SITE INDEX

	Introduction and Objectives	Agenda	Organizing Committee
	Regional Context	Poster Directory	Questions / Contacts
	Program Management Committee	Registration Information	Conference Abstract Book (PDF)
	Scientific Oversight Panel	Hotel Accommodations
	Conference Themes	Conference Sponsors
	Call for Abstracts	Travel & Area Information

	Click here to view video interviews with a few key individuals actively working in Florida Bay.
	Click here for a gallery of 2008 conference photos.
	Click here for 2008 Speaker PowerPoint presentations linked from the program agenda as PDFs.

The Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference is a forum for researchers to exchange technical information, to share that information with resource managers and other interested conference attendees, and to establish collaborative partnerships. The conference provides scientists an opportunity to highlight their research through oral and poster presentations and open discussions.

The conference objective is to increase our understanding of the connectivity and ecological dynamics and relationships among south Florida estuarine and coastal ecosystems. These systems include Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, Whitewater Bay, the waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and other adjacent coastal systems. The conference will consider the influence of watershed management with a focus on restoration. Recent model development, applications and improved definition of restoration targets will be highlighted as well. A particular interest of this year’s conference is the linking of science findings with management decision-making.   

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The geographic scope of the conference centers on Florida Bay and the adjacent mangrove-dominated estuarine transition zone but includes interactions with the Everglades, the Southwest Florida Shelf and Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Reef Tract and Biscayne Bay.

The Everglades supplies freshwater, nutrients and contaminants to Florida Bay directly through the Taylor Slough/C-111 watershed and indirectly from the Shark River Slough watershed. Hydrodynamics, salinity and water quality in Florida Bay are affected by exchanges with the Southwest Florida Shelf and the Gulf of Mexico across the bay’s western boundary and by exchanges with the Atlantic Ocean through Keys’ passes. In turn, these exchanges also affect hydrodynamics and water quality in Hawk Channel and potentially in waters along the Florida Reef Tract.

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The Program Management Committee (PMC) is the sponsor of this conference. The PMC’s primary role is to establish direction and priorities for science activities in Florida Bay and ensure close coordination of science activities with adjacent marine systems. The PMC consists of scientific program managers from:

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

• Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration*

• National Park Service*

• South Florida Water Management District

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• U.S. Geological Survey

         ^* Current PMC Co-Chairs

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Independent expert review is an integral component of the Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Program. This need is served by a Science Oversight Panel (SOP) which participates in the conference by leading question and answer sessions and providing subsequent technical and management review of the quality of research, modeling and monitoring activities in Florida Bay and the scientific inferences from these activities. The SOP consists of six senior scientists with significant experience in major estuarine restoration programs. Its current memberships includes:

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The PMC invites presentations that refine understanding of critical linkages among south Florida coastal systems, including functional linkages with the Greater Everglades watershed, and build predictive capability regarding ecosystem structure and dynamics. Presentations will be organized across the following conference themes: Physical Processes, Water Quality (including algal blooms), Benthic Habitats, Higher Trophic Levels, the Mangrove-Estuarine Transition Zone, Restoration Targets, and Applications to Management Decision-Making. This year’s conference will include presentations on Florida Bay, but will have greater emphasis than usual on the adjacent coastal systems.

This year’s conference will also address how Florida Bay may be impacted by global climate change, and subsequent implications for resource management. As you prepare your abstract submission and conference presentation, you are encouraged to include how climate change may impact your area of research and how it relates to resource management.

Physical Processes. The character, dynamics, and connectivity of coastal ecosystems and their watersheds are strongly dependent upon the movement of water and other physical processes. To date, research and monitoring of physical processes has encompassed major physical driving forces (winds and storms, precipitation, evaporation, surface water inflow, groundwater, sea level and tides, and boundary currents) and the hydrodynamic character of Florida Bay (varying salinity and circulation patterns, and exchanges with adjacent waters). Past conferences had presentations on physical processes of Florida Bay, but few from adjacent coastal systems. Although considerable data exist on each of these processes, more work remains to adequately characterize their relative importance and variability, particularly in the case of groundwater inputs and evaporation. The degree to which these processes need to be better defined will be guided by the needs of the suite of hydrological and hydrodynamic models used to predict salinity and circulation patterns in these systems. The sufficiency of the physical models for watershed and coastal management will have to be assessed in light of physical performance measures and the data input requirements of water quality and ecological models. Furthermore, to the degree that predictions of rapid local sea level rise can be verified, the relationship between sea level and bay flushing processes will need to be better understood given the multi-decadal time span of the CERP implementation.

Water Quality. Water quality strongly influences ecological characteristics and dynamics and is related to upstream water management and human development. The foremost need regarding water quality in Florida Bay is to accurately predict the sensitivity of the bay’s nutrient regime and phytoplankton to changes in freshwater flow into the bay. For much of the bay, any factor that increases phosphorus availability either by increasing sources or decreasing removal would likely have substantial effects. The effects of increased nitrogen, potentially introduced as dissolved organic nitrogen from the Everglades, are uncertain. For Biscayne Bay, the effect of redistributing nitrogen- rich canal water into wetlands and nearshore bay waters as part of restoration efforts is uncertain. Of particular concern is the effect of these waters on wetland vegetation communities and nearshore seagrass beds along Biscayne Bay’s western shore. Alteration of contaminant exposures is also possible with changes in the sources of water introduced into south Florida coastal systems. The occurrence of algal blooms in Florida Bay since 2005 has emphasized the need for a more thorough understanding of the nutrient cycles and other factors controlling phytoplankton blooms (e.g. benthic grazing). This knowledge is critical for ecosystem forecasting, evaluating restoration alternatives, and managing human activities that affect Florida Bay and the adjacent systems.

Benthic Habitats. Seagrass and hard-bottom habitats account for a large portion of estuarine and coastal primary production, provide food and/or shelter to many organisms, and are critical to the ecological function of south Florida coastal ecosystems. These habitats strongly influence water quality and have themselves been affected by freshwater inflow and water quality changes attributable to upstream water management practices. Critical research needs include metabolic and community responses to sediment characteristics, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and light levels, as well as the differential influence of different benthic communities on water quality and higher trophic levels.

Higher Trophic Levels. Advances in understanding higher trophic level responses to restoration require an interdisciplinary approach with input from all the other science themes. For instance, the basic question of "how do changes in stressors affecting south Florida estuarine and coastal systems affect pathways of higher trophic species’ movement within and between adjacent systems" requires information from physical processes, water quality, benthic habitats and the mangrove-estuarine transition zone. As many higher trophic level species initially settle in seagrass, hardbottom and mangrove communities, we cannot predict the impact of various stressors on their recruitment without understanding the impact of stressors on juvenile habitat. A major unknown is how differences in habitat distribution, density, and especially quality influence these species. Nursery area habitats need to be delineated and understood so that the potential effect of water management changes on salinity patterns, nutrient inputs, seagrass community structure and other conditions in these areas can be predicted. Linking the higher trophic level theme to the other themes will require integration (via GIS and statistical and dynamic modeling) of many system components, including salinity, fresh-water flows, benthic communities, and habitat structure and appropriate species distribution and abundance patterns.

Mangrove-Estuarine Transition Zone. The mangrove-estuarine transition zone has many important ecological attributes, many of which have been affected by altered freshwater inflow from upstream water management practices. These sensitive attributes include plant and animal community structure and productivity, nutrient processing and retention, and soil accretion or subsidence. Some of these will likely be affected by restoration activities and respond more quickly than the ecological attributes within the coastal bays and embayments.

Applications and Restoration Targets. At this point in time, researchers are being called upon not only to continue to improve and enhance understanding of Florida Bay and the coastal systems with which it is connected, but also to contribute to the adaptive assessment process adopted by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP). CERP is committed to a long-term, multi-decadal Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP). The regional component of the MAP that is relevant to the Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science (FBAMS) program is termed the Southern Estuaries. (Click here for PDF) A formalized assessment process has been developed by CERP’S Integrated Assessment Team. The CERP assessment process will be implemented on the same sub-regional basis. In the Southern Estuaries domain, it will be grounded upon the scientific understanding developed under the aegis of the FBAMS program. The same understanding has contributed to the specification of restoration targets as well as to mandated water management decisions. That said, the research community will need to remain engaged and involved in the process of CERP implementation to assure that it remains “science-based” and the promise of adaptive management is in fact fulfilled.1

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All scientists working in Florida Bay and adjacent systems are strongly encouraged to submit abstracts describing their research projects and results. Presenters are encouraged to include, when possible, links between research results and environmental management. Special consideration will be given to work that synthesizes across disciplines. Abstract submissions will be used to select oral presentations, and ALL abstracts, both oral and poster, will be published in the conference book of abstracts to be distributed at the conference and posted on the conference web site. Because the number of oral presentations will be limited, some oral presentation requests will be asked to present a poster.

Scientists not wishing to make oral presentations are strongly encouraged to prepare posters and submit an abstract. As with oral presentations, poster presentations provide a valuable opportunity for scientific interaction. Posters will be on display throughout the entire conference and a formal poster session and reception will be held Monday evening. Posters will be limited to a space of 4 feet high x 6 feet wide.

If you wish to make an oral presentation or present a poster, please submit an abstract no later than October 1, 2008. Abstracts MUST be submitted electronically via the web site. Detailed submission instructions are provided below.

Abstract Submission is Closed

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Monday, December 8, 2008

 Tuesday, December 9, 2008 

 Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Thursday, December 11, 2008

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(Listing is in alphabetical order by presenting author last name.)

A Review of Ruppia maritima in Relation to Salinity in Northeastern Florida Bay — Christian L. Avila¹ and Peter Frezza^{2; 1}Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), Miami, FL; ²Audubon of Florida, Tavernier Science Center, Tavernier, FL

Seagrass Communities of Biscayne Bay, 1999-2007 Miami-Dade County — Christian L. Avila, Stephen Blair, Sheri Kempinski, Santiago Acevedo and Jonathan Sidner¹; ¹ Ecosystem Restoration & Planning Division, Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management. Miami, FL

Effects of Light and Nutrient Supply on Stable Isotope Composition and Fractionation in N-Limited Seagrass Beds — Rebecca J Bernard¹ and James W Fourqurean^{2; 1} Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences, Miami, FL, USA; ² Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences and SERC, Miami, FL, USA

Recovery Status of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Manatee Bay, Barnes Sound and Northeastern Florida Bay Following Senescence of a Prolonged Algal Bloom — Stephen Blair¹, David T. Rudnick², Christian Avila¹, Forrest Shaw¹, Maurice Pierre¹; Kathryne Wilson¹ and Susan Markley^{1; 1} Ecosystem Restoration & Planning Division, Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management. Miami, FL; ² Everglades Division, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL

Nutrient Loading in the Coastal Creeks of Northeastern Florida Bay — Carrie Boudreau¹, Mark Zucker¹ and Jeff Woods¹; ¹U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

Species Composition of Cyanobacterial Blooms in Florida Bay — Joseph N. Boyer¹, Makoto Ikenaga², Amanda Dean¹, and Cristina Pisani¹; ¹ Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; ²Department of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan

Interspecific Variation in the Elemental and Stable Isotopic Content of Seagrass Communities in South Florida — Justin E. Campbell^1, James W. Fourqurean¹; ¹Florida International University, Miami FL

Florida Bay Salinity Extremes at Long Key — Andrew G. Crowder and Jonathan S. Fajans, SEAKEYS Monitoring Program, Florida Institute of Oceanograhpy, Long Key, FL, USA

Salinity, Light, and Temperature Effects on Ruppia maritima Germination in Florida Bay — Marguerite S. Koch¹, Josh Filina¹, Jackie Boudreau¹, Stephanie Schopmeyer¹, and Chris J. Madden^{2; 1}Biological Sciences Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA; ²South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL, USA

Enhancing Adaptive Management Processes through Data Integration and Visualization — Gregory Kiker¹, James Hendee², Yuncong Li³, Chuanmin Hu⁴, Pamela Fletcher⁵, Lew Gramer^{6; 1}University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; ²NOAA/AOML, Miami, Florida, USA; ³University of Florida, Homestead, Florida, USA; ⁴University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida USA; ⁵Florida Sea Grant, NOAA/AOML, Miami, Florida, USA; ⁶University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA

Halimeda Dynamics Relative to Nutrients Availability in the Florida Keys — Ligia Collado-Vides ^1,2 and James W. Fourqurean^{1,2 ;  1}Department of Biological Sciences; ² Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

Long-term Shifts in Seagrass Community Structure Follow Experimental Nutrient Enrichment in Florida Bay —
Anna R. Armitage¹, Thomas A. Frankovich², and James W. Fourqurean²; ¹Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University-Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA; ²Department of Biological Sciences and Southeastern Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

Relationships Between Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Abundance and Salinity Variability within the Coastal Mangrove Zone of Northeastern Florida Bay — Peter Frezza and Jerome J. Lorenz, Audubon of Florida, Tavernier Science Center, Tavernier, FL

The Use of Otolith Microchemistry to Determine Sources of Lutjanid Recruits to the Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve —
T. Gerard ¹ A. Wright ² E. Malca ², John Lamkin ^{1; 1}National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Early Life History; Miami, FL; ²University of Miami, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), Miami, FL

Assessing Gaps in Florida’s Marine and Estuarine Conservation Network — Laura Geselbracht¹ and Douglas Shaw^{2; 1}The Nature Conservancy, Wilton Manors, FL, USA; ²The Nature Conservancy, Gainesville, FL, USA

WCA 3 Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement Project Implications to Florida Bay — Brooke Hall¹, Beth Marlowe², Sue Wilcox², and Tom St Clair^{3; 1}Parsons, Everglades Partners Joint Venture, Jacksonville, Fl., USA; ²United States Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Fl., USA; ³PBS&J, Everglades Partners Joint Venture, Jacksonville, Fl., USA

Patterns of Propeller Scarring of Seagrass in Florida Bay: Associations with Physical and Visitor Use Factors and Implications for Natural Resource Management — David E. Hallac, Jimi Sadle, Leonard Pearlstine, and Fred Herling, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, South Florida Natural Resources Center, Homestead, FL

Minimum Inflow Analyses in Adjacent Systems: Why Are They Different? — Melody J. Hunt, Water Supply Department, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL, USA

Biscayne Bay Salinity Monitoring Program — Sarah Bellmund¹, Herve Jobert², Greg Garis¹, Steve Blair³, and Amy Renshaw^{4; 1}Biscayne National Park, Homestead, FL,  USA; ²Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami,  Miami, FL, USA; ³Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management, Miami, FL, USA; ⁴South Florida Natural Resources Center, Everglades National Park, Homestead, Fl, USA

Factors Affecting Seagrass and Mangrove Fauna Adjacent to the South Biscayne Bay Shoreline — Darlene R. Johnson¹, Joan A. Browder², Joseph E. Serafy², Michael B. Robblee³, Thomas L. Jackson², Gladys Liehr¹, Eric Buck¹, and Brian Teare¹; ¹CIMAS/RSMAS, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; ²Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service/ NOAA, Miami, FL, USA, ³United States Geological Survey, Center for Water and Restoration Studies, Everglades National Park Field Station

Juvenile Spotted Seatrout Power Analysis and Monitoring for Florida Bay — Christopher R. Kelble¹, Clay E. Porch², Allyn B. Powell³, Mike Lacroix³, Michael Greene³ and Joan Browder²; ¹Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; ²NOAA/NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Miami, FL, USA; ³NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, Beaufort, NC USA

Interactive Effects of Eastern Florida Bay Algal Blooms and Lake Surprise Restoration: Timing is Everything —
Stephen P. Kelly, Christopher J. Madden, David T. Rudnick and Kevin M. Cunniff, Everglades Division, Watershed Management Department, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL, USA

Phycobilin Analysis Protocol Development for Ground-truthing Cyanobacterial Field Monitoring in Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems — J. William Louda¹, Stephen P. Kelly² and Panne Mongkhonsri¹; ¹Organic Geochemistry Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL; ²Everglades Division, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL

Pigment-based Chemotaxonomy of Florida Bay Phytoplankton and the Influences of Photic Flux —
J. William Louda, Cidya S. Grant and Panne Mongkhonsri; Organic Geochemistry Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

Florida Bay Seagrass Dynamics: A Modeling Study of Interspecific Competition, Salinity, and Nutrient Control — Amanda A. McDonald¹, Christopher J. Madden¹, and Marguerite S. Koch²; ¹Everglades Division, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL, USA; ²Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

South Florida Coastal Oceanographic Database — Nelson Melo¹, Thomas N. Lee², Elizabeth M. Johns³, Ryan H. Smith³, Chris R. Kelble¹, and Peter B. Ortner¹; ¹Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, U. of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; ²Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, U. of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

The Non-Native Red Rimmed Melania (Melanoides tuberculatus) in Biscayne Bay National Park, Florida, the Geographic Distribution and Potential for the Future — James B. Murray¹, G. Lynn Wingard¹, Emily Phillips¹, William B. Schill²; ¹U.S.Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA; ²U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, WV, USA

Evaluating Alternative Plans for the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project — Patrick Pitts¹, Rick Alleman², Mark Shafer³, Kevin Wittman³, Ernie Clarke³; ¹U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vero Beach, Florida, USA; ²South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; ³U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Geochemical and Nutrient Concentrations in the Florida Bay Groundwater — René M. Price¹, Jeremy C. Stalker¹, Xavier Zapata-Rios¹, Jean l. Jolicoeur², David T. Rudnick³; ¹Florida International University, Department of Earth Sciences and SERC, Miami, FL, USA; ² Broward Community College, ³ South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL, USA

Regional Patterns of Community Composition and Abundance of Seagrass-associated Fish and Invertebrates in South Florida Estuaries — Michael B. Robblee¹, Joan A. Browder², Andre Danielś¹ and Robert M. Dorazio³; ¹U.S. Geological Survey, Miami, FL; ²NOAA Fisheries, Miami, FL; ³U.S, Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL

Use of Habitat Suitability Index Modeling for both Roseate Spoonbills (Ajaia ajaia) and American Crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in South Florida — F.J. Mazzotti¹, S.S. Romanach², J.J. Lorenz³, K.L. Chartier¹, M.S. Cherkiss¹, and L.A. Brandt⁴; ¹University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Davie, FL, USA; ² US Geological Survey, Davie, FL, USA; ³ Audubon of Florida, Tavernier, FL, USA; ⁴ US Fish and Wildlife Service, Davie, FL, USA

Benthic Habitat Mapping in Biscayne National Park — Benjamin I. Ruttenberg¹, Andrea Atkinson¹, Andy Estep¹, Judd Patterson¹, Matt Patterson¹, Robert Waara¹, Brian Witcher¹, and Elsa Alvear²; ¹U.S. National Park Service, South Florida/Caribbean Network, Palmetto Bay, FL USA; ²Biscayne National Park, Homestead, FL USA

Examining Submarine Groundwater Discharge into Florida Bay using 222Rn and Continuous Resistivity Profiling —
Peter W. Swarzenski¹, Chris Reich², and David Rudnick³; ¹U.S. Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, California; ²U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL; ³South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL

Effects of Habitat Complexity and Nutrient Enrichment on Epifauna Abundance and Diversity in a Florida Bay Seagrass System — C. A. Weaver¹, A. R. Armitage¹ and J. W. Fourqurean²; ¹Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; ²Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

Understanding Ecosystem-scale Connectivity: Methods to Track Fish from Open-ocean to Nursery Habitats to Adjacent Reefs and Back Again — S. Whitcraft¹, J. Lamkin², T. Gerard², and E. Malca¹; ¹Cooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami FL, USA

Power Analysis of Water Quality and Seagrass Monitoring in Caloosahatchee Estuary — Deo Chimba and Jing-Yea Yang; Stanley Consultants Inc., West Palm Beach, FL

Biscayne Bay Watershed Nutrient Load Preliminary Assessment Using WMM — Miao-Li Chang¹, Fawen Zheng¹, Jian Shen^{2; 1}South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL; ²Applied Environmental Engineering, LLC, Fairfax, VA

Quantity, Timing, and Distribution of Freshwater Flows into Northeastern Florida Bay, 1996-2007 — Mark Zucker¹, Stephen Huddleston¹, and, Jeff Woods^{1; 1}U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

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REGISTRATION FEE SCHEDULE All figures are in US dollars ($). 

Fee payments must accompany all registrations by the deadline to qualify for the applicable discount.

What Does the Registration Fee Include?

Meeting & Student Attendees: The registration fee provides full participation in the conference including registration materials and an abstract book. The fee also includes a Welcome Social on Monday evening, a Poster & Networking Session on Tuesday, and a poolside reception on Wednesday. A group lunch will be provided on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and  morning, mid-day and afternoon refreshment breaks will be provided each day.

Guest Fee: The  guest fee allows guests 12 years of age and older to attend all three evening events.

Refund Policy: All refund requests must be received in writing by November 16, 2008. A processing fee of $125.00 will be deducted from all meeting participant refunds, $25.00 from all student and guest refunds.

Special Needs: Participants with special needs can be reasonably accommodated by contacting the Office of Conferences & Institutes at least 21 working days prior to the conference. We can be reached by phone at 1-352-392-5930, by FAX at 1-352-392-4044, or by calling 1-800-955-8771 (TDD). The TDD number can only be accessed from within the State of Florida.

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The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
851 Gulf Shore Blvd. North
Naples, Florida 34102
Phone: 1-239-261-2222
Fax: 1-239-261-8019

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club is offering participants of the 2008 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, a very special guest room rate of $110.00 (plus 10 % tax) up to four people in a room. The group rate will be honored three days prior and three days following the conference, based on availability. Please note that a service charge of $3.50 per person, per day will be added as a charge for guest service personnel.

    Additional Upgrade Charges:
      $160 Guaranteed Waterview
      $160 Efficiencies
      $210 One-bedroom Suites
      $260 One-bedroom Waterview Suites

To qualify for the special rate, reservations must be made by November 1, 2008. Be sure to specify you are attending the 2008 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference. After November 1, 2008, guestrooms and the group rate may no longer be available. As this is a discounted group rate, it is not commissionable to travel agents.

Reservation Instructions: The Resort will accept reservations from individual attendees calling the Resort directly. The reservation department phone number is 1-800-237-7600.

Special Instructions: A first night’s room deposit must be made with a credit card to ensure confirmation of your hotel reservation. For any reservations that “no show”, this deposit will be forfeited. Room deposits will be considered non-refundable if canceled within eight (8) days of the group’s arrival date.

Check-In Time / Check-Out Time:
The hotel recommends arrivals after our 4:00 PM check-in time. Check out time is before 12:00 Noon.

Please visit the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club web site: www.naplesbeachhotel.com to learn more about some of the hotel's special features including golfing, tennis, complimentary valet parking and much more!

Click here for directions to the hotel. (Printable PDF)

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Thank you to the following organizations for their support in providing a forum for researchers to exchange technical information, to share that information with resource managers and other interested conference attendees, and to establish collaborative partnerships.

Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR)	Southeast Fisheries Science Center

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Travel Information

	FloridaRoadTravel Mileage
	Information for Foreign Travelers  to the United States

Area Information

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• Program Management Committee (PMC)

• Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Program

• Florida Sea Grant College Program

• University of Florida/IFAS, Office of Conferences and Institutes (OCI)

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A PBS videographer shoots a chemical sensor array deployed by UNC-Chapel Hill marine scientists Chris Martens and Niels Lindquist to measure benthic ocean acidification at Conch Reef, Florida. The sensor array includes several of the world’s first instruments for continuous underwater measurements including a membrane inlet mass spectrometer (up on stand) for gases and volatile species from Monitor Instruments Company and autonomous spectrophotometers (on bottom in foreground) for pH and nitrate from USF and SRI, Int’l.

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