IAN facilitated Future Earth Coasts meeting in Cork, Ireland
IAN traveled to University College Cork, in Ireland March 26-28 to help Future Earth Coasts and regional seas organizations create a framework to increase collaboration. The aim is to enhance the transition to sustainable coastal development and resource use. While implementation is having an effect in some areas, progress remains slow. And in other regions, improvements of any kind are elusive. Bill Dennison and Heath Kelsey helped facilitate the meeting to document a collaborative assessment framework developed by Future Earth Coasts called "Our Coastal Futures." Participants represented UNEP, Regional Seas Organizations for the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas and Western Indian Ocean, and Future Earth Coasts.
Healthy Waterways journey
Jamie Currie and Bill Dennison traveled to Brisbane, Australia to conduct in-depth interviews with people intimately associated with the Healthy Waterways journey that began in Southeast Queensland over twenty years ago. Jamie filmed the interviews conducted by Bill Dennison and also traveled around the watershed to obtain video footage. Both a book and short videos are planned for publication at the 2019 Riversymposium in Brisbane. The Marine Botany Group, University of Queensland, held a mini-reunion and Bill was able to attend a board meeting in person for the International Riverfoundation.
AERS 70th anniversary conference
Bill Dennison and Bob Orth participated in the 70th anniversary conference of the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (AERS) in Rehoboth Beach, DE. We presented results from the submerged aquatic vegetation synthesis efforts, with Bill presenting a short ignite-style presentation and Bob presenting a full plenary talk. The CERFtones, a rock band comprised of scientists from the New England Estuarine Research Society, performed after the banquet dinner and Melanie Jackson, a Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science student from Horn Point Laboratory, performed Bill's song "Seagrass Blue Carbon Blues" with the CERFtones.
IAN welcomes new Science Integrator, Jason Howard
Jason joins IAN from Florida International University where he finished his PhD studying why and where seagrass ecosystems could be effective tools for carbon sequestration. Between field campaigns, Jason fueled his interests in public-focused science through a science communication fellowship with Frost Science Museum, organizing a science communication and policy student organization, and even appearing in a Weather Channel documentary on working underwater. Jason also ran the environmental monitoring portion of a large project in the Florida Keys to clean up residential canals, translating data to local governments, residents, and engineers. Outside of work, Jason likes riding bicycles, welding, and traveling.