Sunday Plenary Schedule

ERF 2005 Conference Keytnote Speaker

Graham Harris
Chair
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Flagship Programs
CSIRO Corporate Centre, Australia

Dr. Graham Harris is an eminent ecologist, freshwater and marine biologist. Dr. Harris has an international reputation for work in aquatic and terrestrial ecology, freshwater biology, pollution monitoring, biological oceanography, and remote sensing, publishing more than 100 papers and four books. He has also done leading work in fisheries dynamics and the effects of climate variability. Dr. Harris was previously Chief of CSIRO’s Division of Land and Water, and Head of CSIRO’s Environmental Projects Office.

Dr. Harris was leader of CSIRO’s Port Phillip Bay Environmental Study, which has since prompted similar in-depth studies in Sydney and Adelaide. He was also the leader of CSIRO’s Coastal Zone Program and involved in CSIRO’s Blue-Green Algal Research Program, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Adelaide. Dr. Harris was born in the UK and graduated from Imperial College, London, in Botany. He joined CSIRO after a distinguished career as a biology professor in Canada.

Abstract: Estuaries and coastal waters are vital to the sustainability of a planet. Coastal and estuarine ecosystems exhibit high biodiversity and provide coastal protection, renewable resources, waste assimilation and aesthetic values amongst other things. These “ecosystem services” as they are called have been valued at over US$22,000 per hectare. While estuaries, reefs, marshes and mangrove swamps are frequently degraded by population growth, over-fishing, agricultural and urban runoff, aquaculture and urban development and the introduction of various exotic and ‘feral” species from other parts of the world, they continue to provide the most valuable ecosystem services known. In a densely populated world, many people live in low lying coastal areas; indeed, most of the world’s major cities are at, or near, sea level. As has been demonstrated recently in both Asia and the USA, intact coastal habitats and ecosystems provide increased protection from natural disasters such as tsunamis and hurricanes. Coastal protection is therefore important for the developed as well as developing nations. Around the world, coastal and artisanal fisheries are vital sources of protein for developing nations. Over 30 million people are employed in coastal fisheries in Africa and Asia alone. Sustainable management of estuaries and coastal waters is vital for both people and the planet. Scientists and the managers of estuaries and coastal waters are required to understand and balance multiple uses and values. As environmental pressures on estuaries and coastal waters grow there is an increasing need for “systems thinking” – an approach which encompasses multiple values and capitals (natural, financial, physical infrastructure, social, human, knowledge) both on land and in the water. Because estuaries sit at the interface of the ocean and the land there is a need for the management of both the estuaries and the watersheds which drain into them. When standing on the beach looking at a degraded estuary, you often have your back to the source of the problem. In a world of changing climates and degraded environments all enterprises making capital investments (of whatever kind) face increased risks. The science which deals with such “wickedly” complex problems is called complex systems science (CSS) because of the complexities of the interactions and capital values involved. CSS is a conceptual revolution which places emphasis on understanding and managing uncertainty, change over time and resilience in the face of extreme events. Climate change is a real and important threat.

Clearly much of our present management of coastal ecosystems is unsustainable and lacks resilience in the face of events such as pollution, resource extraction and development, and natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis. Social and economic resilience has been shown to be wanting also. We know less then we think and there is greater uncertainty than we usually admit. Surprises will continue to occur. Estuaries are constantly changing in response to many drivers. They are good examples of ecosystems which can show surprising and hysteretic properties – once changed they may move into a new, more degraded state, from which they cannot easily recover. Understanding and managing the resilience and dynamics of such systems requires a focus on non-linear, non-equilibrium systems which may have complex, fractal and emergent properties. This is a very different approach from the usual equilibrium view. Given the need for “systems thinking” under uncertainty, a CSS approach reveals that many of the present scientific approaches and institutional arrangements are poorly adapted to the real world. We lack adequate monitoring data, predictive models are flawed and institutional responses are insufficiently flexible to respond when change occurs. A more adaptive approach based on improved knowledge is required along with greater community consultation. New technologies and data sources will assist in these aims but there is, nonetheless, a major challenge in conceptual thinking and capacity building to be tackled. In a densely populated world where there is great pressure on ecosystems and resources, greater resilience in the face of a variety of pressures is the best we can hope for. A practical and conceptual revolution is slowly occurring – change is afoot and we are moving in the right direction – but there is a need for urgency.

ERF 2005 Conference Plenary Speaker

John W. Day, Jr.
Dept. of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
Louisiana State University

The Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Coastal Ecosystems and Science in the North Central Gulf of Mexico

On August 29, Hurricane Katrina came ashore in southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi with winds in excess of 250 km/hr and tidal surges ranging from 5-9 m. There was massive flooding and in the New Orleans region and along the Mississippi coast. Katrina strengthened as it passed over abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico. The volume of flood waters pumped from New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain represented about 20% of the volume of the lake. Initial analysis of lake waters indicates minimal impact. Near the city, there were slightly elevated fecal coliform levels and slightly lowered DO levels. Most samples of priority pollutants were below detection levels and none exceeded water quality standards. No algal blooms were detected by the end of September. There were large oil spills along the lower river below New Orleans but no data is yet available on their impact. The storm resulted in high rates of wetland loss in certain areas. Initial analysis of imagery suggests that wetlands affected by river diversions may have fared better. There was massive loss in the Chandeleur barrier islands. The storm affected the coastal science community in the region. There was a large displacement of students and faculty from universities in New Orleans and several marine laboratories suffered moderate to high damage.

Estuarine Research Federation 2005 Scientific Award Recipients

Odum Award for Lifetime Achievement

John Hobbie
Co-Director and Senior Scientist
The Ecosystems Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory
Woods Hole, MA

John Hobbie is an aquatic ecologist. In his research, he has attempted to identify the factors controlling decomposition and productivity within aquatic ecosystems. He is primarily interested in the role natural assemblages of microbes play in ecosystems.

John’s other research interests include seeking understanding of what controls bacterial numbers, learning how much land-derived organic matter is used in Arctic lakes and in the coastal zone, and developing an understanding of the controls of nutrient fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems to rivers, lakes and coastal oceans.

The criteria for the Federation’s Odum Award call for the recipient to have a sustained record of important contributions to our understanding of estuaries. John Hobbie has been sustaining an impressive array of research and outreach activities for over 40 years and shows no signs of slackening of his pace.

Hobbie has published over 140 research articles and has edited several books. His 1975 paper with Ralph Daley, “Direct Counts of Aquatic Bacteria by a Modified Epifluorescene Technique,” won a “Citation Classic” award and has been among the most cited papers in environmental science. He is noted as an author whose writings cover a wide range of topics ranging from arctic limnology to coastal ocean biogeochemistry and microbial activity in oceans, lakes and soils.

One of the nominations letters recommending John Hobbie for the Odum award included the following; “he is a true systems thinker and interdisciplinarian in the same sense as the Odums.” This aspect of John’s work is certainly reflected in many of his papers and clearly the focus of a recent book on synthesis in estuarine science.

Finally, John has made huge contributions to the process of estuarine research via his many-decades of active support, leadership and encouragement for NSF programs such as LMER and LTERs focusing on estuarine ecosystems. He has served in numerous leadership and executive posts for several research agencies and scientific societies. The Odum award is the latest recognition of John Hobbie’s research excellence, and joins an impressive array of other such recognitions. Earlier this year, the Marine Biological Laboratory named him a Distinguished Scientist for his achievements.

Donald W. Pritchard Award for Estuaries’ Geophysics Paper

Parker MacCready
Physical Oceanography Department
University of Washington, Seattle

The Donald W. Pritchard Award recognizes the author or authors of a paper judged to make the most meritorious contribution to the field of estuarine physics that is published in Estuaries in the 24-month period ending December of the year preceding the award. The 2005 Donald W. Pritchard Award will be presented to Parker MacCready for his 2004 paper, “Toward a Unified Theory of Tidally-Averaged Estuarine Salinity Structure”, which was published in Estuaries, 27, 561-570.

Professor MacCready is a faculty member in the Physical Oceanography Department at the University of Washington. He is an unusually gifted scientist with a broad range of interests. He specializes in the theoretical interpretation of coastal and estuarine flow with particular emphasis on stratified flow over bottom topography combining theory, modeling, observations and laboratory experiments. Early in his career he won acclaim for his use of flapping-wing propulsion for a human–powered hydrofoil boat.

The paper for which he receives the Pritchard award describes a novel theory of how rapidly and how much the circulation and stratification in an estuary would change following a change in river flow or tidal mixing. He has reconsidered the classical, tidally averaged steady theories and used his own earlier work to significantly improve what we know about estuarine circulation.

William A. Niering Award for Outstanding Educator

Ivan Valiela
Professor
Boston University Marine Program and The Marine Biological Laboratory
Woods Hole, MA

Since obtaining his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1968, Ivan has advised more
than 50 M.A. and Ph.D. students and produced over 200 publications, a number of them are seminal papers in the estuarine field.

In their letters of support for his nomination for the William A. Niering Award, colleagues and former students wrote about the many ways that Ivan contributed to their education and growth as estuarine scientists. From informal meetings to help students think critically about their research, to two textbooks one on estuarine ecology and one on doing science that are used by students and faculty internationally, Ivan educates students in ways that are meaningful and inspirational.

The awards committee found it was remarkable to read the many testimonials from students whose careers in science were influenced by Ivan’s mentoring and motivation. Ivan has not created a world of scientists in his own professional image, but instead he has encouraged his students to grow in very diverse directions. The awards committee noted: “Ivan has always been about the real world. He lives by example for his students to share with him. An estuarine- and life-educator who has given freely and fully of himself; he is truly deserving of the William A. Niering Outstanding Educator Award.”

Cronin Award for Early Career Achievement

Peter Raymond
Assistant Professor
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
New Haven, CT

Dr. Peter Raymond is the 2005 recipient of the Cronin Award. Pete completed his PhD degree at the School of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, under the tutelage of Dr. Jim Bauer in 1999. His dissertation research was on Carbon Cycling in the York River Estuary: An Isotopic and Mass Balance Approach Using Natural 14C and 13C Isotopes.

After completing postdoctoral fellowships at the Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Labs in 2001, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 2002, Pete moved on to a tenure track assistant professorship at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where he uses stable and radioactive carbon isotopes to study the fluxes, turnover, and reactivity of carbon in riverine, estuarine, and coastal ecosystems.

Thus far, Pete has authored or co-authored 16 papers, two published in Science and one in Nature and three in Estuaries. One colleague’s letter of support noted that Pete is the lone “water person” amongst many foresters and terrestrial ecologists at Yale, and continued saying “he has had an enormous impact here in opening many eyes to the significance of estuaries as ecosystems of critical importance.” Other recommenders’ letters describe the large impact Pete’s research has had on the ecological community, his creativity, networking skills, and educational contributions at Yale.

We are pleased to recognize and honor the breadth and interdisciplinary nature of Pete Raymond’s research interests, the quality of his publications, his teaching accomplishments and the impact he has had on the field of coastal ecology with the Cronin Award.

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