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NHEERL on the Road
Costa do Sauípe, Brazil
AED Scientist Participates in Fourth International Nitrogen Conference
Edward Dettmann of NHEERL's Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) participated in the Fourth International Nitrogen Conference in Costa do Sauípe, Bahia, Brazil, October 1-5, 2007, sponsored by the International Nitrogen Initiative and the University of Sáo Paulo, Brazil. This triennial conference brought together nitrogen researchers and experts from around the world to develop strategies to foster world agricultural production, while avoiding the negative effects of excess nitrogen input to ecosystems. The conference presented an opportunity to communicate and learn about research findings concerning nitrogen impacts and control strategies with scientists from a broad range of disciplines. Dr. Dettmann made a presentation entitled "Management Implications of Nitrogen-Chlorophyll Relationships for Ten Estuaries on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coasts."
AED Ecologist To Co-Chair Workshop at Gulf of Maine Symposium
Stephen Hale, an NHEERL Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) Monitoring and Assessment Branch ecologist, will attend the international Gulf of Maine Symposium: Advancing Ecosystem Research for the Future of the Gulf, to be held in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, October 4-8, 2009. This symposium is about advancing ecosystem research for the future of the Gulf of Maine. Dr. Hale is AED's representative on the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine Board, which is sponsoring the symposium, and he is also on the Scientific Steering Committee for the symposium.
Dr. Hale, along with Maxine Westhead of Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, will lead a technical workshop on ecosystem services. The goal of the workshop, "Ecosystem Services in the Gulf of Maine," is to move toward identifying, mapping, quantifying, and valuating marine ecosystem services in the Gulf of Maine, including estuaries and coastal wetlands. The workshop will gather ecologists and economists from across Canada and the United States to share methods, techniques, and experiences. The workshop will report on and identify further research needed to transform the way we account for the type, quality, and magnitude of nature's goods and services so they can be considered in management decisions; discuss the needs for data, methods, and models to better understand and communicate the benefits of considering ecosystem services; and gauge interest in forming a partnership to conduct further work.
In a separate session, Dr. Hale will present a paper on "Biogeographical patterns of nearshore benthic invertebrates in the Gulf of Maine."