina Help for Coastal and Estuarine Scientists
During the past week, the human suffering and destruction along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. caused by Hurricane Katrina has been almost unimaginable. The Federation has gotten calls and e-mails from members who are concerned about our colleagues and their families in the affected region. In many cases, we still do not know how they fared. We remain hopeful that everyone is safe. (read more)
 

Abstracts for ERF 2005 Now Available On-line
Abstracts and tentative scheduling information for the upcoming conference are now available on-line. Get a head start on your conference planning by browsing through the indices or searching the full text of abstracts. (read more)

August '05 Edition of Coastal and Estuarine Science News
CESN has released its newest issue, volume 28 number 3, featuring articles on genetic techniques in the management of sturgeon, golf course swales and nitrate runoff, new seagrass mapping technologies, and natural isotope ratio variability. (read more) 

New Funding for Undergraduates at ERF 2005
The National Science Foundation Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) program, in collaboration with the Estuarine Research Federation is providing funding for up to 15 undergraduate students to travel to the Fall 2005 Conference in Norfolk, VA. (read more)
 

Call for Nominations for Governing Board and Scientific Awards
The Federation is currently accepting nominations for both the Governing Board and for the Scientific Awards to be presented at the conference.  (read more)

ERF Seeks to Rebuild Coastal Science following Tsunami
In the wake of the tragic events in Southeast Asia, the Federation is seeking both to help colleagues jeapoardized by the tsunami and to rebuild the coastal science infrastructure in the region. (read more)

CESN Continues to Serve Coastal Management Community
Results from a recent survey of CESN readers found that the new publication is meeting the needs of the coastal management community, though with some potential improvements. (read more)

Affiliate Society News from the Recent Newsletter
Check the latest newsletter index for the latest reports of the ERF affiiliate societies. (read more)

2003 Conference Abstracts Available Online
Preparing an abstract for the upcoming conference?  We've posted the abstracts from the 2003 conference online in a searchable index.  2001 abstracts are also still available. (read more)

Coastal GTOS Phase 1 Implementation Plan
The Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) has initiated the Coastal Module (C-GTOS) with the primary goal "to detect, assess and predict global and large-scale regional change associated with land-based, wetland and freshwater ecosystems along coasts." C-GTOS's Strategic Design and Phase 1 Implementation Plan is now available on-line. (read more)

ERF 2005 Conference Website Now Open
The website for our upcoming 2005 biennial conference is now open, including such vital information as the Scientific Program, abstract submission guidelines and more.  Check back often, as the site will be continuously updated as the conference draws near.  (read more)

President Linda Schaffner Addresses House Committee
President Schaffner recently spoke before the House Committee on Government Reform on the topic "Progress in Safeguarding the Chesapeake Bay."  (read more)

2005 Conference Theme & Committee Chairs
The 2005 Conference Theme and Organizing Committee Chairs have been posted.  Read them here or in our summer newsletter. (read more)

Presidential Remarks - A Place to Call Home
President Linda Schaffner speaks on Capitol Hill about how ERF and ERF's membership can help strengthen the role of science in management and policy decisions. (read more)

New Edition of EReFs available
The Estuarine Science Reference Series (EReFs) provides reference lists of summary papers, classic papers, and recent contributions prepared by experts to help direct students, teachers and new researchers to the quintessential literature on important estuarine and coastal ocean science topics.  These lists have just been updated and expanded to include the latest contributions in twenty-five different fields. (read more)

Estuaries Announces Open Archive Policy
We are pleased to announce that all articles published in Estuaries will be made freely available online to the public five years after their publication. During 2004, the archives from 1960-1999 will be open to the public. (read more)

Cornell Cuts Elsevier Journals as Prices Rise
Citing spiraling subscription costs, Cornell plans to cancel its subscriptions to hundreds of scientific journals published by Elsevier. (read article from Nature) 

Letter from the new ERF President, Linda Schaffner
Writing for the upcoming newsletter, our new president discusses the importance of international coastal issues and strategic thinking for the Federation. (read more)

Summer 2003 Newsletter
The conference information from the Summer 2003 Newsletter is now on-line, with all the latest updates. 

ERF 2003 Sponsors
ERF would like to express its gratitude to the many sponsors who helped make the 2003 conference a success. 

ERF 2003 Theme
The theme of the conference is the convergence or coming together of ocean forces, influences of the land, and the activities of humans. 

Spring Newsletter
Featuring the latest news from ERF's Education Committee, and information about the upcoming conference. 

ERF Journal Estuaries Renamed
The Governing Board decided at its October 2002 meeting to add a trailer to the title Estuaries so that our journal will now have a cover that reads: Estuaries: an international journal of coastal science. 

National Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan Released

The Bush administration released its National Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan on December 24, 2002. The plan was created by the federal agencies with jurisdiction over wetlands including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, and Transportation.

In addition to recommending a revision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulatory guidance letter on wetland mitigation (see next story), the Action Plan tasks the federal agencies with jurisdiction over wetlands with 16 action items aimed at improving compensatory mitigation accountability, clarifying performance standards, and improving data collection and availability. Many of these items directly address recommendations from the 2001 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) National Research Council (NRC) report “Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act.”

The plan, accompanying press release, and NRC report can be accessed from http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/index.html.

Corps Revises Wetlands Guidance

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a new regulatory guidance letter on wetland mitigation on December 27, 2002. The revision comes slightly more than a year after the Corps first attempt at the guidance letter resulted in accusations from conservation groups that the administration was abandoning the “no net loss” policy for wetlands put in place by President George H.W. Bush in 1989.

The revised regulatory guidance and accompanying materials can be viewed at: http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/functions/cw/hot_topics/corps_epa.htm.

---

Online Phragmites Diagnostic Service Debuts

Bernd Blossey
bb22@cornell.edu

There is now conclusive genetic evidence for the existence of native and introduced genotypes of Phragmites australis in North America. Over the past several months the Cornell University Biological Control of Non-Indigenous Plant Species Program has been able to develop morphological characteristics that allow separation of introduced from native genotypes without the need to use advanced genetic techniques.

If you wonder whether the Phragmites clones in your area are native or introduced genotypes, please consider sending samples to the lab for their free diagnostic service. For further info on how to submit samples please visit the web site (www.invasiveplants.net) and follow the links to Phragmites Diagnostic Service.

Phragmites is invasive particularly in the eastern states along the Atlantic Coast and across of the Midwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest. For further details go to http://www.invasiveplants.net and click on differences native/introduced.

---

Pew Oceans Commission’s Science Reports
The Pew Oceans Commission has published science reports on aquaculture, introduced species, marine pollution, and coastal sprawl. In the coming months, the commission will publish science reports on the ecological effects of fishing in marine ecosystems, socioeconomic perspectives on marine fisheries, managing marine fisheries, and marine reserves. All of the Commission’s reports are available online at http://www.pewoceans.org.