Date

Second Announcement and Final Call for Posters
Marine Habitat Mapping Technology Workshop for Alaska
2-4 April 2007
Anchorage, Alaska

Poster Abstract Submission Deadline: Friday, 16 February 2007
Early Registration Available Online Until Friday, 23 March 2007

For further information, please go to:
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/conferences/2007/benthic/index.html

or contact:
Jennifer Reynolds
Phone: 907-474-5871
E-mail: jreynolds [at] guru.uaf.edu

or contact:
Sherri Pristash
Phone: 907-474-6701
E-mail: fnsap [at] uaf.edu


The Marine Habitat Mapping Technology Workshop for Alaska will be held
on 2-4 April 2007, at the Sheraton Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. Sponsored
by the North Pacific Research Board, the workshop will feature
presentations from 24 invited speakers, poster sessions, and a half-day
technical writing session.

Workshop Overview
Many marine species depend on the seafloor environment. Rather than
mapping the distribution of the species themselves, benthic habitat
mapping characterizes wide regions of the seafloor and combines this
with much smaller visual and sampling surveys that match species with
habitat characteristics. Because this approach is much more efficient
than traditional methods, it can be applied over large areas relevant to
ecosystems or species populations, contributing to rational management
of ocean resources.

This workshop will address the topic of marine habitat mapping
technologies, emphasizing (a) available tools and techniques, including
potential applications and costs; (b) methodologies for classifying
seafloor habitats; (c) a synthesis approach, to aid those who are not
experts in the field; (d) a focus on needs, specifically in the three
large marine ecosystems around Alaska - Gulf of Alaska, Bering
Sea/Aleutian Islands, and the Arctic; and (e) a workshop format that
includes and educates a wide range of interested groups such as local
community leaders, commercial fishing organizations, and
non-governmental organizations. The workshop format is intended to serve
both the wider community that has a stake in the management of marine
resources and the managers/researchers who need specific technical
knowledge about marine habitat mapping.

Abstracts are being accepted for the workshop poster sessions until
Friday, 16 February 2007. Posters may address any topic related to
habitat mapping and its use for marine resources management. Presenters
are encouraged to visit the workshop website for more information and
instructions on submitting an abstract.

For further information, or to register for the workshop, access the
preliminary agenda, and submit a poster abstract, please go to:
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/conferences/2007/benthic/index.html