EcoCheck bids farewell to Kate Boicourt
IAN and EcoCheck would like to wish Kate Boicourt the best of luck in her graduate studies at Yale University, and thank her for all her hard work over the past year.P/ICES New Frontiers in Marine Science Conference
To encourage greater involvement of young scientists in international scientific investigations and to foster their involvement in the management of the marine environment, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) co-sponsored a conference for 107 Early Career Scientists from 19 countries in Baltimore, MD, 26-29 June, 2007. The local host was Elizabeth North from the Horn Point Laboratory and UMCES provided additional support. Jane Hawkey from IAN designed the logo and program, and organized logistics for the conference. Bill Dennison and Tim Carruthers from IAN conducted science communication and integrated assessment workshops.
Communicating Science Effectively handbook reviewed
'Communicating Science Effectively: A Practical Handbook for Integrating Visual Elements' was published in August 2006. Based on the content of our Science Communication Course, it includes an introduction to the principles of science communication - what effective science communication is, why it is important, and how to do it. A recent review in Bulletin of Marine Science 80(2), 441-442 (March 2007) describes the handbook as a "...much needed and recommended addition to the library of any science student or professional, government agency or educational institution". The reviewer states that the authors have "...done a first-rate job explaining how good science communication requires attention to both the science and the presentation", and was "...delighted to see the many steps the authors took ... to make their case ... that good communication can actually make you a better scientist".
Dissolved oxygen forecast update
The dissolved oxygen forecast released last month has now been updated to include a prediction of mainstem hypoxic volume, a prediction of Potomac River summer anoxic volume, and a more confident prediction of mainstem summer anoxic volume. The hypoxic volume forecast was produced by Dr. Don Scavia of the University of Michigan. He predicts that the average volume of hypoxic water in the Bay during July will be 9.6 km3 (with a 67% probability that hypoxic volume will be between 7.0 and 11.5 km3), making this the sixth worst year since 1985. The updated anoxic forecast produced by David Jasinski, predicts that the summer anoxic volume will be 1.29+/-0.51 km3, slightly smaller than the prediction of 1.39+/-0.52 km3 made in early June. More information on the forecasts can be accessed on the EcoCheck website.
New IAN Personnel
On June 4, IAN welcomed Emily Nauman as a Science Communication Intern. During her summer-long internship, Emily will be working on several projects including fact sheets about seagrass and the layout for Nelson Marshall's newest book, Instant Oceanography. Emily recently graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Technical and Scientific Communication with an emphasis in environmental science. Even though she was born and raised on a small farm outside of Dayton, Ohio, Emily has always dreamed of a job where she could learn and write about marine science issues and feels very lucky to have this opportunity. When not working, you can usually find Emily outside. She loves playing soccer, going horseback riding, and going to the beach.