Hurricane Isabel in Perspective Conference Proceedings
In October, the Hurricane Isabel in Perspective: Proceedings of a Conference volume was released, documenting the proceedings of a conference convened 15-17 November, 2004. The Hurricane Isabel in Perspective conference was organized as a venue for the lessons learned from Hurricane Isabel, which visited the Chesapeake Bay region in September 2003. Planners, scientists, emergency responders, and academics alike agreed that the numerous lessons learned from Hurricane Isabel will greatly assist our society’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the next major storm event. The presentation of these lessons forms the contents of this proceedings volume.
Workshop at Louisiana State University to synthesize issues of protection and restoration of coastal Louisiana.
The discussions are building on the wealth of previous studies in the region and the aim is to help facilitate production of science communication products. This project was intended to start with a workshop at Horn Point – which was cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina, rescheduled to take place in Louisiana, and again cancelled due to Hurricane Rita. So finally, Bill Dennison and Tim Carruthers traveled to Baton Rouge for two days of workshops with scientists and resource managers, followed by a day of meetings working on a science newsletter to be entitled ‘Reducing Flood Damage in Coastal Louisiana: Communities, Cultures, and Commerce’. Jane Thomas assisted online from Horn Point by creating graphics and draft newsletter formats. Alaina Owens from LSU is subsequently visiting IAN staff for a week to work on the newsletter, which will be the first in a series for issues in coastal Louisiana. Visit the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration (CLEAR) website for further information.
Coastal Louisiana Restoration
The Integration and Application Network has been active in contributing to the issue of coastal Louisiana restoration. Dr. Don Boesch led a Working Group for Post-Hurricane Planning for the Louisiana Coast. The working group has produced this report entitled "A New Framework for Planning the Future of Coastal Louisiana after the Hurricanes of 2005". Also available is the recent newsletter on "Reducing flood damage in coastal Louisiana: Communities, cultures & commerce", which reports on a workshop facilitated by Drs. Bill Dennison and Tim Carruthers.
Second workshop at Louisiana State University to synthesize issues of regional landscape integrity in coastal Louisiana
Continuing this project, Bill Dennison and Tim Carruthers traveled to Baton Rouge for two days of workshops with scientists and resource managers to assist in drafting a science newsletter entitled ‘Enhancing landscape integrity in coastal Louisiana: water, sediment, and ecosystems’. Jane Thomas assisted with graphics from Horn Point. This particular newsletter aims to clarify the differences between the Chenier and Deltaic Plains of coastal Louisiana, which were formed by different geologic processes as a result of the Mississippi River changing courses over the past several millennia. Their different underlying structure results in different dominant processes and therefore different threats and management priorities in the two regions. Alaina Owens from LSU will be attending the IAN ‘Science Communication Course’ for a week which will provide the opportunity to complete the newsletter, the second in a series for issues in coastal Louisiana. Visit the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration (CLEAR) website for further information.
Coastal Louisiana Newsletter
Enhancing Landscape Integrity in Coastal Louisiana: Water, Sediment & Ecosystems. This newsletter is based on the findings of the Conceptual Ecological Model Focus Group—March 2006 and provides a number of key conclusions and recommendations. The natural & human landscapes of coastal Louisiana are characterized by complex relationships among water, sediment & ecosystems. The sustainability of these landscapes is dependent upon critical processes that support the integrity of ecosystem features. This newsletter complements the previous IAN newsletter published in January 2006 entitled, Reducing flood damage in coastal Louisiana: Communities, culture and commerce.
Restore vs. Retreat: Securing ecosystem services provided by coastal Louisiana
This newsletter is the third in a series resulting from collaborative workshops between CLEAR (Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration) and IAN staff. The first science newsletter "Reducing Flood Damage in Coastal Louisiana: Communities, Cultures, & Commerce", following closely after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, summarizes processes of land protection in a historical context. The second newsletter, "Enhancing Landscape Integrity in Coastal Louisiana: Water, Sediment & Ecosystems", synthesizes the differences between the Deltaic and Chenier Plains with regard to sediment delivery and hydrology. The current newsletter considers restoration options in the context of the valuable national ecosystem services supplied by Coastal Louisiana.
Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration (CLEAR) - New Website
Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration (CLEAR) is based at the Louisiana State University's School of the Coast & Environment and is a collaborative effort among state, federal, and university scientists and engineers. CLEAR provides scientific evaluation for restoration management. IAN staff have collaborated on various CLEAR science communication products, including a series of newsletters. Most recently, IAN staff have contributed to the development of their new website, which highlights their modular approach to restoration and provides a searchable database of their extensive publication list.