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Planning for Seattle
ERF 2003 Conference Update

With less than a year to go, planning for the September 2003 ERF conference kicked into high gear this month. The venue has been pinned down, a broad selection of session, symposia and workshop ideas have been evaluated, and interesting fieldtrip proposals are under consideration.

The Native American theme of the 2003 conference, as reflected in our signature artwork by Marvin Oliver, will be developed and integrated into the whole-meeting experience. As the conference gets closer you will hear more about fieldtrips and entertainment that reflect the coastal tribal culture that is so important to the region.

Conference Location - Downtown Seattle
The 2003 conference will be held Sunday, September 14, through Thursday, September 18, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle. Some of you avid ERF newsletter readers may remember that the conference was formerly slated for a different site, but we have settled on the spacious and ideally situated Convention Center. If you have visited Seattle, you may remember the Convention Center as the cascading roof to the freeway, as it passes through downtown Seattle. The Convention Center was built in the 1980s and has just undergone a massive renovation and expansion, providing us with an excellent choice of rooms, open space, and eating spots, as well as ready access to downtown cultural opportunities, shopping, the Seattle waterfront, and more restaurants and coffee houses than we can count.

The Scientific Program - Intellectual Riches
Thanks to all who responded so strongly to the Call for Special Sessions last spring. By the June 30 deadline we had over 50 interesting proposals for half-day and full-day special sessions, symposia that have broad continental and international appeal, and workshops that will further our learning in technical and educational areas. In fat, the symposia are likely to result in a major publication.

The final list of special session topics will be incorporated into the Call for Abstracts, which will be announced this November. Members will receive electronic notification and all are invited to visit the ERF web site for more details. The abstract submission deadline is March 3, 2003.

Although we regret that it will not be possible to accommodate the extraordinary number of special sessions requested, the Scientific Program Committee is working to provide sessions that reflect the interests of the membership and the Seattle conference themes. The ERF 2003 Committee is committed to ensuring that each special session will feature a mix of invited and contributed papers, and will be tailored to topics of most significant interests, as we have heard these topics expressed by ERF members. Of course we will also attempt to ensure that proposed and other topics have places in the contributed sessions. We will highlight these session topics in the next newsletter and seek offers from members to serve as session chairs. The program development process requires considerable juggling, but we think we have the chance to present the most integrated and innovative ERF conference yet! And we know the past competition is fierce!

Activities for Students
Our student activities program is taking shape and will feature the best of past meetings, as well as some uniquely Seattle activities. Funds to help students travel to the conference will be available for those who have not received ERF travel funds for previous conferences. Students' presentations will be eligible for prestigious cash awards.

Career and skill development workshops will be offered. Opportunities to meet and talk to estuarine and coastal scientists and managers whose careers are not in academia will be available.
Best of all, students will be able to meet other students from around the country and the world who share their interests in coastal and estuarine science and management. It will be a great time to meet and network with your future colleagues.

Freetime Choices
The ERF 2003 Committee is lining up some great choices for free time, including an evening gala on the water, fieldtrips that will show off the estuarine and tidal riverine wetlands of Puget Sound, and lots of fun-time trips to stretch your legs, your arms and your imaginations! Attendees may have a chance to visit an active volcano, explore a wild and rocky shoreline stretching far into the Pacific, and see lots of other sites in between.

Lodging Choices
Near the downtown location of the scientific sessions, we have lined up excellent, hotels, all offering government rates or less. All are within a short walk of the conference meeting location.
We have an array of very cost-effective dormitory rooms at the University of Washington (a short bus ride away from downtown) specifically reserved for students and international visitors - sorry no regularly employed ERF members are eligible for these rooms!

As ERF 2003 nears, stay tuned to http://erf.org for up-to-date conference information.