The ERF 2007 Steering Team invites you to learn about emerging issues and solutions in estuarine science and management at the ERF Conference, November 4 - 8, 2007. Ten years after the very successful 1997 ERF Conference, we return to Providence, Rhode Island, the "Renaissance City". Providence offers a conference facility well suited to ERF, many artistic and cultural attractions, and a number of excellent restaurants (see www.providenceri.com).

The theme of the ERF 2007 Conference is Science and Management: Observations, Syntheses, Solutions. The conference will showcase core ERF estuarine and coastal science disciplines while paying particular attention to the application of science to problem solving and management.

The overarching goals of the conference are to:

• Develop scientific sessions that provide opportunities to share knowledge in core disciplines and stimulate synthesis and interdisciplinary discussion.
• Maximize student involvement by providing networking resources and opportunities.
• Integrate international perspectives through the contributions of our colleagues worldwide.
• Provide a focus on "Science for Society" to increase the impact of our work.
• Follow the traditions and flow of past ERF meetings to encourage interactions, opportunities, and collaborations among ERF members.

The success of the conference will depend on you, your ideas, and your efforts; please see Abstract Submissionson the conference website. Many people have already been working towards ERF 2007; the ERF Program Advisory Council is a group of nearly 60 people that form an intellectual sounding board for how to make ERF 2007 a success. This group was instrumental in developing our scientific theme, and will provide a resource of ideas, thoughts, and comments as ERF 2007 evolves. We have also formed a dedicated and enthusiastic Steering Committee for the conference. Many opportunities exist in planning and implementing ERF 2007; please contact Jim Latimer or Giancarlo Cicchetti if interested.

ERF meetings have always been a great opportunity for us all to move our field forward, and to have fun at the same time. Thank you for your support of ERF 2007.