Our-Oceans: A Coastal-Marine Environment Science & Technology Blog

FREE Online Access to Publications for Developing Country SCB Members

2006-08-25T11:59:00.000+02:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - http://www.conbio.org/media/benefits/
Contact: Alan Thornhill
(703) 276-2384

SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY TO PROVIDE FREE ACCESS TO PUBLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRY MEMBERS

The Society for Conservation Biology, in collaboration with Blackwell Publishing and Elsevier Publishing, announces that online access to Conservation Biology, Conservation In Practice, and Biological Conservation is now free to SCB members in developing countries. Elsevier has also added Ecological Indicators, Ecological Complexity, and Ecological Informatics to the free publications. SCB is also negotiating to acquire similar access to a suite of other conservation-related journals from a variety of publishers, including additional titles from Blackwell and Elsevier.

Providing free access to conservation publications will greatly benefit our conservation colleagues in developing countries worldwide. Conservationists in developing countries want to do effective conservation work, but many cannot afford scientific publications and do not have access via their institutions. "The destruction of biodiversity worldwide is so rapid that there is no time to waste. Information must get out to conservationists who otherwise would not have access. SCB is leading the way in making scientific information available to conservation professionals and students in developing countries," said SCB Executive Director, Dr. Alan Thornhill.

Thanks to a grant from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), SCB is able to offer free memberships to a large number of conservationists in developing countries and therefore provide access to the growing list of free conservation publications. Jonathan Adams, Program Director for Conservation Knowledge and Communities at TNC said, "It’s extremely important that conservation professionals have access to current scientific information. Much of the Earth’s biodiversity can be found in developing countries, and scientists there often cannot get the most current information either about the species themselves or about the tools that are available to conserve them."

For updates and more information on these great new benefits, check the upcoming SCB newsletter and the SCB website: http://conbio.org. For further information, contact Dr. Alan Thornhill, Society for Conservation Biology at athornhill@conbio.org or (703) 276-2384 or Jonathan Adams, The Nature Conservancy at jadams@tnc.org or (301) 897-8570.

Source: Sys@conbio.org

Best,

Jorge Brener

International Marine Acoustic Telemetry workshop 5-9 Nov 06

2006-08-03T14:20:00.000+02:00

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in the
International Marine Acoustic Telemetry (IMAT 2006) workshop, which will be
hosted by the University of Auckland, Leigh Marine Laboratory, New Zealand
5-9 November 2006. 

The workshop will run for 4 days and can include: 
. Presentations introducing selected topics
. discussions and reports of acoustic telemetry (passive/active)
applications, 
. new technology and developments, 
. data management, analysis, and visualisation 
. linking individual movement to population levels and management
applications
. field and practical demonstrations

We encourage you to take the opportunity to present research papers or
posters on acoustic telemetry during the presentation sessions scheduled for
the first two days. Time will also be set aside to discuss research networks
and their applications. Please feel free to contact us if you require
further information. 
Space is limited and attendance limited to 50 persons.  Commercial
accommodation is available in the nearby village (5 min drive) and student
accommodation on-site.  

Sincerely,

Daniel Egli & Mark Costello

Further information:

Acoustic Telemetry Workshop   Conference website:
Leigh Marine Laboratory   http://www.marine.auckland.ac.nz/
PO Box 349      Phone: +64 9 422 6111
Warkworth     Fax:    +64 9 422 6113
New Zealand     email: imat@auckland.ac.nz
Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Tools for Conserving Biodiversity Course

2006-08-03T14:00:00.000+02:00

The Smithsonian Institution is happy to present the
>>   Tools for Conserving Biodiversity course in
>>   partnership with the Mpala Research Center. The
>>   course will take place at Mpala in Laikipia, Kenya
>>   October 17 - 29, 2006.
>>
>>   This course presents a full range of tools used in
>>   conservation biology. It has been specially designed
>>   for early career conservation managers and
>>   researchers to gain an understanding of tools,
>>   protocols, and methodologies currently available.
>>   The course includes lectures given by Smithsonian
>>   and local instructors as well as field work. This
>>   course will serve as the foundation for future
>>   in-depth training courses on specific topics.
>>   The cost is US$2,750 and it includes course fees,
>>   room and board, and materials.
>>   The course is limited to 20 participants and
>>   applications will be taken on a first come first
>>   serve basis.
>>   The application deadline is August 7, 2006. For more
>>   information please contact Melissa Bellman at
>>   bellmanm@si.edu or visit our website:
>>   www.si.edu/simab
>>
>>
>> --
>> Anisa S. Jimenez
>> Public Relations Coordinator
>> Institute of Ecology
>> University of Georgia
>> Athens, Georgia 30602-2202
>>
>> Phone: 706.542.6013
>> Fax: 706.542.4819
>> Email: anisaj@uga.edu
>> www.ecology.uga.edu

Source: sswg@list.conbio.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner

NaGISA World Conference

2006-07-25T15:05:00.000+02:00

October 15-18 2006 Kobe International Hall, Kobe Japan

Symposium Details
Beginning on the evening of October 15 with a public lecture the scientific
symposium will follow on the 16, 17 &18 with sessions on rocky shore and
seagrass bed communities, nearshore taxonomy (macrofauna, macroflora and
meiofauna) and an open poster session. Panel discussions on the 18th will
address a variety of topics including the integration of NaGISA into
national and regional monitoring programs as well as application of new
technologies useful for biodiversity studies.

Session Themes
Patterns in biodiversity
Nearshore taxonomy of macrofauna, macroflora and meiofauna
Community ecology in rocky shore and seagrass habitats
Long-term monitoring programs and community integrated marine research

Call for Papers
Abstracts for both Oral and Poster presentations are been accepted under the
session themes. All nearshore related researchers are welcome to submit 300
word abstracts online at nwc_registration@seto.kyoto-u.ac.jp along with the
author`s full name, contact address, e-mail and an indication of whether an
Oral or Poster presentation is preferred. Abstract deadline extended till
July 31, 2006

Registration
Online registration through the NaGISA Webpage www.nagisa.coml.org includes
access to hotel bookings and travel information. Online registration
deadline: Sept 29 23:59 (GMT+9). On site registration will also be available
before the meeting and the public lecture at International Conference Center
on the 15.

Further Information
Please visit the NaGISA webpage or contact us at nagisaonline@yahoo.com

Best,

Jorge Brenner

21st Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology

2006-07-20T06:30:00.000+02:00

Please follow the links to the call for proposals for Symposia,
Workshops and Organised Discussions
http://compworx.isat.co.za/scb/callsym.htm; and Short Courses
http://compworx.isat.co.za/scb/callcour.htm

Kind regards,


Margot Collett

SCB 2007 Conference Project Manager

Centre for African Conservation Ecology (ACE)

P O Box 77000

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Port Elizabeth, 6031

tel +27 41 504 4278

fax +27 41 504 2946

www.conbio.org/2007

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Practical Remote Sensing Methods for Conservation Biologists Course

2006-07-20T06:27:00.000+02:00

Applications are now being accepted for a course entitled: Practical Remote
Sensing Methods for Conservation Biologists. This course will be offered at
the American Museum of Natural History's Southwestern Research Station
located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona from Monday 9
October to Friday 13 October 2006 . The course will focus on the practical
aspects of remote sensing with the goal of providing sufficient information
so that participants will be able to download and display satellite imagery
for their area of interest, learn to interpret the imagery by making the
connection between abstract image information and the landscape, and use
this information to support a range of conservation objectives. Participants
will work with visual image products and an overview of the automated land
cover classification process will be presented including an assessment of
the advantages and drawbacks of these map products. The target audience is
conservation researchers with little or no remote sensing experience. For
more information on this course and others taught through the American
Museum of Natural History visit our web site http://geospatial.amnh.org.

The course involves a mix of lecture, computer lab applications,
discussions, and field work. Each participant is encouraged to bring with
them a project they would like to work on so lessons learned during the
course can immediately be applied to a meaningful example. These projects
can be discussed with the course organizers in advance to ensure they are
appropriate. If participants do not have their own project one will be
assigned to them during the course.

The fee for the course is $1,000 for a single participant (space is limited
to 15 desktops). Applications will be accepted on a first come first served
basis. The cutoff date for accepting applications is September 9, 2006. The
course fee includes room, board and instruction in the class. Unfortunately,
we do not have scholarship funds to defray course expenses. Participants
will have to provide their own transportation to and from the station.
Students should plan to arrive at the Station by Sunday evening. The course
will begin Monday morning at 8:30AM and will wrap up on Friday morning
before noon.

Station surroundings: The Southwestern Research Station
(http://research.amnh.org/swrs/) is located at 5400 ft elevation in riparian
habitat, surrounded by oak-juniper-pinyon pine woodlands. Within a short
drive up or down the Chiricahua Mountains, which reach nearly 9800 feet
elevation, five life-zones can be encountered; Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran,
Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian. Biogeographically, the Chiricahua
Mountains are located at a crossroads between distinct desert and mountain
biotas. At lower elevations, some species are derived from the Sonoran
Desert to the west, whereas other species are elements of the Chihuahuan
Desert to the east and south. At higher elevations, there is a mixing of
plants and animals from the Rocky Mountains, to the north, and the Sierra
Madre Occidental Mountains of Mexico.

Those interested in participating in the course should send a short
paragraph with the following information: Name, address, current position
(student, academia, government, etc.), brief reason why you want to take
this course, overview of prior GIS or remote sensing experience if any, and
a brief description of a project you would like to work on if you have one
in mind. Please send applications and questions about course logistics and
contents to Ned Horning, horning@amnh.org. For information about the
Southwestern Research Station please contact Diane Smith, Southwestern
Research Station, P.O. Box 16553 , Portal , AZ 85632 or e-mail
dsmith@amnh.org.

Best,

Jorge Brenner

NEW - Conservation GeoPortal. A Conservation Commons Innitiative

2006-07-16T01:52:00.000+02:00

The Conservation Geoportal is a collaborative effort by and for the conservation community to facilitate the discovery and publishing of geographic information systems (GIS) data and maps, to support conservation decisionmaking and education. It is primarily a data catalog, intended to provide a comprehensive listing of GIS data sets and map services relevant to biodiversity conservation. The Conservation Geoportal does not actually store maps and data, but rather the descriptions and links to those resources, known as "metadata."

It includes the following capabilities:

Search for data and maps by keyword, category, geography, or time period
Save your search queries for future use
Use the built-in Map Viewer to display, manipulate, and combine live map services
Create, save, and email custom maps using data from various map services
Publish metadata for your maps and data so others can find them

Webpage: http://www.conservationmaps.org/index.jsp

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Marine ecosystem modelling workshops at Plymouth, UK

2006-07-14T15:48:00.000+02:00

Following on from the success of the 2005 AMEMR symposium, the UK Natural
Environment Research Council has provided funding for a series of modelling
workshops, covering travel and subsistence costs for up to 25 national and
international scientists per workshop. 

The purpose of these workshops will be to:-
. Review the status of current models and modelling systems with respect to
current knowledge.
. Assess the availability datasets from for model testing and development.
. Consider emerging scientific issues and relevant policy drivers.
. Identify gaps in current model capability.
. Produce recommendations for future modelling (and observational)
activities designed to address the identified gaps in understanding and
capacity. These will be fed to the relevant UK and International program
offices with a view to influencing the scope of funding programs.
. Identify synergies between research groups that may form the basis of
subsequent funding bids.

Each Workshop will be devoted to one of the following topics
. The response of marine ecosystems to increasing levels of CO2, including
acidification and warming. (Feb 07, contact Jerry Blackford, jcb@pml.ac.uk
to register your interest.)
. Model validation, analysis and quantification of error. (Feb 07, contact
Icarus Allen, jia@pml.ac.uk)
. Bridging the gap between lower and higher trophic levels.
. DMS production in the upper ocean.
. Operational biophysical oceanography


The ~3 day workshops are to be held in Plymouth, UK, during 2007. We aim to
bring together modellers and experimentalists, established and younger
researchers / students. We will welcome suggestions for program items and
intend the workshops to be informal. If appropriate we can consider writing
an overview paper for submission to a peer reviewed journal. 

This is an initiative of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner

MARBEF - Workshop on European marine biological valuation

2006-07-14T15:44:00.000+02:00

Location: Ghent (Belgium)

Event Type: Workshop

Event Date: 2006-12-06
End Date: 2006-12-08

Event Description:
WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT
FIRST CIRCULAR

As announced during the last MARBEF General Assembly (Lecce), the MARBEF Theme III RMP organizes a workshop on European marine biological valuation in Ghent (Belgium) on 6-8/12/2006.

With this email we would like to trigger your attention and curiousity to the subject of marine biological valuation as well as launch an open call for participation in the workshop.

MARINE BIOLOGICAL VALUATION: WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT…
Marine biological valuation encompasses the determination of the value of the marine environment from a nature conservation perspective. As such, marine biological valuation aims at providing an integrated [view] on nature’s intrinsic value (i.e. without any reference to anthropogenic use), as opposed to socio-economic valuation aiming at the quantification of the goods and services.
Because there is an ever increasing use of the marine environment, practitioners, stakeholders and policy makers request clear and simple baseline maps in order to allow them make well-deliberated choices: e.g. usage maps may be used to detect conflicts in spatial distribution of human activities, whereas sedimentology maps allow to deliberately identify suitable aggregate extraction zones. These maps are indispensable within the process of spatial planning. A protocol to develop baseline biological valuation maps, differentiating between the intrinsic value within an area, however do not exist. Consequently, when such maps are needed, one is often obliged to trust on the available best expert judgement.
Taking the success of the terrestrial biological valuation maps of Flanders (Belgium) as an example, the MARBEF Theme III team set the development of a widely applicable and scientifically acceptable valuation protocol for the marine environment as one of their major goals. Doing so, a prototype protocol was developed, making optimal use of (1) the lessons learned from the terrestrial valuation experts, (2) existing national initiatives and (3) existing international directives (e.g. Habitat Directive and European Marine Strategy).

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES: THE NEXT STEPS…
During this workshop we would like to make use of your expertise and thoughts on this subject. Only such wide and interactive cooperation might lead to a protocol that is widely accepted and applicable.
The main objectives of the workshop are therefore:

- to have a general discussion on the prototype valuation protocol, with emphasis on the applicability in marine/coastal habitats
- to come to a preliminar consensus on the biological valuation protocol
- to agree on the project outline and timing for the coming years
- to SELECT case study areas for protocol testing and to make practical arrangements on these tests.

A detailed agenda for the workshop is expected to be circulated by early October.

WHEN TWO EUROPEAN INITIATIVES MEET UP: A KEY TO SUCCESS…
The workshop will be a joint venture of the EU NoE MARBEF (www.marbef.org) and the EU CA ENCORA (www.encora.org). By organizing a workshop for both MARBEF and ENCORA members we feel that this cooperation will drastically increase the expertise, needed to reach the final goal of this workshop. The MARBEF community mainly consists of marine natural scientists, providing the necessary critical mass of biodiversity, whereas ENCORA, focusing on end-users, will bring in the indispensable input of practitioners and stake holders as well as their experience with decision support systems.

WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM YOU?
If you are interested to contribute to this workshop we would like you to send your expression of interest to Sofie.Derous@UGent.be by mid September. Because such interactive workshops can only be successful when a limited number of persons (max. 40) is participating, a selection of participants might follow (end September).

Contact email: Sofie.Derous@UGent.be

Event programme:
A detailed agenda for the workshop is expected to be circulated by early October.

Collaborators and organisers:
Your conveners:
Steven Degraer, Sofie Derous & Magda Vincx

Marine Biology Section, Biology Department, Ghent University
Krijgslaan 281 - S8, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Tel. int32 9 2648522 Fax int32 9 2648598

Source: http://www.marbef.org/modules.php?name=Calendar&file=index&type=view&eid=241

Best,

Jorge Brenner

START - Advanced Training Workshop

2006-07-12T21:34:00.000+02:00

Advanced Training Workshop on

Southeast Asia Regional Carbon and Water Issues

Chung-Li and Kaohsiung, Taiwan

November 14-25, 2006

As Part of Capacity Building Program for

START - SARCS

(Southeast Asia Regional Committee for START)

Organizers:
START - SARCS Secretariat
Center for Environmental Studies, National Central University, Taiwan
Institute of Marine Geology and Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan

Sponsor:
National Science Council, Taiwan

Co-Sponsors:

Global Carbon Project (GCP) /Earth Science Systems Partnership (ESSP)

Global Water System Project (GWSP / ESSP)

The Southeast Asia Regional Committee for START (SARCS) announces the Advanced Training Workshop on Southeast Asia Regional Carbon and Water Issues to be held at Chung-Li and Kaohsiung, Taiwan during 14-25 November, 2006.

As part of Taiwan's contribution to the SARCS capacity building program, this workshop is focused on two emerging programs: the joint Global Carbon Project (GCP) and the Global Water System Project (GWSP), both of which have been created to develop a complete picture of the global carbon and water cycles, including both its biophysical and human dimensions, together with the interactions and feedbacks between them. The Southeast Asia Regional Carbon and Water Project is part of the regional projects under GCP.

The main objective is to promote GCP and GWSP-related research programs in SARCS member countries, and to provide advanced training on the carbon measurement, water resources, monitoring and modeling techniques, as well as to develop a GCP and GWSP research collaboration team within SARCS. The workshop is funded by the National Science Council of Taiwan and organized by the following organizations, including the SARCS Secretariat, Center for Environmental Studies of National Central University, and Institute of Marine Geology and Chemistry of National Sun Yat-Sen University.

Objectives of the Workshop

To develop theories regarding carbon and water cycle dynamics and fisheries productivity in the SCS region, with a focus on biogeochemical dimensions, water resources and fisheries along with their interactions and feedback.

To introduce the current geographical and temporal distributions of the major stores and fluxes of carbon, water and associated elements in Southeast Asia, including the deep South China Sea basin, shelves, estuaries and river basins.

To understand the underlying mechanisms and feedbacks that control the dynamics of the regional aquatic carbon and water cycles, encompassing their interactions with nutrient cycles as well as fisheries.

To gain hands-on experience on the measurement of carbonate parameters.

To promote GCP and GWSP regional research programs in SARCS member countries in terms of biogeochemical cycles.

The workshop will gather scientists from Southeast Asia and world leading experts on GCP and GWSP research. Future Southeast Asia GCP and GWSP research topics will be discussed during the workshop.

Facilities and Program

The workshop will last for two weeks. The first phase of five days will be conducted at the Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research in National Central University, Chung-Li. Workshop topics for the first phase will focus on remote sensing, biogeochemical modeling of the South China Sea and water resources. Then there is a one-day field study along the way from Chung-Li to Kaohsiung, where the National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSU) is located. The second phase of the program will include four days of training to be conducted at NSYSU on topics related to carbonate parameters, water and sediment transport, and hands-on experiments. A two-day field trip will be arranged afterwards.

Participants

The workshop is open mainly for senior technicians and junior faculty from SARCS member countries, but people from South Asia may also apply. In general, two to three participants will be chosen from each SARCS member country based on their past academic experience and background. We will provide air travel expense and accommodation for workshop participants. English will be used as the official workshop language and a Ph.D. degree in related field is preferred, but not required. Interested persons should send in their resume, including academic background, research interest and recent publications to SARCS Secretariat by July 31, 2006. Final decision for workshop acceptance will be sent to all applicants by August 31, 2006.

Application

Application form, letter of interest and curriculum vitae should be sent to SARCS Secretariat. The application can be found at http://www.sarcs.org/

The contact information is as follows:

Ms. Olga Huang
SARCS Secretariat
National Central University
320 Chung-Li, Taiwan
Tel.: 886-3-426-2726
Fax: 886-3-426-2640
E-mail: olga@sarcs.org.tw

For further inquiry, please contact SARCS Secretariat or one of the chief organizers:

Prof. Chen-Tung Arthur Chen
E-mail: ctchen@mail.nsysu.edu.tw

Best,

Jorge Brenner

EnviroInfo-2006: Call for Participation

2006-06-28T11:58:00.000+02:00

MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
20th International Conference on Informatics for
Environmental Protection (EnviroInfo-2006)

6-8 September 2006
Graz, Austria

http://www.enviroinfo.net/

Since its inception in 1986, the EnviroInfo conference series of the
German Informatics Society developed into the leading European platform
for experts in sustainability and environmental protection. In 2006, the
series' 20th anniversary will be celebrated in Graz, Austria. The online
registration form, preliminary program and list of accepted papers are now
available online. EnviroInfo-2006 will continue the successful tradition
of exchanging environmental knowledge among the scientific community,
public administrations, non-governmental organizations, companies involved
in environmental informatics, and the end-users of environmental
information systems. EnviroInfo-2006 is hosted by the Know-Center and Graz
University of Technology concurrently with the 6th International
Conference on Knowledge Management (www.i-know.at). The program includes
keynotes by a number of internationally renowned experts; please visit the
Web site for scheduled times and the keynoters' short biographies:

* Werner Pillmann, Austrian Health Institute (ÖBIG), AT
 Chairman of the German Computer Society’s TC 4.6.1
 Computer Science in Environmental Protection

* Franz Josef Radermacher, University of Ulm, GE
 Scientific Director, Research Institute
 for Applied Knowledge Processing (FAW)

* David Alan Stainforth, Oxford University, UK
 Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics Department
 Climateprediction.net Chief Scientist

* Bebo White, Stanford University, US
 Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
 Fellow of the International WWW Institute

* Rosalie A. Zobel, European Commission, BE
 Director, DG INFSO G Components and Systems
 Directorate General, Information Society and Media

We look forward to welcoming you
to Graz in September 2006!

Best regards,

Arno Scharl & Klaus Tochtermann
Know-Center and Graz University of Technology,
Knowledge Management Institute, Inffeldgasse 21a, A-8010 Graz, Austria
www.know-center.at | kmi.tugraz.at | www.ecoresearch.net

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Marine Mammal Research Internships - Spring 2007

2006-06-21T19:51:00.000+02:00

For a detailed description and more information, please see our website
at www.whalecenter.org/intern.htm

The Whale Center of New England, located in Gloucester, MA, is a
non-profit research organization involved with the study of the
behavior, ecology, and natural history of the whales and dolphins found
in the waters off of Massachusetts. The Whale Center is also heavily
involved with habitat conservation and education programs. We are
currently looking to fill research internships for the spring (January
29 - May 26) semester of 2007.

The Whale Center of New England internship provides experience needed to
further pursue fields in marine biology and animal behavior. It is our
goal to provide college students and recent graduates with the
opportunity to collect valuable information important to the marine
mammal field and to see how this information is used in management and
conservation efforts in this area. Each internship session offers
different experiences in marine mammal science that will depend on the
season. These duties may include, but are not limited to: extensive
photo-identification and computer work (training provided), field data
collection aboard commercial whale watching vessels and our 27' research
vessel Silver II, attendance at necropsies (whale autopsies), marine
mammal stranding response, harbor seal surveys and attendance at
conferences and meetings.

Internship applicants should have the following:
* A background in biology, zoology, or related field
* Some knowledge of research methods and design
* An ability to work, live and communicate well with others
* Enthusiasm and dedication to work long days (sometimes 12 hours or
more) in the field or lab
* Completed their freshmen year at the time of application

Information regarding the application process, including application
form, is available on our website.

*Applications for the spring 2007 session will be accepted on a rolling
basis until all positions are filled. All applications should be
submitted by December 20, 2006*

Application materials and questions regarding the internship should be
directed to the intern coordinator:

Cara Pekarcik
P.O. Box 159
Gloucester, MA 01930
978-281-6351 (office)
978-281-5666 (fax)
cara@whalecenter.org

Source: MARINET@LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Climate Change Actio

2006-06-17T12:39:00.000+02:00

This is a very good blog on climate change issues.

It deals with Climate Change, Global Warming, Environmental, Greenhouse Effect, Kyoto Protocol, Aviation, Sustainable Development, Climate Change Mitigation. www.stopclimatechaos.org/ Weather, Carbon Dioxide, Action, Protest, MP, Parliament, Letter Writing, Save Our Planet, Emmisions, Trading, Flexibility, and Species Extinction.

Try at: http://climatechangeaction.blogspot.com/

Best,

Jorge Brenner

statGIS Summer School 2006

2006-06-14T21:56:00.000+02:00

Objective

The international Summer School addresses most of all to young researchers (Master students, PhD students, PostDoc researchers) in academie, extra-universitary research and industry, who are interested to learn about recent developments, new methods and applications in spatial statistics and related areeas and to exchange their ideas and results with colleagues. This Summer School will provide a series of lectures given by internationally renowned experts. It will include the following

Main Topics

Spatial Design (W. Mueller, Linz)
MCMC Methods (Ch. Robert, Paris)
Bayes Maximum Entropy Methods (G. Christakos, San Diego)
Spartan Random Fields Modelling (D. Hristopulos, Chania)
Gaussian Markov Random Fields Modeling and Applications (H. Rue, Trondheim)
Recent Developments in spatio-temporal Geostatistics (T. Gneiting, Washington, M. Schlather, Hamburg)
Spatial Point Processes and Applications in Ecology and Epidemiology (R. Waagepetersen, Aalborg)
Geostatistical Simulation (Ch. Lantuejoul, Fontainebleau)
Data Assimilation (D. Cornford, Aston)

The Summer School will be continued by the Third International Workshop StatGIS 07 (Details will be available next year).

Webpage: http://www.uni-klu.ac.at/statgis06/content.html

Dates: September 11-15, 2006

Best,

Jorge Brenner

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURES RESEARCH

2006-06-14T21:53:00.000+02:00

Please find attached the call for papers for this new peer-reviewed journal published exclusively on line by DG Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The aim of the Journal is to further the scientific endeavor underpinning the development, implementation and use of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs).

The Journal encourages articles from broad multi-disciplinary backgrounds including social and environmental sciences, and engineering, deploying also critical and interpretative methodologies. Articles in the following areas are particularly welcome: Spatial and Network Technologies, Distributed Spatial Databases and Metadata, Methods, Applications, and Socio-economic Impacts of SDIs.

The Journal is published free of charge and adheres to the Open Archives Initiative, which aims to facilitate the dissemination of electronic content.

For more information see http://ijsdir.jrc.it

Source: SEA-GIS@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Conservationevindence.com: sharing conservation experience

2006-06-12T13:04:00.000+02:00

www.conservationevidence.com is a non-profit website which collates evidence 
on the effectiveness of conservation management practice. A major aim of the 
site is to provide a means for practitioners (such as wardens, site managers 
and conservation volunteers) to document their experiences on the 
effectiveness of different management techniques. It is hoped that this will 
then enable those involved in species or habitat management to improve 
conservation practice by learning lessons from each other.

One way to collate this evidence is for individuals and organisations to 
submit case studies or ‘cases’ via www.conservationevidence.com.  It need 
not be complicated and each of the main sections (Background, Action and 
Consequences) could comprise just a few sentences.  For the case to be 
useful for others, there has to be some information on the consequences of 
the action. This could be, for example: the effect of establishing a no-take 
MPA on fish populations; or coral recruitment on an artificial reef 
substrate.

At present, there are very few tropical marine case studies on the site, and 
all that are on the site are from published journals. We are very keen to 
add more marine cases, particularly from practitioner experience, as there 
is a wealth of knowledge and experience in tropical marine conservation that 
remains unpublished.

Webpage: http://www.conservationevidence.com 

Source: coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov

Best,

Jorge Brenner

GEM Master of Science course

2006-06-05T21:27:00.000+02:00

Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management (GEM) Master of Science (MSc) course.

This top-quality Masters Course is supported by the prestigious EU Erasmus Mundus programme. We offer EU-funded scholarships to exceptional (non-EU) students, as well as access for full fee-paying students (from the EU and the rest of the world).

It is run sequentially by:

the University of Southampton (United Kingdom)
Lund University (Sweden)

the University of Warsaw (Poland).
the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation ITC (the Netherlands)

It combines the best elements from these institutes into one course. World renowned faculty from the four Universities, as well as visiting scholars, teach this course.

Webpage: http://www.gem-msc.org/i_general.aspx

Best,

Jorge Brenner

GoogleEarth marine mashups!

2006-05-26T11:59:00.000+02:00

Checkout a great compilation of GoogleEarth marine mashups from JustMagic.com!

Web page: http://www.justmagic.com/GM-GE.html

Source: http://www.justmagic.com

Enjoy!

Jorge Brenner

More upcoming environmental events!

2006-05-24T10:46:00.000+02:00

Upcoming environmental events reported by the Ecoresearch Network Newsletter:

Event Date: May 23, 2006
Conference - Power, Poverty and Sustainability:
(May 23-26): Power in the form of energy is vital in our lives. Power in politics can determine our place in society and how we lead our lives. Lack of political power can lead to life in poverty. Power and poverty affect the sustainability of the environment and society. How can impact assessment illuminate these relationships?
Find out more.

Event Date: May 31, 2006
Event - Ethical Corporation 2006:
(May 31 - June 1): Now in its fifth year, this event aims to answer to the most pressing questions in a complex and ever-changing arena. It’s one of the most important corporate responsibility gatherings in Europe, assembling top-level speakers from across the continent for lively debate and a frank exchange of views.
Find out more.

Event Date: Jun 06, 2006
Conference - Geo-Environment 2006:
(June 6-8): This conference aims to study the role of geosciences in environmental management. It is a forum among researchers, engineers, planners, decision-makers, consultants and other professionals interested in the contribution of geosciences and geo-information to environmental management, land preservation, remediation and sustainable development.
Find out more.

Event Date: Jun 18, 2006
Conference - EnvironMetrics 2006:
(June 18-22): The 17th annual meeting of the International Environmetrics Society (TIES 2006) aims to foster the development and use of statistical and other quantitative methods in the environmental sciences, environmental engineering, and environmental monitoring and protection.
Find out more.

Event Date: Jun 29, 2006
Event - EnviroTech-2006:
(June 29-30): Vendors at ENVIROtech 2006 are leading suppliers of emissions control and waste management equipment & services. Delegates are senior decision makers involved in meeting emissions targets and implementing waste management strategies. Visitors are decision makers from waste generating industry as well as local and central government.
Find out more.

Source: info@ecoresearch.net

Best,

Jorge Brenner

EIGHTH ANNUAL BIOECON CONFERENCE

2006-05-23T16:09:00.000+02:00

“Economic Analysis of Ecology and Biodiversity”
Kings College Cambridge, 29-30 August 2006

Hosted by: Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, International Food Policy Research Institute, In Association with DIVERSITAS-International UK -Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The University of Cambridge and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in association with DIVERSITAS and UK-DEFRA announce the Eight Annual BIOECON conference on the economic analysis of policies for biodiversity conservation. The conference will be held at Kings College Cambridge, 29-30 August 2006. The conference will be of interest to both researchers interested in biological resources and biological processes and to policy makers interested in or working within the field of biodiversity conservation.

The conference will have sessions with papers examining the management of biological resources and biological processes as well as two plenary policy sessions chaired by IFPRI and DIVERSITAS respectively on the economic analysis of policies for biodiversity conservation.

Papers may be submitted for presentation within the conference and will be considered by the programme committee. Electronic copies (in WORD or PDF format) should be sent to Dr. Andreas Kontoleon (ak219@cam.ac.uk) no later than the 31st of May 2006. Acceptance of papers will be notified by email by 10th of June 2006. Registrations for the conference are due by 10th July 2006.

A selection of papers (upon authors’ approval) will be published as a special issue in a peered reviewed Journal or published as an edited book by a major publisher. Papers presented in previous BIOECON conferences have appeared as special issues in Land Economics, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and Environment and Development Economics as well as in an edited volume published by Cambridge University Press.

Conference sessions will commence on the morning of the 29th and conclude on the afternoon of the 30th of August. Accommodation for all participants will be organised within Kings College, with a conference banquet at the Kings College Great Hall on the evening of the 29th of August. Lunches and refreshments will also be provided.

The hosts will cover all conference costs (except travel) for paper presenters and discussants (two nights accommodation on the 28th and 29th of August at Kings College, as well as all meals and refreshments). There will

be a £250 registration fee for all other participants that will include two nights lodging at Kings College, the banquet, breakfast, lunches and refreshments. There is a £100 registration fee for day-participants (that includes lunches and refreshments but not lodging and the conference banquet).

Registration details for all participants are provided in the attached form (8TH BIOECON CONFERENCE_CALL_1[1].pdf). Further information on the conference will be posted on the BIOECON web site at www.bioecon.ucl.ac.uk or can be obtained by contacting Andreas Kontoleon at ak219@cam.ac.uk

Source: www.cambridgeconservationforum.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner

GIS FOR POLICY & DECISION-MAKERS IN CONSERVATION COURSE

2006-05-23T14:18:00.000+02:00

GIS FOR POLICY & DECISION-MAKERS IN CONSERVATION!

June 14-15, 2006 at Smithsonian's Conservation & Research Center in
Front Royal, VA

Registration Deadline:  May 28, 2006

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Researchers at Smithsonian's National Zoo have developed a new training
course tailored to the needs of senior staff working in leading
positions in local, state, and national government or in environmental
organizations.  CEOs, policymakers and decision-makers often rely on
maps and spatial data created with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
for their analysis and decision making.  While leaders don't have to be
GIS specialists, they do need a good understanding of the strengths and
limitations of the technology and what it can do for their respective
agencies or organizations. 


Our course allows policy- and decision-makers to:


* gain a comprehensive overview of the current state of GIS, satellite
and aerial monitoring technology;
* learn how these basic but powerful tools allow us to address resource
issues across different scales ranging from local to global;
* understand basic mapping and GIS concepts required to read GIS data
correctly;
* learn how to ask the "right" questions with GIS to get the most out of
these tools;

* find out how maps can lie, and how to avoid being fooled by "lying"
maps;
* learn about the strengths and limitations of these technologies to
assess, monitor, and model resource distribution and use.

TUITION

Tuition for the course is $800, and includes instruction, a training
manual, use of the laboratory and equipment. 

FOR INQUIRIES WRITE TO: giscourse@gmail.com or giscourse@si.edu

For more information visit:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/ConservationGIS/GIS_tra
ining/Policy/

Source: marine@list.conbio.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Biodiversity: The Interplay of Science, Valuation, and Policy Conference

2006-05-23T11:18:00.000+02:00

Overview

Plenary speakers and discussion groups at the 2006 AIBS Annual Meeting will approach the topic of "Biodiversity: the interplay of science, valuation, and policy" from a variety of cross-cutting themes. In recent years policy makers have increasingly recognized the economic values associated with biodiversity, economists have increasingly found ways to incorporate values associated with biodiversity into economic thinking, and scientists have increasingly documented the variety of services that diverse ecosystems provide. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the diverse linkages among these fields. The rest of the meeting's program is rounded out by events such as a poster session, AIBS awards, and a workshop on media training for biologists.

Sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey

Schedule and online registration for the ANNUAL MEETING of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, 24 - 25 May 2006

Web page: http://www.aibs.org/annual-meeting/annual_meeting_2006.html

Best,

Jorge Brenenr

INTERNATIONAL COASTAL SYMPOSIUM 2007

2006-05-22T18:42:00.000+02:00

ICS2007

INTERNATIONAL COASTAL SYMPOSIUM

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

16-20 April 2007

INFO:

The Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that the 9th International Coastal Symposium (ICS2007) will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, from the 16th to the 20th of April, 2007. This is the first ICS to be held in Australia.

The Gold Coast, with its famous beaches and attractions will continue the conference's history of world-class venue settings for bringing together coastal scientists, managers, planners and engineers from around the world to discuss issues and activities relating to the coastal region.

The ICS2007 Organising Committee invites you to submit an abstract using the details found on the ICS2007 WWW site:

http://www.griffith.edu.au/school/eng/ics2007

The ICS2007 proceedings, for papers that satisfy the required criteria, will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Coastal Research. This will be handed out at the conference.

Should you have questions please visit the ICS2007 WWW site and/or contact ICS2007@griffith.edu.au

Yours sincerely,

A/Prof Charles Lemckert

Chair ? ICS2007

Griffith School of Engineering

Griffith University ? Gold Coast Campus

Queensland, Australia

Email: ICS2007@griffith.edu.au

Best,

Jorge Brenner

SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY AWARD

2006-05-22T18:26:00.000+02:00

Dear Ecology and Society Subscribers,

The deadline for the Science and Practice of Ecology and Society Award is fast approaching. If you are interested in submitting a nominations, please read the text below for details and send your nominations to Dr. Marco Janssen (Marco.Janssen@asu.edu) before July 1st.

THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY AWARD

The Science and Practice of Ecology & Society Award is an annual award given to the individual or organization that is the most effective in bringing transdisciplinary science of the interactions of ecology and society into practice. The year 2006 will be the inauguration of this award. Examples of possible winners include, a high school teacher who develops a special curriculum, a mayor with initiatives and actions for her/his town based on scientific concepts, a journalist who brings scientific insights to a broader audience, or a NGO group who facilitates local knowledge production in rural communities.

The purpose of this award is to recognize the importance of practitioners who translate the scientific findings and insights of the scholarly community to practical applications. We want to identify innovative practitioners so that their story can be an example for others.

The Award
The award consists of 1000 Euro and an article in Ecology and Society devoted to this person or organization. This article will be written by those who send in the nomination.

Who can be nominated?
A person or organization that has succeeded in translating transdisciplinary science theory into practice.

Who nominates?
Any academic scholar or group of academic scholars can nominate a person or organization. An accompanying letter will argue why this person or organization is an exemplary example of the interface of practice and science in the domain of ecology and society.

Where to submit nominations?
The deadline for nominations will be July 1, 2006. Nomination letters can be sent, preferably electronically, to Dr. Marco Janssen, Email: Marco.Janssen@asu.edu. School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Box 872402, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402.

Source: subscribers@ecologyandsociety.org

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Latest version of HEXACORALLIANS OF THE WORLD released!

2006-05-22T18:16:00.000+02:00

The latest version of HEXACORALLIANS OF THE WORLD has just been released.

In addition to the continually growing number of occurrence records (nearly 
50,000) for sea anemones, scleractinian corals, antipatharians, cerianthids, 
and zoanthids, new kinds of data and new tools are now available at 
http://geoportal.kgs.ku.edu/hexacoral/anemone2/index.cfm

The KGSMapper tool now has 52 environmental datasets for habitat inference 
(all at half-degree resolution, gridded in register); many datasets for 
benthic parameters have been added.  You can now upload organism occurrence 
data to be analyzed by KGSMapper, either separately from data in any database 
with which KGSMapper is associated, or in conjunction with data from such a 
database.  50% of the locality data can be withheld from an analysis to use to 
assess the goodness of the analysis.

A module entitled â€œScleractinian Corals and other Hexacorallians of the 
Northwestern Hawai'ian Islandsâ€ can be found through Hexacorallians of the 
World, or accessed directly 
(http://geoportal.kgs.ku.edu/hexacoral/hawaii/biodata).  On this site, which 
focuses on the hexacorals and environment of the Hawaiâ€™ian Islands 
(including Johnston Atoll), is a version of KGSMapper that has high-resolution 
environmental data nested into the half-degree cells.  Currently this is 
restricted to bathymetric data at 2â€™ resolution but other datasets are being 
prepared.

Information on date of record, museum specimens, habitat, etc. are now 
available, and all pages are downloadable as XML.  Complete lists of nominal 
and valid species of hexacorals are also downloadable.

Please try the new, improved HEXACORALLIANS OF THE WORLD and let us know how 
we can make it still better (Daphne Fautin: fautin@ku.edu; Bob Buddemeier: 
buddrw@kgs.ku.edu).

Thanks to NBII, OBIS, and Census of Marine Life for funds that have made these 
upgrades possible.

Daphne G. Fautin
Professor, University of Kansas
Curator, KU Natural History Museum

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
1200 Sunnyside Drive
Lawrence, KS 66045  USA
http://www.nhm.ku.edu/inverts/
Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner

Ocean Optics XVIII Conference 2006

2006-05-22T17:30:00.000+02:00

Ocean Optics XVIII is scheduled for 9-13 Oct 2006 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Short abstracts are due 1 June 2006.

Topics to be covered include

Radiative transfer theory and simulation
Interdisciplinary topics addressing the ocean surface and interior
Interaction of light with shallow ocean benthos and substrates
Development and application of quantitative ocean color remote sensing
Coastal ocean monitoring and data management strategies
Instrument design and validation

Details are available at http://www.oceanopticsconference.org

Source: ocean-color@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov

Best,

Jorge Brenner

GODAE Symposium on ocean data assimilation and prediction in Asia-Oceania

2006-05-22T17:21:00.000+02:00

GODAE Symposium on ocean data assimilation and prediction in Asia-Oceania
16-18 October 2006, Beijing, China Website http://ctwf.iap.ac.cn/godae2006/

Introduction
Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) is an international
program that aims to advance ocean data assimilation by synthesizing
satellite and in-situ observations (e.g. from satellite altimeters and ARGO
floats) with state-of-the art models of global ocean circulation. In the
past few years, a suite of GODAE systems have been developed to produce
global and basin-scale ocean analysis and short-term forecasts. GODAE
products are also being used for ecosystem applications and to provide
lateral open boundary conditions for regional and coastal systems. The
specific requirements of these applications are important to the GODAE
product developers as well as to the understanding of the need for
large-scale observational systems. GODAE prediction systems for the
Asia-Oceania region are being actively developed. Capitalizing on these
developments, GODAE is organizing a symposium in Beijing, China to address
key technical issues and to enhance the interaction of GODAE syst  em
developers and product users, especially in the Asia and Oceania regions.

Main Topics
1. Observing systems
2. Representation of data and model errors 
3. Coastal and regional applications 
4. Marine ecosystem

Symposium Structure
The symposium will consist of invited and general oral presentations, poster
presentations, and plenary discussion for each of the four themes described
above.

On-line regestration and abstract submission
http://ctwf.iap.ac.cn/godae2006/

Deadlines
Abstract submission: July 1, 2006. 
Abstract acceptance notification: July 30, 2006. 
Registration: August 30, 2006.

Jiang Zhu

Source: MARINET

Jorge Brenner

Conference on the Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards

2006-05-22T17:08:00.000+02:00

THE RAVAGE OF THE PLANET 2006 
First International Conference on the Management of Natural Resources,
Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards

12 - 14 December 2006, Bariloche, Argentina

Dear Colleague

RE: The Ravage of the Planet 2006: Paper Deadline 11 August 2006

This is a short note to remind you that the First International Conference
on the Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and
Ecological Hazards is to take place from 12 - 14 December 2006 in Bariloche,
Argentina. The meeting is organised by Wessex Institute of Technology, UK;
University of Siena, Italy and sponsored by WIT Transactions on Ecology and
the Environment.

I am currently preparing the programme for the conference and do hope that
you can participate. This successful conference has attracted the interest
of many of our colleagues around the world and continues to update the
international scientific community through the subsequent distribution of
the conference book and the permanent archive of selected conference papers
in the Transactions of the Wessex Institute (http://library.witpress.com/).

If you wish to present a paper, I will need to receive your abstract now so
that we can incorporate the work into the conference programme. Please note
that the paper deadline is 11 August 2006, however if you need any
additional time please contact me.

At this stage, I only need a short abstract (200 words or so) plus the title
of the paper and name(s) of the author(s) with affiliation(s) and full
particulars of the corresponding author.  Please could you also let me know
which topics the paper will cover (see list below).

For further information about the conference, you can visit:
http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2006/planet2006/3.html

I hope to hear from you shortly.

Yours sincerely

Carlos Brebbia

Conference Director


Source: MARINET

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

A good blog on invasive species!

2006-05-19T13:59:00.000+02:00

If you care about biodiversity getting lost by biodiversity check out Jennifer Forman's blog: Invasive Species Blog (http://invasivespecies.blogspot.com/).

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE IN CHILE

2006-05-07T19:39:00.000+02:00

CLOSING DATE FOR RECEPTION OF APPLICATIONS - 30 MAY 2006

www.ieb-chile.cl

The Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB) in Chile is offering a number of two-year postdoctoral positions for carrying out research in Chile related to the main research foci of the Institute. Fellowships include a monthly stipend and an allowance for research expenses. Interested applicants should already be in possession of a Ph.D. degree or equivalent by May 30, 2006. The two year positions are open to Chilean citizens and foreigners living in and outside Chile, and may be held at any of the institutions associated with IEB. Fellows may use their stipends to support up to two months stay in a foreign country if this is necessary to carry out part of the proposed research.

IEB is a recently created research institute (one of three) of the Chilean Millennium Science Initiative (ICM). http://www.mideplan.cl/milenio/icm.htm IEB replaces and expands former CMEB (Millennium Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Research on Biodiversity). The main research foci of IEB are:

1) Palaeoecology and Biogeography

2) Ecosystems Ecology

3) Microevolutionary Processes

4) Conservation and Society / Global Change Impacts.

IEB functions in a network mode and encourages collaborative and comparative research. Its lead scientists are academics at the Universidad de Chile Chile (Santiago), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago), Universidad de La Serena (La Serena), Universidad de Concepción (Concepción) and Universidad de Magallanes (Punta Arenas).

More detailed information on the research foci and the CVs of the lead researchers, including full listing of their scientific publications can be found at www.ieb-chile.cl .

Persons who are interested in applying for a postdoctoral award should:

a) Establish formal contact with an IEB scientist.

b) Send the following materials to: The Fellowship Committtee, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB).

1) Evidence of completion of a Ph.D. in the last three year and at the time of the closure of the competition.

2) CV, including full bibliographic citations of all scientific publications, academic positions held, other experience, any previous postdoctoral awards, current telephone numbers, fax and e-mail.

3) Two letters of recommendation from scientists who are familiar with your work. One letter must be from the candidate's major professor (thesis advisor). The letters should rank the intellect, performance, writing skills, and capacity for collaborative research of the applicant in relation to other peers.

4) One page outline (single-spaced) of your research goals and the questions to be addressed for the period of the fellowship. Include a statement describing how the proposed research fits into the research themes developed at IEB and what products can be expected.

5) A letter from an IEB scientist indicating his/her willingness to host the research.

The deadline for reception of application materials is 30 May, 2006.

Application materials should be sent to:

Fellowship Committee, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile.

For courier packages, use the following street address: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las

Palmeras 3425, Ñunoa, Santiago, Phone 56(2) 9787345.

Materials can be sent by e-mail to: ieb@uchile.cl, cc: chenriqu@uchile.cl

For further information, contact, Dr. Mary T. K. Arroyo, Director, IEB, e-mail: southern@abello.dic.uchile.cl , Phone: 56(2) 271-5464

Selected applicants will be advised on or before 9 June 2006. Contracts must be signed before 15 September 2006.

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum newsletter

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

PHD AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS - The United Nations University

2006-05-07T19:35:00.000+02:00

Closing Date: 12 May 2006.

UNU-IAS is now accepting applications for its Phd and postdoctoral fellowships beginning in October 2006, as well as the JSPS-UNU postdoctoral fellowships, beginning in November 2006.

Eligibility: Postdoctoral candidates must have completed a PhD degree and PhD candidates must be at the advanced stage of their doctoral dissertation. Candidate's current research must be closely related to one of the research areas of the institute. JSPS-UNU postdoctoral fellowships research areas are specified in the application form. Proficiency in English is essential. Contact details: Email: fellowships@ias.unu.edu URL: www.ias.uni.edu/fellowships/fellowships.cfm

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum newsletter

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Ecosystem Services in the Neotropics: State of the Art and Future Challenges

2006-05-07T19:29:00.000+02:00

Valdivia, Chile, 13-19 November 2006

This is the first international workshop dedicated to the analyses of ecosystem services such as water production, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and recreation in the tropical and temperate areas of Latin America and the Caribbean, from Mexico to Patagonia. Special emphasis will be given to the exchange of knowledge and experiences, and to the promotion of learning, research, collaboration and networking. This workshop will include key invited lectures, presentations, posters, and field visits to the Valdivian Rainforest Eco-region.

Topics related to ecosystem services from forests and other terrestrial and aquatic systems that will be covered are:

· Assessment of services

· Transdisciplinary methods and approaches

· Impacts of climate change and disturbances

· Economic valuation

· Policy and planning

· Education and outreach

· Restoration

· Social and cultural issues.

One of the goals of this workshop will be the creation of a “Latin American Network on Ecosystem Services” to pursue collaboration on research, education, management and outreach on these topics. The network will be open to people from any nationality working in the neotropics.

The event will be organized by FORECOS, a Scientific Nucleus from the “Universidad Austral de Chile” dedicated to research, education and outreach on Forest Ecosystem Services to Aquatic Systems. This Nucleus aims at the development of transdisciplinary research through the integration of various disciplines, forest and aquatic ecology and biogeochemistry, hydrology, stratigraphy, dendroclimatology, silviculture, aquaculture, economics and science communication. FORECOS is part of the Millennium Scientific Initiative funded by the Chilean Ministry of Planning (MIDEPLAN).

To receive further information concerning the conference, please fill out the form at: http://www.forecos.net/neotropics or email: neotropicsworkshop@forecos.net .

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum newsletter

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Funding Initiative for Threatened Natural World Heritage Sites

2006-05-07T19:26:00.000+02:00

Natural World Heritage Sites (NWHS) represent the world's pre-eminent areas of biodiversity, and their identification and protection are key parts of the global community's responsibility for conservation. When emergencies occur, critical time is often lost organizing and fundraising for a response, during which time precious natural world heritage may be irreparably damaged.

To effectively deal with situations like this, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Fauna & Flora International, and the United Nations Foundation have created the Rapid Response Facility (RRF). The Facility aims to mobilise small grants of US$5,000 - US$30,000 in just three weeks to deal with emergencies and threats affecting Natural World Heritage Sites and their surrounding areas of influence. The RRF will be tested over the next two years, delivering five or six small grants each year, and should ensure that some of the world's most important reserves of biodiversity receive the protection they need.

Sites eligible to apply include all sites inscribed onto the List of World Heritage under criterion N(iv) (before 2005) or criterion (x) (from 2005) as well as nominated sites whose inscription to the List was deferred due to immediate threats to their ecological integrity and, in exceptional circumstances, NWHS sites on the national World HeritageTentative lists.

The RRF is now open for applications. Applications are accepted at any time and decisions are made on a rolling basis. Go to: http://www.fauna-flora.org/rrf or email rrf@fauna-flora.org for more information.

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum newsletter

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

New Windows academic papers search tool!

2006-05-05T11:56:00.000+02:00

Check out this new online academic papers search tool:

Windows Live Academic is now in beta. We currently index content related to computer science, physics, electrical engineering, and related subject areas.

Academic search enables you to search for peer reviewed journal articles contained in journal publisher portals and on the web in locations like citeseer.

Academic search works with libraries and institutions to search and provide access to subscription content for their members. Access restricted resources include subscription services or premium peer-reviewed journals. You may be able to access restricted content through your library or institution.

We have built several features designed to help you rapidly find the content you are searching for including abstract previews via our preview pane, sort and group by capability, and citation export. We invite you to try us out - and share your feedback with us.

Web page: http://academic.live.com/

I hope this is of your interest. Best,

Jorge Brenner

Marine Biology Summer School 2006 - on "Biodiversity and adaptive strategies of marine biota in European coastal systems"

2006-05-04T11:29:00.000+02:00

We are pleased to inform you that in response to wide interests in marine
biodiversity, and thanks to support of the Network of Excellence MarBEF, the
Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk (IO UG), Poland, together
with the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Centre for Estuarine and Marine
Ecology, Yerseke, the Netherlands, is organising a training course - the
Marine Biology Summer School 2006 - on "Biodiversity and adaptive strategies
of marine biota in European coastal systems",
 
The Summer School that will be held at the Hel Marine Station, Hel, Poland
in the period July 9-16, 2006.
 
The Marine Biology Summer School 2006 is dedicated to the adaptation
capacity of marine organisms, and the (subsequent) marine biodiversity at
different organizational levels, going from genetic diversity through
physiological diversity to community diversity, with an emphasis on coastal
zoobenthic organisms and communities. The school is open for under- and
postgraduate students, young researchers and all interested in marine
biodiversity from European countries.
 
The Network of Excellence MarBEF supports the attendance of students from
the Associated Members with 500 Euro per person for fee, travel and
subsistence, to a maximum of 10 persons. Moreover, the course is endorsed by
MarBEF to facilitate the participation of students from full MarBEF members
who can book the fee, travel and subsistence for this course on their MarBEF
account. More details on the program, venue, logistics, admission, etc. can
be found at the web site: http://www.ocean.univ.gda.pl/bss/.
 
The school welcomes a maximum of 16 participants, so early enrolment is
encouraged.
 
The deadline for registration has been extended to May 10, 2006. The
Application Form as a WinWord file is available at the web site.
 
We would be grateful for your kind help in distributing this message among
students and young researchers in your institutes.
 
Best wishes,
 
Adam Sokolowski
Secretary of the MBSS 2006
Phone: + 48 58 660 16 40
Fax: + 48 58 620 21 65

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner
E-mail: oceas@univ.gda.pl

Marie Curie Early Stage Trainning PhD Fellowships opportunities in ecosystem functioning

2006-04-27T13:47:00.000+02:00

Twelve PhD fellowships (METAOCEANS: Elucidating the structure and
functioning of marine ecosystems through synthesis and comparative
analysis) are currently available for a period of 36 months, starting
July 2006 (deadline: 30 June 2006). They offer 12 PhD subjects applying
METANALYSIS TECHNIQUES to the following topics in marine sciences:

Ecosystem metabolism
Microbial food-webs
Planktonic processes
Trophic links and Human Impacts

Research projects will be carried out at six European institutes: AZTI,
Spain; CNRS, France; CSIC, Spain; DIFRES, Denmark, Plymouth Marine
Laboratory (PML), UK; UoB, Norway) under the supervision of project
scientists.

See their web site for a full list of PhD projects available and details
on METAOCEANS (www.metaoceans.net  )

Source: MARINET@LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Detecting changes in biodiversity: experimental design and data analysis course

2006-04-25T11:01:00.000+02:00

Location: University of Pisa
Event Type: Training Course
Event Date: 2006-09-04
End Date: 2006-09-15

Event Description:
Complex experimental designs are crucial for most studies of natural systems. The course covers the fundamentals in the design and analysis of experiments in ecology, with emphasis on methods to assess changes in biodiversity. The participants will be instructed on how to decide what kind of analysis is most appropriate given the hypothesis of interest and how to interpret their results. The course will consist of lectures and practical PC exercises. Applications must include a CV.

This course is endorsed by MarBEF under the general conditions, i.e. per MarBEF member one participant is allowed to book the costs of Travel and Subsistence up to a maximum of 750 Euro on their MarBEF account.

Contact email: bencecc@discat.unipi.it

Registration fee: 1500,00 €

Course web page: http://www.marbef.org/modules.php?name=Calendar&file=index&type=view&eid=227

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Summer school on "Climate changes impact on marineecosystems" in Turkey

2006-04-25T10:58:00.000+02:00

Announcement for the summer school on "Climate changes impact on marine
ecosystems" next summer (14-26 August, 2006) in Ankara, Turkey. This is
for advanced Ph.D students and young scientists. Further information
(program outline, lecturers, student funding guidelines, deadline for
applications, etc.) is available at the following website

http://www.ims.metu.edu.tr/SummerSchool/index.htm

I appreciate if you circulate this message among students and other potential participants.

Thank you in advance.

Best wishes.

Prof. Temel Oguz
Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences
P.O. Box. 28, Erdemli 33731, Icel, Turkey
Phone: 90 324 521 2150 (office), 90 324 521 2143 (home)
Fax : 90 324 521 2327

http://www.ims.metu.edu.tr/cv/oguz/main.html

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Eco-Imagine Thematic Conference extended deadline!

2006-04-25T10:53:00.000+02:00

The Eco-Imagine Thematic Conference: BUILDING COASTAL KNOWLEDGE AND GI, Cork (IE), 13th–17th June 2006 has extended deadline for application submision to April 28th.

Conference web page: http://www.gisig.it/eco%2Dimagine/

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Course : Marine Summer Course 2006- Analysing Biodiversity & Life History Strategies

2006-04-25T10:40:00.000+02:00

This course will deal with the latest methods in biodiversity research, 
including genomic approaches, DNA barcoding and molecular tools in developmental 
studies, presented by invited teachers, all internationally known experts in 
their fields. Hands-on experience with animals will be combined with 
possibilities to work with modern analytical techniques like phylogenetic analysis, 
sequence analysis, fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy 
*   Open to PhD students and post docs; both to members of the MGE network 
and to non-members
*   The MGE Network pays for everyone's course fee (including lunches, 
coffees, excursion and farewell dinner) and the accommodation for the PhD students. 
Everyone pay for their own travel.
*   July 17-28, 2006, Kristineberg Marine Research Station (www.kmf.gu.se 
 ), Sweden 
*   Deadline for applications extended to the 1st of May, 2006 
*   Information and application forms can be found at the MGE website
(www.marine-genomics-europe.org 


Source: MARINET@LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Journal of Environmental Informatics Announcement!

2006-04-24T16:29:00.000+02:00

The journal of environmental informatics (JEI) is currently soliciting papers. We are much appreciated if you could forward this message to your research group or your colleagues who may be interested in this. Please refer to the attachment for details.

Thanks and regards,

Editorial Office
Journal of Environmental Informatics
4246 Albert Street, Suite 413
Regina, Saskatchewan 4S4 3R9
Canada
http://www.iseis.org/jei/
Email: jei@iseis.org
Phone: (306) 337-2306
Fax: (306) 337-2305

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ESSP Open Science Conference: CALL for CONTRIBUTIONS

2006-04-05T11:38:00.000+02:00

CALL for CONTRIBUTIONS (Deadline: 01 May 2006)

We invite scientists, policy makers, practitioners, scholars, members of the private sector and journalists to participate in the ESSP Open Science Conference and to submit online abstracts (poster or parallel session presentations) through the OSC website (www.essp.org/ESSP2006/CallPapers_index.html). Please note that this call for contributions will primarily be for poster presentations, and that poster sessions will be an integral part of the Conference. Poster sessions will also relate directly to OSC parallel sessions. A list of the session titles and their keywords/brief descriptions can be found on the online submission form and on the Conference website (see web link above). Please note that we cannot accept late submissions (deadline: 01 May 2006) and that abstracts should not exceed 250 words. Thank you for your interest in the ESSP OSC.

Note: Limited resources are available to support selected international participants. Applications for assistance should be submitted using a form that can be obtained from the OSC website (www.essp.org/ESSP2006/FinancialSupport_index.html) - support is contingent upon acceptance of an abstract and the availability of funds.

ESSP is a joint initiative of: DIVERSITAS, IGBP, IHDP and WCRP

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ConGen Calls - Grants & Science Meetings

2006-04-04T15:33:00.000+02:00

The ESF Programme on Integrating population genetics and conservation biology: Merging theoretical, experimental and applied approaches (ConGen) announces a Call for Workshops and for Applications for Exchange Grants, deadline 15 May 2006.

ConGen invites proposals from potential organisers of Workshops to be held in 2006 on topics with a clear connection to the core of the ConGen Programme. We would particularly welcome proposals that integrate the different scientific topics as outlined in the scope of the Programme (http://www.esf.org/congen). Priority will be given to workshops taking place in countries that financially support the Programme.

ConGen is offering funding for a number of Exchange Grants (visits from 15 days to 6 months) related to the scientific objectives of the Programme. Priority will be given to applicants who come from or intend to visit countries that financially support the programme, particularly if both criteria are fulfilled.

ConGen also offers a limited number of Short Visit Grants (visits up to 15 days). There is no fixed deadline for the submission of applications. Applicants should ensure that there is at least 3 months between the date of submission and the proposed starting date of the visit.

Further information, including access to the online application forms, at http://www.esf.org/congen

I hope that this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Alien Invasive Inventories for Europe Project

2006-03-31T19:12:00.000+02:00

Check-out the Delivering Alien Invasive Inventories for Europe (DAISIE) Project:

DAISIE will deliver an Alien Species Gateway to act as a “one-stop-shop”for information on biological invasions in Europe. DAISIE addresses the need for a regional network of invasive alien species information. With direct access to national knowledge bases throughout Europe, those addressing the invasive alien species challenge will easily obtain data through DAISIE on which species are invasive or potentially invasive in particular habitats, and use this information in their planning efforts.

Webpage: http://www.daisie.se/

Register yourself in the invasives expert registry at: http://daisie.ckff.si/

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

1st International Conference on Sustainability Measurement and Modelling

2006-03-31T18:27:00.000+02:00

The 1st International Conference on Sustainability Measurement and Modelling -ICSMM 2006- is to become an interacting forum for those organizations, institutions, and experts interested in Sustainability Measurement, Modelling and Evaluating issues.

Announced by the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability at the Polytechnic University of Catalunya, the Department of the Environment and Housing of the Government of Catalonia and the Spanish Observatory for Sustainability (SOS), the conference will take place in November 16th and 17th 2006, in Terrassa (located 35 km from the city of Barcelona).

New abstract deadline: April 23, 2006

Webpage: http://congress.cimne.upc.es/icsmm06/frontal/default.asp

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

View the world through the Worldmapper lense!

2006-03-30T16:56:00.000+02:00

Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest.

New maps will be added during 2006. All files and maps are interim versions and may change.

Webpage: http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/worldmapper/index.html

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Physics of Estuaries and Coastal Seas meeting - PECS2006

2006-03-27T12:09:00.000+02:00

The bienniel Physics of Estuaries and Coastal Seas meeting
(PECS2006) is the world's leading meeting in estuarine physical
oceanography. PECS2006 will be held in scenic Astoria, OR USA, 18-22
September 2006, at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Conference cost will be $350-400.
For further information and to submit an abstract, please go to:

www.aux.pdx.edu/conf/pecs/Home.htm

We have extended the oginal abstracts deadline to 1 April 2006.
Abstracts may also be submitted directly to pecs2006@cecs.pdx.edu..

David A. Jay, Associate Professor
djay@cecs.pdx.edu
Portland State University
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Postal address: PO Box 751, Portland, Oregon 97207-0751
Delivery address: 1930 SW 4th Avenue, Portland, OR 97201
503-725-4247

Source: coastal_list@UDel.Edu

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Student Conference on Conservation Science

2006-03-27T11:56:00.000+02:00

Invitation to conservation practitioners and applied scientists working
for conservation organisations to participate in this conference -
ABSOLUTELY FREE!

28 - 30 March 2006, Zoology Department, Downing Street, Cambridge

We invite conservation practitioners and applied scientists to visit
the
seventh in this series of student conferences which aim to provide a
forum for graduate students from a wide range of countries and
disciplines to present their work to a friendly and informed audience.

Around 150 students from about 40 countries will participate.  There
will be 35 talks by students, poster sessions, workshops and four
lectures by distinguished speakers.

Program: http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/sccs/programme_2006.html

Source: http://www.cambridgeconservationforum.org/

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Death by a Thousand Coasts: The Ethics of Climate Change Symposium

2006-03-27T11:42:00.000+02:00

First International Inter-Research Symposium:
Death by a Thousand Coasts: The Ethics of Climate Change

Web page: http://www.ir-symposia.com/

24-27 November 2006, Washington, D. C., U.S.

Focus on: Best Evidence   Best Practices    Best Analysis
Climatology . Paleoclimatology . Oceanography .Paleoceanography. Ecology . Agriculture & Husbandry . History . Law . Medicine .Economics . Business . Engineering . City Planning . Property Assessment . Investment . Risk Management . Insurance . Emergency Response . Policy . Politics . Ethics

Source:  MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Sustainable Development 2007: Call for papers from WIT

2006-03-24T12:28:00.000+01:00

On behalf of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC), we are
pleased to inform you of the Third International Conference on Sustainable
Development and Planning. The meeting will take place from 25 - 27 April
2007 at the Tivoli Almansor Hotel, Algarve.

Conference papers will be reviewed by members of the ISAC and other
colleagues, and if selected, will be published in hard book form by WIT
Press and will be available to delegates at the time of registration. In
addition, the proceedings will be widely distributed after the conference
through the international book trade and by direct announcement to readers
and librarians. All papers will be permanently archived in the Transactions
of the Wessex Institute on our eLibrary site, which is available to the
Further details about the conference follow this message. Alternatively
click on the web address below to access the conference website, which has
full details about the conference objectives, topics and submission
requirements: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2007/sustain2007/cfp.html

If you are not the right point of contact for this material we apologise,
and would appreciate you forwarding this to the correct person or providing
us with the contact details.

Best regards,

Honorary Chairman: E Beriatos, University of Thessaly, Greece
Conference Chairmen: C A Brebbia, Wessex Institute of Technology, UK and A
Kungolos, University of Thessaly, Greece

Source:  MARINET@LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

38th CIESM Congress in Istanbul in 2007

2006-03-21T11:21:00.000+01:00

In slightly more than a year, from 9 to 13 April 2007, CIESM will hold its 38th Congress in Istanbul, on the shore of the Bosphorus. Already !

As usual we will do our best here, together with the Commission committee Chairs and taskforces Coordinators, to offer you an attractive programme, which will reflect the best science which Mediterranean and Black Sea researchers have to offer. For its part, the local organizing committee is already in place and we have been working hard with them to finalize essential structural components, such as the meeting venue which will be the excellent Lutfi Kidar Convention Center that will provide modern comfort and efficiency, combined with a central location.

Needless to say, we will be happy to see as many of you as possible in this magnificent city. There is plenty of time ahead, particularly since we have drastically shortened the time necessary between submission of papers and c ongress inauguration, so as to allow you to present and discuss your latest results.

Please already note that the papers will have to be submitted between September 1st and 15 October 2006 (on a pre-formatted submission form), and that authors will have until 10 January 2007 to pay their registration online.

I invite you to bookmark the following webpage http://www.ciesm.org/marine/congresses/index.htm
where you will find more detailed information on important deadlines and on the cost of registration. This is also where, in the future, we will update you on the logistics and programme of the Congress

with my best regards, as always

Frederic Briand
Director General, CIESM

Source: www.ciesm.org

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Feedback and Requirements for Use of GBIF Data Portal

2006-03-20T10:29:00.000+01:00

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) has been operating its
prototype data portal for biodiversity data (http://www.gbif.net/) since
2004 and is now developing a new portal incorporating lessons learned from
these early experiences (to be released at the end of 2006).

The aim of this portal will be to provide rapid access to distributed
biodiversity data resources from all over the world.  The portal should
support user access through HTML web browsers, as well as machine access by
other portals and analytical tools through web service programming
interfaces.

GBIF wishes to receive the widest possible feedback on the existing
prototype data portal and user requirements for the new portal.  As part of
this process, we have set up the following online survey and would like to
receive responses by 30 April 2006:

  Feedback and Requirements for use of GBIF Data Portal
    - end-user requirements for access to biodiversity data
  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=279441780723

We plan to offer two further related surveys over the next few weeks:

  Feedback and Requirements for providers of data to GBIF Data Portal
    – requirements from individuals and organisations sharing data
      through the GBIF network

  Technical Feedback on architecture for GBIF Data Portal
     – review of architecture and design for GBIF data portal and
       its associated web services

For more information on GBIF’s plans for the data portal, please see:

  The GBIF Data Portal Strategy, available from:
    http://circa.gbif.net/Public/irc/gbif/dadi/library?l=/architecture

  The GBIF Data Portal Design wiki at:
    http://wiki.gbif.org/dadiwiki/

Please note that this survey relates to the GBIF Data Portal.  GBIF also
operates the GBIF Communications Portal (http://www.gbif.org/), which
provides information about the organisation and its activities.  An
opportunity is provided on the last page of this survey to comment on the
GBIF's use of two separate portals.

Thank you for your help.

Donald Hobern (dhobern@gbif.org)
Programme Officer for Data Access and Database Interoperability
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Secretariat
Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: +45-35321483   Mobile: +45-28751483   Fax: +45-35321480

Source: all-users@ig.circa.gbif.net

Jorge Brenner

Launch of the EuroDEEP Call for Outline Proposals

2006-03-15T11:04:00.000+01:00

Call for Outline Proposals for the EUROCORES Programme EuroDEEP is now open. Please distribute this announcementas widely as possible to the appropriate scientific community.

You can also find the attached document and additional information on the EuroDEEP website www.esf.org/eurodeep.

Thank you very much!

Bernard Avril

PS: Please note that the proposal submission should be made online.

Source: lesc-list@esf.org

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

New Resource Portal for Marine GIS and Seabed Mapping

2006-03-13T11:09:00.000+01:00

The new Davey Jones' Locker Treasure Chest of Links, accessible at either http://marinecoastalgis.net or http://seafloormapping.net provides scores of marine/coastal GIS and seafloor mapping links to assist researchers, educators, students, and interested parties from all over the world in finding helpful information and data. The site is maintained by the Davey Jones Locker research laboratory, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University.

Dawn Wright | Professor | Department of Geosciences, dawn@dusk.geo.orst.edu
Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR 97331-5506
http://dusk.geo.orst.edu | 541-737-1229 phone | 541-737-1200 fax

Source: SEA-GIS@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Contribute to the GSDI Association Developing Nations Fund

2006-03-10T18:39:00.000+01:00

Do you ever wonder how you might help your professional peers who are in nations far less economically developed than your own?

Many of us work with or communicate with professional peers across the globe who are committed to using geographic data and technologies to address local pressing needs but who face severe financial constraints. Among the needs our peers are addressing include poverty alleviation, support of local economic development activities, designing and planning physical infrastructure improvements, conserving important natural resources and species, improving economic competitiveness, mitigating environmental degradation, increasing efficiency, effectiveness, and equity in government operations, and advancing the health, safety and social well being of their countrys citizens.

The problems and needs in developing nations are so great that we often despair about what we as individuals might accomplish. But small contributions can make a big difference. Here are some specific suggestions for making tangible differences for our peers in less economically developed regions of the world:

1. Join the GSDI Association as an Individual Member

Dues paid by individuals are applied to developing nation needs through the Developing Nation Fund. Over the next several months all individual dues received by the organization will be spent to support travel costs for deserving individuals from economically disadvantaged nations to attend the GSDI-9 conference and its affiliated free training workshops in Santiago, Chile. You can join and pay dues on-line in less than ten minutes at http://gsdi.org/joinGSDI.asp. To apply for such a travel grant, applicants may consult the Conference Support Grant Application at http://www.gsdi9.cl/

Source: news@gsdi.org

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

New Ecological Informatics Journal

2006-03-10T15:27:00.000+01:00

Ecological Informatics is a new international journal devoted to the publication of high quality, peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of ecoinformatics, computational ecology and systems ecology, and special issues on topics of current interest. The scope of the journal includes principles of information processing from genomes to ecosystems, computational approaches to ecological scales and complexity, computational approaches to ecosystems analysis, synthesis, simulation and forecasting, ecological pattern analysis at nano- to macroscales, management of ecological data. The nature of the journal is interdisciplinary, publishing high quality papers on information processing in ecosystems, ecological data management as well as computation, and the crossover between biology/ecology and computer/information sciences.

Ecological Informatics publishes research in the following areas:
•Theory and applications of ecoinformatics
•Principles of information processing from genomes to ecosystems
•Novel developments in bio-inspired computation, machine learning and artificial intelligence
•Spatial-temporal simulation of ecological entities, ecosystem structures and behaviours by artificial life, cellular automata and adaptive agents
•Knowledge discovery and forecasting of ecological processes and patterns, ecosystem functions and behaviours by bio-inspired computation, machine learning and artificial intelligence
•Processing of uncertain ecological data by fuzzy logic and qualitative reasoning
•Standardisation and integration of ecological data and models by meta-information concepts and object-oriented programming
•Ecological data warehousing including data archival, retrieval, sharing, mining and visualisation
•Ecological data acquisition, spatial analysis and visualisation by GIS and remote sensing
•Computational frameworks for decision making in relation to environmental sustainability, biodiversity and global environmental changes
•Education and training in ecoinformatics.

Bibliographic & ordering Information
ISSN: 1574-9541
Imprint: ELSEVIER
Commenced publication 2006

Check out this new publication at: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/705192/description#description

Source: http://www.elsevier.com

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ISEI5: 5th International Conference on Ecological Informatics

2006-03-10T11:27:00.000+01:00

5th International Conference on Ecological Informatics,
December 4-7, 2006, Santa Barbara, USA.

Please visit the web site: www.ISEI5-conference.elsevier.com.

Source: ecoinfo@ecoinformatics.org

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Grants Announcement for the International MSc. in Airbone Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

2006-03-10T11:24:00.000+01:00

The Institute of Geomatics is pleased to announce two grants to attend the International MSc. in Airbone Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Those grants are possible thanks to the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya (ICC, http://www.icc.es).

In case you should be interested in it, please browse to http://www.IdeG.es

These two grants will already available for the forthcoming module: Fundamentals of Economics and Management of International Projects (March, 20-24, 2006).

Romina Canals

Institut de Geomàtica

Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia

Avda. del Canal Olímpic, s/n

E-08860 Castelldefels

Barcelona (Spain)

Tel.: +34 93 556 92 80

Fax: +34 93 556 92 92

recepcio@ideg.es

Source: mailing@ideg.es

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Summer school on controls in marine ecosystems - June 2006

2006-03-10T11:14:00.000+01:00

The summer school "Towards ecosystem oceanography: Identification and
modelling of controls in marine ecosystems" will take place in Dragerup,
Denmark, 18-28 June 2006. It is co-organised by the Ecosystem Approach
to Marine Resources (WP6) group within the EUR-OCEANS Network of
Excellence, and SLIP/Fishnet. It is endorsed and sponsored by GLOBEC.
Registration is open from 9 February to 9 April 2006. Cf.
http://www.eur-oceans.org/eamr/school/ and the attached documents for
details.

Please feel free to circulate the attached poster and flyer within your
institution and beyond (larger PDF files for higher-quality printing are
available on request: pbaisnee@ifremer.fr.

Caroline Gernez 
European Network of Excellence for Ocean Ecosystems Analysis
(EUR-OCEANS)
Executive Director
Tel: + 33 (0)2 98 49 86 29 
Fax: + 33 (0)2 98 49 86 09
E-mail: caroline.gernez@univ-brest.fr

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE 

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Alcan Prize for Sustainability 2006

2006-03-07T13:01:00.000+01:00

Do you know of, or work for, a not-for-profit organization, based anywhere in the world, that has made a major contribution to economic, environmental and/or social sustainability in the field in which it operates?

The $1million Alcan Prize for Sustainability, in association with the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), is now in its third year, and both organizations are scouring the globe for projects that are helping to make the world a more sustainable place. All entries must be in by 31 March 2006 (midnight GMT).

To make a nomination, go to

http://www.alcanprizeforsustainability.com/2006/en/apply2006/form.asp and complete details online. You can nominate as many organizations as you wish.

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum March 2006 Newsletter

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Nominations Invited for UNEP Sasakawa Prize

2006-03-07T12:58:00.000+01:00

Nominations are invited for the 2006 UNEP Sasakawa Prize. The new prize aims to encourage environmental innovation, research, iniatives and ideas on an annually changing theme. In 2006, the theme for which candidates will be eligible is Deserts and Desertification. Please note that the deadline for nominations is 15 March 2006.

The Prize acts as an incentive for environmental efforts that are sustainable and replicable in the long-term. It recognises innovation, groundbreaking research and ideas, and extraordinary grassroots initiatives from around the world.

The $200,000 UNEP Sasakawa Prize offers the financial support Laureates need to build on their achievements. Background information on the prize and the nomination form are available at: www.unep.org/sasakawa

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum March 2006 Newsletter

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

New Eco-tools.net

2006-03-07T12:52:00.000+01:00

Eco-Tools is a web-accessible means of performing commonly-needed and useful calculations in ecology and conservation biology. No special software is required, and all algorithms are open-source and based on standard references.

Tools included:

Life Tables
Population Timeseries
Population Genetics
Population Viability Analysis (PVA)
Species Diversity
Ordination
Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Autocorrelation

Webpage: www.eco-tools.net

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ECO-IMAGINE Thematic Conference: BUILDING COASTAL KNOWLEDGE AND GI

2006-03-03T12:15:00.000+01:00

We are pleased to announce the ECO-IMAGINE Thematic Conference:

BUILDING COASTAL KNOWLEDGE AND GI

Cork (Ireland) June 13^th- 17^th, 2006.

On the ECO-IMAGINE web site ( www.gisig.it/eco-imagine), you can find:

- the general overview of the conference
- the draft schedule of the conference
- the registration form

We are glad to inform you as well that, after the success obtained in Nice, a ESRI Award is organised also within this Conference.
All the participants interested in applying for the ESRI Award can find detailed information on the ECO-IMAGINE web-site.

Finally, we are pleased to inform you that some Marie Curie grants are available for supporting the participation of early stage and more experienced researchers in the conference.
The call for grants and the forms to be filled in are available on the above-mentioned web-site (deadline for application: April 21^st, 2006).

We will be also glad to receive from you information on events and projects related to the ICAM-GI themes. Such information will be posted on the ECO-IMAGINE Forum in order to improve the sharing of knowledge.

Best regards,
GISIG and ICCOPS Staff

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2006 available

2006-03-03T12:00:00.000+01:00

This overview of the National Science Board's Science and Engineering Indicators 2006 describes some major U.S. and international science and technology (S&T) developments. It focuses on trends since about 1990, although it occasionally takes a longer view. The overview synthesizes selected major findings in a meaningful way and is not intended to be comprehensive. The reader will find many important findings in the report that are not covered in the overview, e.g., public support for science is strong even though public knowledge is limited; S&T activities in different states vary substantially in size and scope; and some of those who are employed in S&T occupations lack S&T degrees, although many people with S&T degrees work in other types of jobs. The interested reader will find more extensive data in the body of the report; major findings on particular topics appear in the Highlights sections that precede chapters 1–7.

Online document and download page: http://nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ESSP Open Science Conference

2006-03-02T17:05:00.000+01:00

9-12 November 2006. Beijing, China

CALL for CONTRIBUTIONS (Deadline: 01 May 2006)

We invite scientists, policy makers, practitioners, scholars, members of the private sector and journalists to participate in the ESSP Open Science Conference and to submit online abstracts (poster or parallel session presentations) through the OSC website (http://www.essp.org/ESSP2006/CallPapers_index.html). Please note that this call for contributions will primarily be for poster presentations, and that poster sessions will be an integral part of the Conference. Poster sessions will also relate directly to OSC parallel sessions. A list of the session titles and their keywords/brief descriptions can be found on the online submission form and on the Conference website (see web link above). Please note that we cannot accept late submissions (deadline: 01 May 2006) and that abstracts should not exceed 250 words. Thank you for your interest in the ESSP OSC.

Source: psipher@agu.org

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

7th International Temperate Reef Symposium

2006-03-01T18:15:00.000+01:00

The University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) will be hosting the 2006 International Temperate Reef Synmposium. All meeting activities (including housing) will be held on the UCSB campus. See our lodging link for more information about housing. See our travel link for information on getting to Santa Barbara. The schedule and more information about the meeting will be posted here as soon as it becomes available. We intend to open registration and abstract submission in early March.

For more information or questions email us at ITRS@msi.ucsb.edu

Webpage: http://ucsb.piscoweb.org/ITRS/

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

11th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium

2006-03-01T18:13:00.000+01:00

Dates for your diary:
9-14 July 2006

The Symposium will be hosted by the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton UK (formerly the Southampton Oceanography Centre). The DEEPSEAS Group at NOCS look forward to welcoming you to Southampton in 2006.

Please browse around to find out more about the Symposium. We are now into the active phase of organisation and these Web pages will be updated regularly - so do come back. Planning of this meeting is a UK-wide effort with colleagues from several UK institutions lending a hand (see the participants page for details of the organising committee).

If you need any further information on the Symposium please contact the Symposium Team - click on the Symposium banner above or on the contact link at the bottom of the page for details.

Webpage: http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/GDD/DEEPSEAS/symp_pages/symphome.html

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

1st International Conference on Object-based Image Analysis

2006-03-01T12:16:00.000+01:00

We kindly remind you that the deadline for abstract submission for OBIA 2006 is approaching soon. If you have not already done so, please submit your extended abstract until March 6, 2006 (see www.agit.at/obia for online submission). Notification of acceptance will be send out by April 10. Please consider that accepted authors need to register until April 30 the latest.

We would also like to draw your attention on related user meetings and events attached to AGIT 2006. You can find information on combined registration options and important dates under www.agit.at/obia, www.agit.at/gi4dev, www.agit.at.

July 3: Definiens User Meeting & Training

July 3: ER Mapper User Meeting

July 6: SAGA User Meeting

July 7: AGIT Special GI for Development

::.. Dr. Stefan Lang ..::
Z_GIS Centre for Geoinformatics | Salzburg University
Schillerstr. 30 | 5020 Salzburg | Austria
tel +43-662-8044 5262 fax +43-662-8044 5260

mailto: stefan.lang@sbg.ac.at | web: www.uni-salzburg.at/zgis/lang

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

20th International Conference on Informatics for Environmental Protection

2006-02-28T12:29:00.000+01:00

Hosted by the Know-Center Graz and Graz University
of Technology concurrently with the 6th International
Conference on Knowledge Management, the 20th
International Conference on Informatics for
Environmental Protection (EnviroInfo '06) will be
held in Graz, Austria, September 6-8, 2006. This
conference focuses on the role of knowledge
management in advocating sustainability and
environmental protection. The conference investigates
new ways of optimizing organizational workflows,
building communities, engaging groups in
participatory decisions, and supporting education and
advocacy campaigns.

Important Dates:
Submission of papers & posters: March 1, 2006
Notification of acceptance: April 25, 2006
Final version due: May 22, 2006
Conference dates: September 6-8, 2006

Contact Information: enviroinfo@know-center.at

More information about EnviroInfo '06:
http://enviroinfo.know-center.tugraz.at/overview

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

5th International Conference on Environmental Informatics

2006-02-28T12:22:00.000+01:00

The 5th International Conference on Environmental Informatics (ISEIS2006) will take place in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA August, 2006. It aims at providing a unique gathering place and open forum for bringing together researchers, engineers, managers, and practitioners from a broad range of disciplines with common interests in techniques and tools of environmental information sciences. Jointly organized by Western Kentucky University, and the International Society for Environmental Information Sciences (ISEIS), we trust that the event will offer an unprecedented opportunity for you to discover the cutting-edge environmental informatics technology and its development and applications in environmental studies, resource management, and sustainable development.

Conference info: August 1-3, 2006, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA

Extended Deadline for Abstracts: March 15, 2006
Extended Deadline for Acceptance Notice: April 1, 2006
Full Paper Deadline: May 12, 2006
Conference Dates: August 1-3, 2006

Webpage: http://environment.wku.edu/iseis/index.htm

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ArcGIS v9 manuals and tutorials online!

2006-02-28T11:59:00.000+01:00

Check the new ArcGIS v9 manuals and tutorials in PDF format at:

http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/reference/help/esri/esri_pdfs_9.html

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Fourth Summer School on Sensitivity Analysis

2006-02-28T11:36:00.000+01:00

I am pleased to inform you that the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission is now organizing

the fourth Summer School on Sensitivity Analysis of Model Output

The event will take place from 11 to 13 September 2006, at the “Ca’ Foscari University”, in Venice (Italy).

This school is both for users not familiar with the discipline, and for users wishing to update their knowledge (recent methods available and new fields of application of sensitivity analysis).

The course will be free of charge, but participants will have to cover their travel and accommodation expenses.

As the number of participants is restricted, I recommend sending applications soon; a selection of candidates will take place on the basis of their CVs.

For detailed information about the course and registration procedures, please visit our webpage:

http://webfarm.jrc.cec.eu.int/uasa/evt-samo2006.asp

Feel free to forward this email to anyone you think may be interested.

I remain at your disposal for any further clarification.

Best regards,

Debora Gatelli

Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC) -

Indicators and benchmarks for education, innovation and the knowledge-economy

http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/uasa

European Commission-Joint Research Centre TP 361, 21020 Ispra VA, Italy

Tel: +39 0332 786573

Fax: +39 0332 785733

E-mail: debora.gatelli@jrc.it

Simlab software (v. 2.2) http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/uasa/prj-sa-soft.asp

Summer school on Sensitivity Analysis http://webfarm.jrc.cec.eu.int/uasa/evt-samo2006.asp

Source: Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC)

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Sign Now the Public GeoData Petition for Public Access to Geographic Data in Europe!

2006-02-27T16:49:00.000+01:00

On 23 January 2006, the Council of European Union has formally adopted a common position on the Inspire Directive, which stipulates that Geographic Data collected by National Mapping Agencies all over Europe should be owned by such agencies and not by the Public. While a lot of datasets are available in the United States under a public domain licence, little geographic data is available under open access terms in Europe but is instead made available at monopoly prices by national mapping agencies. Restricted access to geographic data for the public and businesses due to high costs and narrow licenses means fewer services and fewer jobs in Europe.

If the European Parliament does not reject this directive proposal, INSPIRE will entrench a policy of charging citizens for information they have already paid to collect, enforced by state copyright over geographic information.

What to do?

Sign the Petition

Public GeoData webpage: http://publicgeodata.org

Jorge Brenner

Funding is now available for projects for the International Polar Year Program-NSF

2006-02-27T11:41:00.000+01:00

National Science Foundation

International Polar Year Program

Applications due May 1, 2006

The National Science Foundation has announced that funding is available for projects for the International Polar Year Program.

There are emphasis areas under both research and education programs in which GIS technology is particularly applicable. These include

Ice sheet history and dynamics
Arctic Observing Network
Data storage, access, and visualization related to one of the three emphases
Polar formal science education: Subcategories include fieldwork experiences for K-12 educators and training of undergraduate and graduate students
Polar informal science education: Efforts to engage the general public through a wide range of media

Examples of ESRI GIS software solutions for these grants and full grant guidelines are provided in the ESRI Sample Text document, accessible by registering or updating your information on the ESRI Grant Notification System.

For additional information about GIS solutions for this grant, please contact ESRI's grant coordinator at 208-286-0220.

Source: ESRI Grant Notices <grantcoord@esri.com>

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

New GBIF online tool to convert ocurrence data into KML!

2006-02-26T14:50:00.000+01:00

Create your owm KML files for Google Earth using this new GBIF online and on-the-fly tool. All you need is your data in Decimal Degrees and paste into the following URL:

Webpage: http://ge.gbif.net/pointmap.php?load=copy

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

US-MEXICO BORDER ENERGY FORUM XIII

2006-02-24T12:49:00.000+01:00

US-MEXICO BORDER ENERGY FORUM XIII
Tampico, Tamaulipas
October 19-20, 2006 - 19-20 de octubre de 2006

http://www.glo.state.tx.us/energy/border/forum/

Please forward this message to others interested in regional energy issues.
Favor de enviar este mensaje a otras personas interesadas en temas regionales de energía.

Watch our Web site for additional updates and details.
Visite nuestro sitio en Internet para actualizaciones y detalles adicionales.

Soll Sussman
Coordinator, Border Energy Forum
Texas General Land Office
PO Box 12873
Austin, TX 78711-2873

tel. 512/463-5039
fax 512/475-1404

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ICOPMAS 2006 conference

2006-02-20T17:04:00.000+01:00

This is the announcement of 7th international
conference on Coasts, Ports and Marine structures
(ICOMPAS2006) will be held in Tehran,Iran on 27-29
Nov. 2006. 
For more information please refer to the following
site: www.irpso.com

Best regards
M.R. Allahyar

Source: coastal_list@UDel.Edu

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

2006 Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program

2006-02-20T14:07:00.000+01:00

The Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program is pleased to announce its 2006 competition. The program is a collaboration among Canon U.S.A., Inc., the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the US National Park Service. Thanks to a generous commitment by Canon U.S.A., Inc., the program will be awarding eight US$80,000 scholarships to Ph.D. students throughout the Americas to conduct research critical to conserving the national parks of the region.

Research projects in the biological, physical, social and cultural sciences are eligible, as well as projects in a new category — technology innovation in support of conservation science. Applications must be received by 3 May 2006.

View the 2006 Application Guide
Download the 2006 Application Guide (PDF File)

View the 2006 Application Cover Sheet
Download the 2006 Application Cover Sheet (PDF File)

Source: http://www.nature.nps.gov/canonscholarships/

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

ECCB 2006 Congress - Training Courses

2006-02-18T20:41:00.000+01:00

The 1st European Congress of Conservation Biology offers a wide range of field tours from morning bird-walk and night bat watching to week-long birding holiday and Central European sightseeing. Please visit the website for details (www.eccb2006.org).

In addition to ECCB 2006 Congress, organisers also offer training courses.

Four congress training courses will be offered on 22 August 2006. Training runs from 9 am until 5 pm on the scheduled day.

Training Course 1.
Systematic conservation planning: concepts & techniques, applications & challenges

TEACHERS
Dr Bob Pressey & Dr Kerrie Wilson
The Ecology Centre
University of Queensland
Australia

Training Course 2.
Population Modeling and PVA

TEACHER
Dr. Resit Akcakaya
Applied Biomathematics
USA

Training Course 3.
Taking the pain out of writing scientific papers

TEACHERS
Gábor Lövei, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Rob Marrs, Editor-in-Chief of Biological Conservation, University of Liverpool

Training Course 4.
From Linear Models to NonLinear Mixed Models in R

TEACHER
Andrea Harnos, Szent István University, Budapest

NOTE! Since the courses will start in the morning on 22 August, guest are required either to arrive at Budapest on 20 August and take the transfer bus on 21 August from Budapest to Eger or to arrive at Eger directly on 21 August 2006.

All training courses are optional and will run in parallel.
The registration fee for the courses is Euro 60.
Advance registration is required. Due to the limited space availibilities, we recommend making reservation as early as possible.

The list of 17 symposia, and the 4 student training courses are also on the website with many other information.

Please note that the DEADLINE OF ABSTRACT SUBMISSION is 22 February.

Hope to see you in Eger.

Best regards,

Zsofia Krutak

Zsofia KRUTAK
Altagra Szervezo és Utazasi Iroda Kft.
Altagra Business Services
H-2100 Godollo, Isaszegi ut Pf. 417 HUNGARY
www.altagra.hu
Congress Secretariat of ECCB 2006 Congress
www.eccb2006.org

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

The Union of Concerned Scientists Satellite Database

2006-02-17T13:54:00.000+01:00

The UCS Satellite Database is a listing of operational satellites currently in orbit around the Earth. It is available as a downloadable Excel file, which is updated roughly quarterly. Our intent in producing the database is to create a research tool for specialists and non-specialists alike by collecting open-source information on operational satellites and presenting it in a format that can be easily manipulated for research and analysis. The database includes basic information about more than 800 satellites and their orbits, but does not contain the detailed information necessary to locate individual satellites.

The UCS Satellite Database is the only free, comprehensive compilation of active satellites in an easy to manipulate, commonly-used database format.

Users can find information about a particular satellite; identify sets of satellites having a common characteristic, such as altitude or mission; and sort or aggregate data about the whole population of satellites. Users can quickly answer questions such as

How many satellites does a given country have in orbit, and what are they used for?
How many satellites are used for military purposes versus commercial purposes?
Which countries have earth-observing satellites?
At what altitudes do most satellites orbit?

The database contains 21 types of data for each satellite, including technical information about each satellite (mass, power, launch date, expected lifetime) and its orbit (apogee, perigee, inclination, and period), as well as what the satellite is used for, and who owns, operates, and built the satellite.

Webpage and download the .xls file: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/space_weapons/satellite_database.html

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists (http://www.ucsusa.org/)

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity

2006-02-16T11:52:00.000+01:00

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity, to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods and ecological services that constitute the source of life for all. The celebration each year of the International Day for Biological Diversity is an occasion to reflect on our responsibility to safeguard this precious heritage for future generations.

As announced by Hamdallah Zedan, the Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the theme for International Day for Biological Diversity 2005 is:

Biodiversity: Life Insurance for our Changing World.

The world is changing faster than ever before. Growing human populations and expanding consumption are placing great pressure on biological Diversity. This year’s theme for IBD reminds us that, in addition to providing the physical conditions for all life, biodiversity also plays an important role in protecting life and making it resilient to the pressures brought about by change.

Source: http://www.biodiv.org/programmes/outreach/awareness/biodiv-day-2005.aspx

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

3rd National Conference and Expo on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration

2006-02-15T10:41:00.000+01:00

The Call for Sessions deadline for Restore America's Estuaries' 3rd
National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration is
February 15th! Download the Call for Sessions, Presentations and
Posters and the Proposal Application Form at
http://www.estuaries.org/conference.

The Conference will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Hilton 
Riverside Hotel, December 9-13, 2006.

The Conference will bring timely national attention to the challenges
and opportunities to comprehensive coastal ecosystem restoration
throughout the U.S., and especially in Coastal Louisiana and the
northern Gulf Coast. Habitat restoration at all scales is essential to
the very fabric of our lives - the social, economic and ecological
well being of humans in the coastal landscape. Through field sessions,
participants will see first-hand how the city, the parishes and
coastal Louisiana are being rebuilt and restored. We will work to
ensure that the Conference supports the recovery process.

This Conference is the premiere nationwide forum focused solely on
advancing the knowledge, pace, practice, scale and success of coastal
and estuarine habitat restoration.  Incorporating the non-profit,
government, scientific, business, tribal and academic sectors, the
Conference will enable networking and communication throughout this
growing movement.

We invite you to submit a proposal for a DEDICATED SESSION for this
important National Conference. The deadline for proposals is WED.,
FEBRUARY 15th.

If you would like to submit a presentation or a poster, rather than a
full session, please see the full call for Sessions, Presentations and
Posters and submit your proposal by the due date listed below.

Program Timeline and Due Dates:
* February 15, 2006 - Dedicated Session Proposals due
* March 31, 2006 - Contributed Presentation Proposals due
* April 30, 2006 - Poster Proposals due

Please email all Proposals to conference@estuaries.org.

For more information, and the full Call for Sessions, Presentations
and Posters, visit the conference website at
http://www.estuaries.org/conference.

Source: conference@estuaries.org

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenne

AINIC Atlantic Islands Neogene: International Congress

2006-02-15T10:35:00.000+01:00

We would like to invite you to submit an abstract to the AINIC (Atlantic
Islands Neogene:   International Congress)
meeting being held 12-14 June 2006, in Ponta Delgada (Azores, Portugal).

Attending to requests received, the AINIC Organizing Commitee decided to
extend the deadline for abstract submission to: 15th March 2006.

Please take note that this is final.

The abstract and registration forms are located at
http://www.uac.pt/~cicia/Registration

If you have any questions about the Congress Sessions please contact the
AINIC Organizing Committee at avila@notes.uac.pt and we will do our best
to answer your enquires promptly.

For additional meeting information, please see the pdf document attached
or visit: http://www.uac.pt/~cicia/

We look forward to seeing you in the Azores!

All the best,

AINIC Organizing Committee

Atlantic Islands Neogene: International Congress
Departamento de Biologia
Complexo Científico
Campus Universitário de Ponta Delgada
Universidade dos Açores
Rua da Mãe de Deus 13-A
9501-801 Ponta Delgada
Azores-Portugal

Tel.: (+351) 296 650 101/2
Fax: (+351) 296 650 100
E-mail: ainic@notes.uac.pt

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

POGO-SCOR Visiting Fellowships for Oceanographic Observations

2006-02-13T18:22:00.000+01:00

The announcement for the 2006 POGO-SCOR Visiting Fellowships for

Oceanographic Observations is now available at:

http://www.ocean-partners.org/POGO_SCOR_Fellowships.htm.  Please consider

hosting a fellow or sending one from your institution, depending on your

country.

The deadline for the next round of applications is April 15, 2006.

Best regards,

Ed Urban, Ph.D., Executive Director


Tel: +1-410-516-4239

Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research

Ed.Urban@jhu.edu

Source: MARINET@listserv.rediris.es

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Ocean Remote Sensing Training Course

2006-02-13T10:27:00.000+01:00

ESA supports a training course on ocean remote sensing at the Institute of Marine Research, Hamburg, on 25-29 September 2006. Final submission date for applications: 31 May 2006. Full information: http://envisat.esa.int/Ocean2006/.

Sincerely,

Rainer Reuter
University of Oldenburg
Institute of Physics
D-26111 Oldenburg

Tel. ++49 (0)441 798 3522
http://las.physik.uni-oldenburg.de

Source: coastal_zones@physnet.physik.uni-oldenburg.de

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

Summer Course in Azores: Island Ecology and Evolution: Marine Invertebrates

2006-02-13T10:24:00.000+01:00

The Department of Biology of the University of the Azores is offering,
this Summer, a Masters in “Island Ecology and Evolution: Marine
Invertebrates”.  We think it is a fantastic opportunity, but we invite
you to see for yourselves at www.meie.uac.pt/.  We leave it up to you to
make it known to your students.  Of course, we are extremely thankful
for your kindness.

Very best regards,

António M. de Frias Martins,
Organizer

Department of Biology
University of the Azores
9501-801 Ponta Delgada
S. Miguel – Azores – Portugal
Fax: + 351-296 650100
frias@notes.uac.pt

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

M.A. in Geography (Coastal Management & GIS) at University College Cork, Ireland-September 2006 intake announcement

2006-02-08T20:48:00.000+01:00

Enquiries and applications are now invited for the September 2006 intake to the M.A.
in Geography (Coastal Management & GIS) at University College Cork, Ireland.

This programme has been designed to provide students with an advanced
understanding of the fundamental concepts of Geography, whilst developing a
specialist knowledge and practice in the field of coastal management. The
course will provide a thorough introduction to the principles of Integrated
Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). It will help students to make the link
between theoretical approaches and practical management scenarios through
the provision of real life case studies.

Lectures will provide comprehensive insights to coastal management at the
international, national and local levels. The course will provide a
framework for introducing students to state of the art technologies and
techniques for coastal monitoring. Students will gain experience in the
analysis and interpretation of field data through links with the GIS module.

The course is run through the Department of Geography, while use is made of
expert lecturers from the Coastal & Marine Resources Centre in UCC, who have
internationally recognised expertise in this area.

Enquiries should be directed in the first instance to

Vicki O'Donnell
GIS, Remote Sensing, Modelling
& Internet Technologies Section,
Coastal & Marine Resources Centre,
(Ionad Acmhainní Cósta is Mara)
University College Cork,
Naval Base,
Haulbowline, Cobh,
Co. Cork,
Ireland.
Tel:  +353 21 4703118
Fax: +353 21 4703132
http://cmrc.ucc.ie
email: v.odonnell@ucc.ie

Source: SEA-GIS@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Best,

Jorge Brenner

Marine Geodesy Journal will publish a pecial issue on Marine and Coastal Geographic Information Systems-SECOND CALL

2006-02-08T10:22:00.000+01:00

Marine Geodesy Journal will publish its 5th special issue on Marine and Coastal Geographic Information Systems (M&CGIS) in its issue of Vol. 30, No. 1, 2007.
Dr. Rongxing (Ron) Li of The Ohio State University will be the guest editor.

In addition to theoretical M&CGIS topics, we especially encourage submission of papers on new technologies for Marine and Coastal data collection, processing, analysis and management. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

High resolution satellite coastal imaging,
LIDAR mapping,
Multisensor remote sensing of land, water, and interaction areas,
Shoreline modeling and coastal changes,
Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging for Ecosystem management,
M&CGIS data uncertainty and quality analysis, and
Application systems and case studies.

All manuscripts should conform to the submission standards found in the Instructions to Authors that regularly appear in the journal. Papers should be free from promoting a specific commercial product. All invited and contributed manuscripts will be peer reviewed. Authors who wish to contribute to this special issue should submit the manuscript to:

Professor Ron Li

Guest Editor, Marine Geodesy

CEEGS, The Ohio State University

470 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Avenue

Columbus, OH 43210-1275

A hard copy of the above should also be sent to the Editor-in-chief:

Prof. Narendra K. Saxena, Editor-in-chief

Pacific Mapping Program

School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST)

University of Hawaii at Manoa

2525 Correa Road, HIG# 440

Honolulu, HI 96822

All manuscripts must be received by March 15, 2006 in order to be considered for publication in this special issue.

Rongxing (Ron) Li, Ph.D.
Lowber B. Strange Professor
Mapping and GIS Lab, CEEGS
The Ohio State University
470 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1275

Tel. (614) 292-6946
Fax. (614) 292-2957
E-mail: li.282@osu.edu
http://shoreline.eng.ohio-state.edu/>http://shoreline.eng.ohio-state.edu/

Source: SEA-GIS@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Best regards,

Jorge Brenner

MATE 2006 Summer Institutes

2006-02-08T10:11:00.000+01:00

The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center is announcing two summer institutes Lani Clough, MATE faculty development coordinator, or call 831-645-1393. at Monterey Peninsula College for 2006. There is no fee for participating. Lunches and some dinners will be provided by the MATE Center as well as hotel accommodations for participants living more than 50 miles from Monterey. Some travel stipends are also available. Educators who are interested in the workshops below should contact Lani Clough, MATE faculty development coordinator, or call 831-645-1393.

Creating a GIS Field Project to Address Marine and Coastal Issues
July 8–14, 2006

The workshop will walk educators through each step of creating their own GIS projects for the classroom. Participants will learn the basics of GIS and cartography and increase their knowledge of data sources, data types, and data management. Participants will create a marine or coastal map that addresses one or more marine issues. They will also create a lesson plan to use with their interactive map, which can be shared easily with students using ArcReader. Participants will interact with marine and coastal GIS experts to achieve a better understanding of how GIS is being used in marine and coastal issues.

Building Remotely Operated Vehicles
July 31–August 5, 2006

This workshop will teach educators the basic skills to help their students design and build remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that can compete in MATE’s regional and national ROV competitions. Educators will work in teams to design and build their own ROVs to complete a set of predetermined mission tasks. Participants will also pilot a small commercial ROV while on a boat cruise in Monterey Bay and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with undersea engineers, ROV pilots, and marine technicians.

Web page: http://www.marinetech.org/education/institutes.php

Source: The Wave, Winter 2006 (ESRI-Newsletter)

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

The National Museum of Natural History's World List of Isopods can be Downloaded

2006-02-07T10:53:00.000+01:00

The World List of Isopods can now be downloaded. Througha new feature on the home page, the list is available as an Access database. Just click on the download function but be sure to SAVE the file to your desktop or disk before opening it. If you have questions or problems please let me know.

Home page: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/iz/isopod/

Marilyn

Marilyn Schotte
Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology
NHB 163
P.O. Box 37012
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D. C. 20013-7012
USA

ph: 202-633-0675
fax: 202-357-3043

Posted at: crust-L@vims.edu & MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

I hope this is of your interest. Best,

Jorge Brenner

Some interesting news from the Cambridge Conservation Forum February Newsletter

2006-02-06T19:06:00.000+01:00

University of Cambridge Support for Joint Conservation Research Projects

Following an approach from the Department of Zoology, the Isaac Newton Trust has expressed a willingness to consider co-financing collaborative conservation science projects involving Cambridge University researchers and locally-based practitioner organizations. The Newton Trust will entertain applications to support small- to medium-sized grants, up to a total of ~£250K over the next five years, to facilitate outstanding research by University staff (UTOs) working with locally-based conservation organisations.

To be eligible, projects must:

· be submitted by a UTO who will be a principal investigator on the project

· be of the highest academic standards (to meet the selection criteria of the Trust), as well as high practical relevance (so there is full NGO/agency commitment)

· have at least 50% of their costs covered by non-University sources

Eligible costs include the costs of hiring new staff (who would be employed by the University), as well as limited equipment costs. The Trust does not cover overhead costs, studentships, fieldwork costs, replacement equipment, or building work. All proposals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, by the Newton Trust.

Applications are welcome from any Department in the University of Cambridge, and must be submitted by a UTO, through his/her Head of Department or Faculty. Draft applications (to check on eligibility) are followed by completed applications which are ~3 pages long. Deadlines for the rest of 2005/06 are 27 January (draft) followed by 10 February (final); and provisionally 19 May

(draft) and 2 June (final), and there will be further deadlines during the academic year 2006/07. Please mark applications as falling within the conservation science initiative.

For further details on making applications to the Isaac Newton Trust and confirmation of dates see:

http://www.newtontrust.cam.ac.uk/cam/research/index.html (accessible by University of Cambridge members only).

Internships for Young Conservation Scientists from Developing Countries and Eastern Europe

The University of Cambridge has obtained support from the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund to allow selected overseas delegates to the annual Student Conference on Conservation Science (SCCS) to extend their visits by taking up internships with interested conservation organisations or university departments.

The internships will last ~1 month, and are to enable promising young conservation scientists and practitioners to develop their careers by working with their host on a focused and mutually useful piece of work (such as preparing a report, developing a project plan, or transferring expertise). Host organisations can in turn benefit through exchanging ideas, bringing field staff to head office, or simply extending their networks.

SCCS will cover all international and local travel costs, pay a stipend, and organise logistics. Overhead costs and supervision will be the responsibility of the host organisation.

The scheme will be open to graduate-level conservation scientists and practitioners from developing countries and eastern Europe, currently working in relevant university departments or in conservation or resource management agencies. Host organisations can be conservation agencies, NGOs, or university departments, in the Cambridge area or beyond. Key selection criteria will be the quality of the work the candidate and their ability to benefit from the proposed internship.

The scheme will run for 5 years, from the March 2007 conference. Organisations potentially interested in hosting interns are invited to discuss their ideas as early as possible (and no later than the preceding summer) with the conference organisers.

Applications should then be made, by the internship candidates themselves, by November each year, via the SCCS website (http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/sccs/index.html). Selections will be made in December, by the SCCS committee.

Amphibian Biodiversity Conservation Course

The International Training Centre of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, British Channel Islands, will hold a training course on Amphibian Biodiversity Conservation in June this year. It is primarily designed for mid-management conservation professionals working both in the field and in captivity to manage threatened amphibian populations. Topics covered in the course include population monitoring techniques, patterns of disease transmission and controlling risk, establishing captive breeding populations and managing meta-populations. The course is being advertised internationally and so should be an opportunity for conservationists working in different countries to network on a global scale.

Further information is available in the attached flier (ABC_Advert06.pdf).

Nominations Invited for UNEP Sasakawa Prize

The Prize acts as an incentive for environmental efforts that are sustainable and replicable in the long-term. It recognises

innovation, groundbreaking research and ideas, and extraordinary grassroots initiatives from around the world.

To make a nomination, go to

http://www.alcanprizeforsustainability.com/2006/en/apply2006/form.asp and complete details online. You can nominate as many organizations as you wish.

Field Courses in Mongolia

Each year since 2003 the Steppe Forward Programme has run ecological field courses for Mongolian undergraduates, taught by foreign (British and American) academics. The Steppe Forward Programme is a Darwin Initiative funded project administered by the Zoological Society of London and run in cooperation with the National University of Mongolia. The field courses are designed to teach Mongolians ecological skills that they are not otherwise taught, so that they can implement them in their own research projects and which will make them more employable in the conservation field. They are also an important way of disseminating modern techniques.

We are currently seeking lecturers to teach on the field courses. The field courses in 2006 will cover behavioural ecology, data analysis and research design and desert ecology and census techniques topics. The courses are

residential for 3 weeks in steppe, taiga and desert habitats (in June, July and August respectively). The structure of the course is

normally two weeks of lectures and practicals, followed by a one week research project conducted by the students. Conditions are basic, as camping, but the reward from the surrounding landscape makes it worth it. Flights, visas and accomodation in Ulaanbaatar, as well as food, accomodation (in a ger - traditional felt tent) and transport are provided. $100 for in-country expenses is also provided.

This year we wish to include foreign students on the field courses, so I would appreciate it if you could encourage students to apply. Students will benefit by learning a variety of ecological research methods and theory alongside Mongolian students in stunning locations. The cost is US$990. This includes accommodation on arrival, transport, food and accommodation during field courses. Flights, visas and insurance are not included.

If you are interested in applying as a lecturer or student please reply before March 10th to Sarah King at king_srb@yahoo.com. Posters are available to advertise the courses on request. More information on the Steppe Forward Programme and past field courses can be found at www.steppeforward.com .

The Convention On Biological Diversity: 2010 Biodiversity Target

The Virtual Curitiba Biodiversity Conference

The Conference aims to gather opinion from the all stakeholders and interested parties regarding how and what actions should be taken to achieving the Biodiversity 2010 target.

http://2010.biodiv.org/about.shtml

The Eighth meeting of the CBD Conference of the Parties to be held in Curitiba,

Brazil

on 21-31 March 2006 takes place at an important juncture in the life of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It takes place against the backdrop of the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and is reinforced by the Second Global Biodiversity Outlook. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is the first attempt by the scientific community to describe and evaluate, on a global scale, the full range of services people derive from nature. It was

carried out by 1360 experts from 95 countries during the last four years and supported by UNEP and the GEF. Its messages are loud and clear: two thirds of the services provided by nature to humankind are in decline, worldwide. Humans have made unprecedented changes to ecosystems in recent decades to meet growing demands for food and other ecosystems services. These changes have weakened nature's ability to deliver its vital services. Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.

The Eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties provides a unique opportunity to catalyze efforts and set the stage for achieving the 2010 target and the objectives of the Convention. To do this requires universal commitment and concerted efforts by the international community as a whole. To this end a Virtual conference is being established to seek the views of civil society at large on the ways and means to achieve the 2010 biodiversity target. It will assist the eight meeting of the Conference of the Parties and, in particular, its High-Level Ministerial Segment to be held on 27-28 March 2006 in addressing this crucial issue.

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum Newsletter (http://www.cambridgeconservationforum.org/)

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner

HP's new grant program for U.S.-based NGOs

2006-02-02T10:50:00.000+01:00

Tell your favorite nonprofit: HP's Technology for Community Grant Initiative has been launched!

HP has announced its 2006 U.S. HP Technology for Community Grant Initiative. If you volunteer with or know of a stellar nonprofit organization in your community that would benefit from the integration of HP technology into their operations, be sure to share the news about this HP grant opportunity.

The grant provides technology tools to nonprofit organizations to enhance their effectiveness and to support the innovative use of mobile technology. During 2006 HP will award up to 100 nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico with an HP wireless technology package valued at approximately $17,000.

Applicants must be qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations in the U.S. or Puerto Rico and operate programs in one or more of the following areas: health and human services, workforce development, environment, arts and technology, or community/economic development.

You and your favorite nonprofit can find more information about this grant program, the application process and the application timeline at the HP Technology for Community Grant Initiative website: http://www.hp.com/go/hpcommunity.

And…Applications are still open for the HP Technology for Teaching Grant.

There is still time for K-12 public schools and two- and four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico to submit proposals for a grant through the 2006 U.S. HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative. The application deadline for these mobile technology education grants is Wednesday, February 15, 5 p.m. Pacific time. More information is available at: http://www.hp.com/go/hpteach

Source: SCGIS -- The LISTSERV for the Society for Conservation GIS www.scgis.org

Jorge Brenner

Exclusive & unlimited FREE access to Springer's Oceanography journals

2006-01-31T21:37:00.000+01:00

We are pleased to offer you exclusive & unlimited free access to Springer's extensive online library of journals in Geosciences, including our premiere Oceanography titles, for two full months!

What are you waiting for?
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	Start accessing articles today by simply... Visiting: http://springer.com/freegeo And entering (by cutting & pasting) this SpringerToken: Q74A2Nw2YNc6hbG

Feel free to forward this message to your colleagues & friends so they too can take advantage of this outstanding offer!

Source: springeralerts@springer.delivery.net

Jorge Brenner

Satellite Remote Sensing Training Course for Biological Oceanographers-Cornell University

2006-01-31T11:03:00.000+01:00

A two-week summer training course is being offered to researchers who have either modest or no prior experience with satellite remote sensing techniques. The goal of the course is to teach participants the basic skills needed to work independently to acquire, analyze and visualize data sets derived from a variety of satellite sensors (e.g., SeaWiFS, MODIS, AVHRR, SeaWinds and Topex/Jason). The course will focus a lot of attention on developing IDL (Research Systems Inc.) programming skills. A central feature of the IDL programming effort will involve working with SeaDAS commands from within IDL to batch process large quantities of SeaWiFS and MODIS data to obtain high resolution mapped images of chlorophyll and other ocean-color related products. The course will run from June 2 though June 16 and is open to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and post-graduate professionals.

For much more information about the course, visit www.geo.cornell.edu/ocean/satellite

The application deadline is May 1, 2006.

Bruce Monger

Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences

2136 Snee Hall, Cornell University

Ithaca, New York 14853

email: bcm3@cornell.edu

phone: 607.227.2972

fax: 607.254.4780

Source: ocean-color@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov

Jorge Brenner

European Alien Species Expertise Registry

2006-01-31T11:01:00.000+01:00

Within the actual EU project DAISIE http://www.europe-aliens.org
a European Alien Species Expertise Registry has now
been established. This registry intends to collect the

expertise of experts which may be useful to gather the knowledge on
those species which are actually alien in Europe or may become so. Thus,
unlike its title, we want to gather the expertise of experts from all
over the world, since species alien to Europe come from all over the
world.

The expertise registry contains details for individual experts with
respect to taxonomic expertise, geographic units, and thematic areas
(e.g. distribution, conservation, restoration, ecology, economical
impact, genetics, legislation, administration, management, control,
biocontrol, pathways, transportation, physiology, risk assessment,
taxonomy, systematics).

The expertise registry has only now been set up and grows. We hope to
include already within this year a relevant part of experts and
expertise. This will enable us to analyze this expertise and to draw
conclusions. One of our goals is a paper which may become a political
postulation to ameliorate the expertise in those areas where it is not
sufficient. You see, it may also become important for yourself, in the
long run, to be included into our registry.

Please take the time to register at http://daisie.ckff.si
  the registry should be self explanatory, and
it will take you only 5 minutes. Forward this message to other experts
which may not have been reached by this mail.

Many thanks and best regards
Wolfgang Nentwig

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Nentwig, Zoological Institute, University of Bern
Baltzerstr. 6, CH 3012 Bern (Switzerland, old Europe)
Tel. +0041-31-631-4520 (direct), -4511(secretary), -4888(fax)
http://www.zoology.unibe.ch/nentwig/
http://www.zoology.unibe.ch/ecol/

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Jorge Brenner

International Conference on Biodiversity at the Ecosystem Level - Patterns & Processes

2006-01-31T10:48:00.000+01:00

Biodiversity at the Ecosystem Level - Patterns & Processes
 
In Aarhus, Denmark, April 26-27, 2006
 
The main purpose of the conference is to present an overview of
contemporary research related to ecosystem level biodiversity, and to
help formulate a GBIF strategy for dealing with biodiversity above the
species and molecular levels.
 
We encourage you to explore the scope and content of the conference at:
 
http://www.danbif.dk/conference2006
 
The website also provides practical information, an invitation to
contribute with posters, and it presents the international expert
speakers and a detailed programme which includes the following main
sessions:
- Definitions and relevance of biodiversity at the ecosystem level
- Classification and quantification of ecosystem level biodiversity
- Applications: Ecosystem diversity and ecosystem function
 
We see this conference as an important contribution to the future work
of GBIF, and sincerely hope you will be able to participate and
contribute to the moderated discussions.
 
On behalf of the organising committee[1],
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Prof. Henrik Enghoff, Director, Natural History Museum of Denmark and
DanBIF (henghoff@snm.ku.dk)
Node Manager Isabel Calabuig, DanBIF (icalabuig@snm.ku.dk)
Prof. Henrik Balslev, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of
Aarhus (henrik.balslev@biology.au.dk)
Senior Research Scientist Flemming Skov, National Environmental Research
Institute (fs@DMU.dk)

[1] The conference is organised by DanBIF, the Danish node of GBIF
(Global Biodiversity Information Facility), together with the University
of Aarhus, the Danish National Environmental Research Institute, the
Danish Forest & Nature Agency and the European Environment Agency.

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Jorge Brenner

10 Academic Positions Available at the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences: Professors, Readers, Lecturers and Postdocs

2006-01-27T11:16:00.000+01:00

At the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), we have recently been awarded a multi-million pounds package of funding that will see the appointment of 10 academic and 14 support staff over the coming months. As well as postdocs to accomplished career scientists may be interested in applying!

Website: http://www.sams.ac.uk

Jorge Brenner

BES funds Ecology research in Africa and Eastern Europe

2006-01-25T16:55:00.000+01:00

Background

The British Ecological Society was the first national ecological society and has been an invaluable resource for ecologists in Britain and worldwide since 1913. In anticipation of its centenary, the BES will be supporting ecologists to establish organisations that can promote the science of ecology in their geographic area. The BES will do this through a new initiative called the Building Capacity for Ecology Fund (BCEF), which has the backing of the International Association of Ecology (Intecol). This new initiative will help to create the organisations needed to promote the science of ecology worldwide.

Objective

The Building Capacity for Ecology Fund will assist in the establishment or development of networks of ecologists that will allow ecologists in countries that currently lack a well-developed society or ecology institute to interact and gain from the experience and activities of colleagues. Ultimately, we expect the interactions promoted by the Fund to lead to the creation of new national or regional societies that will affiliate to Intecol.

Rationale

Ecological societies provide the network within which ecologists can interact, exchange ideas and influence each other. Ecological societies are also important in promoting the science and its application with policymakers, natural resource managers and the public. The lack of activities that a society can provide is a major obstacle for the development and practice of ecology in many regions.

Scope

The BES has committed £500,000 over a five-year period to provide resources to build capacity for ecological networks. Support will focus on building effective ecological networks in Eastern Europe and Africa.

List of eligible countries

Projects the Fund will support

In some countries, ecologists have already created an organisation to represent them, but they lack the resources to operate it effectively. In these cases, the BES will consider making grants directly to the Society to pay for office equipment, web activities and other communications and meetings. In some countries, there may be a need for administrative support.

In countries or regions where there is no existing organisation, the most effective use of the funds may be to support meetings to allow ecologists to interact and begin to build the network that will lead to the creation of an organisation.

In both cases, grants will be for a fixed term. Proposals will need to demonstrate how capacity-building activities will lead to a sustainable network of ecologists that can promote the science in their country or region. Other proposals that clearly promote the objective of the BCEF will be considered.

Application form and Deadline

Please read the Guidelines before filling out the Application Form and Budget.

Deadlines

1st Round: 21 April 2006
2nd Round: Will be announced shortly

Contact information

Please contact the Grants Officer with any questions regarding the Building Capacity for Ecology Fund.

Source and Web page: http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/articles/grants/bcef/

Jorge Brenner