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Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI)
announces the
Gulf of Maine Forum
Protecting Our Coastal and Offshore Water
Date: November 1, 2002 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Blue Hill Town Hall, Main Street, Blue Hill, Maine
Reception at MERI: 5:00 - 7:00 PM, 55 Main Street, Blue Hill
Sponsors
Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI)
Global Program of Action Coalition (GPAC) for the Gulf of Maine
US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Maine Coastal Program (MCP)
Forum Co-Chairs
Susan D. Shaw, Dr. P.H., Director, MERI
Pam Person, US Chair, GPAC
Keynote Address: Jack Pearce, North American Editor, Marine Pollution
Bulletin
Application deadline: October 18, 2002
Purpose
The purpose of the Forum is to bring together organizations, state and
federal agencies, scientists, resource managers, policymakers, and
experts from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to examine the
health of the US Gulf environment, identify priority issues and
monitoring needs, and reach some consensus about where efforts must be
focused in the decade ahead.
The Forum's focus is a result of the growing concern about impacts of
land-based activities on the marine environment. It is estimated that
80% of the threats to the marine environment come from land-based
activities such as: excessive nutrients from incomplete sewage
treatment, septic tanks or over-fertilization; sedimentation from
construction, forestry, or agricultural practices or dams; faulty
disposal of persistent toxic wastes down drains or into waters or land;
tiny and large oil spills; plastic litter; and air pollution from cars
and power plants. This multi-sector, day-long Forum will provide an
opportunity for participants to exchange knowledge and hear
distinguished speakers address the three panel questions below. Speaker
topics will include Status of Fish Stocks and Fisheries, Coastal and
Benthic Habitats, Impacts of Aquaculture, Marine Mammals as Indicator
Species, and The Need for Marine Protected Areas in the Gulf of Maine.
Keynote Address: Dr. Jack Pearce: "The Only Way Forward: Management
of the Coastal Zone"
Panel I: What is known (and not known) about the health of the Gulf
of Maine environment?
Panel II: What are the priority issues threatening the environmental
and resource sustainability of the US Gulf of Maine environment?
Panel III: Which ecological indicators will be most useful in
monitoring future changes in ecosystem health?
During three Roundtable Working Sessions, speakers and participants will
assess the following matrix ecological indicators to generate discussion
and consensus on the overall health of the Gulf of Maine:
* Water quality (bacteria, nutrients, sediments)
* Presence of toxic contaminants (evidence of toxic point and
non-point source pollution)
* Critical habitats or natural areas (benthic, seagrass, nesting,
foraging, Marine Protected Areas)
* Changes in species (populations, diversity, dominance, invaders)
* Changes in integrity and use of resources (changes in harvested
species, shift in resources)
The results from the Working Sessions will be compiled and published by
the Forum Convenors as the Gulf of Maine Forum Proceedings and Summary
Report. The report will be made available to regional and national
scientific and regulatory bodies, resource managers, policy makers, and
organizations responsible for managing marine resources in the Gulf of
Maine.
Objectives
The Forum's major objectives are:
(1) To assess current knowledge about the health of the Gulf of Maine
environment as well as uncertainties and data gaps that could be filled
by future research activities
(2) To review evidence of human-caused changes that have altered
important features of the Gulf of Maine environment and identify areas
of priority concern (risks to plant or animal species, a community of
organisms, or an ecosystem)
(3) To identify ecological indicators that will be useful in measuring
future changes in the health of the Gulf of Maine environment
(4) To facilitate an exchange of knowledge between individuals and
groups working in the Gulf of Maine
(5) To develop the first drafts of a Gulf of Maine Forum Summary
Report containing Consensus Decisions and Recommendations from the
Working Sessions
The Forum should be of interest to individuals and groups working on:
§ Sources, levels and trends, pathways and effects of toxic
contaminants in the marine ecosystem
§ Water quality, nutrient loading, and phytoplankton monitoring
§ Fish stocks and the status of fisheries
§ Coastal and benthic habitats
§ Marine Protected Areas
§ Marine mammals and seabirds in the Gulf of Maine
Outcome: Gulf of Maine Summit 2004
The Consensus Decisions of the Gulf of Maine Forum, along with the Bay
of Fundy Coastal Forum and 16 regional watershed forums will lead to a
"State of the Gulf Summit" in 2004, providing the first region-wide
assessment of the state of the Gulf of Maine in 12 years.
Registration (limited to 100).
Registration Fee: Includes coffee breaks and breakfast pastries,
lunch, and wine and cheese reception.
Registration Without Forum Proceedings $35.00
Registration With Forum Proceedings $50.00
Forum Proceedings (additional copies) $15.00
For a Registration Form, visit www.meriresearch.org/GulfofMaineForum
<http://www.meriresearch.org/GulfofMaineForum> or contact Jennifer
Traub at MERI, PO Box 1652, Blue Hill, ME 04614 Tel: (207) 374-2135
Email: meri@downeast.net <mailto:meri@downeast.net>.
For Updated Forum Agenda and Information, visit:
www.meriresearch.org/GulfofMaineForum
<http://www.meriresearch.org/GulfofMaineForum>
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Marine Environmental
Research Institute (MERI)
announces the
Gulf of
Maine Forum
Protecting Our Coastal and Offshore
Water
Date: November
1, 2002 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Blue
Hill Town Hall, Main Street, Blue Hill, Maine
Reception at MERI: 5:00 – 7:00 PM, 55 Main
Street, Blue Hill
Sponsors
Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI)
Global Program of Action Coalition (GPAC) for the Gulf of
Maine
US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Maine Coastal Program (MCP)
Forum Co-Chairs
Susan D. Shaw, Dr. P.H., Director, MERI
Pam Person, US Chair, GPAC
Keynote Address: Jack
Pearce, North American Editor, Marine Pollution Bulletin
Application deadline: October
18, 2002
Purpose
The purpose of the Forum is to bring together organizations,
state and federal agencies, scientists, resource managers, policymakers,
and experts from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to examine the
health of the US Gulf environment, identify priority issues and monitoring
needs, and reach some consensus about where efforts must be focused in the
decade ahead.
The Forum’s focus is a
result of the growing concern about impacts of land-based activities on
the marine environment. It is estimated that 80%
of the threats to the marine environment come from land-based activities
such as: excessive nutrients from incomplete sewage treatment, septic tanks
or over-fertilization; sedimentation from construction, forestry, or agricultural
practices or dams; faulty disposal of persistent toxic wastes down drains
or into waters or land; tiny and large oil spills; plastic litter; and air
pollution from cars and power plants. This multi-sector,
day-long Forum will provide an opportunity for participants to exchange
knowledge and hear distinguished speakers address the three panel questions
below. Speaker topics will include Status of Fish
Stocks and Fisheries, Coastal and Benthic Habitats, Impacts of Aquaculture,
Marine Mammals as Indicator Species, and The Need for Marine Protected Areas
in the Gulf of Maine.
Keynote Address: Dr. Jack
Pearce: “The Only Way Forward: Management
of the Coastal Zone”
Panel I: What
is known (and not known) about the health of the Gulf of Maine environment?
Panel
II: What are the priority
issues threatening the environmental and resource sustainability of the
US Gulf of Maine environment?
Panel III: Which ecological
indicators will be most useful in monitoring future changes in ecosystem
health?
During three Roundtable Working Sessions,
speakers and participants will assess the following matrix ecological indicators
to generate discussion and consensus on the overall health of the Gulf of
Maine:
The results from the Working Sessions will
be compiled and published by the Forum Convenors as the Gulf of Maine
Forum Proceedings and Summary Report. The report
will be made available to regional and national scientific and regulatory
bodies, resource managers, policy makers, and organizations responsible
for managing marine resources in the Gulf of Maine.
Objectives
The Forum’s major objectives are:
(1) To
assess current knowledge about the health of the Gulf of Maine environment
as well as uncertainties and data gaps that could be filled by future research
activities
(2) To
review evidence of human-caused changes that have altered important features
of the Gulf of Maine environment and identify areas of priority concern
(risks to plant or animal species, a community of organisms, or an ecosystem)
(3) To
identify ecological indicators that will be useful in measuring future changes
in the health of the Gulf of Maine environment
(4) To
facilitate an exchange of knowledge between individuals and groups working
in the Gulf of Maine
(5) To
develop the first drafts of a Gulf of Maine Forum Summary Report
containing Consensus Decisions and Recommendations from the Working Sessions
The Forum should be of
interest to individuals and groups working on:
§ Sources, levels and trends, pathways and
effects of toxic contaminants in the marine ecosystem
§ Water quality, nutrient loading, and phytoplankton
monitoring
§ Fish stocks and the status of fisheries
§ Coastal and benthic habitats
§ Marine Protected Areas
§ Marine mammals and seabirds in the Gulf
of Maine
Outcome: Gulf of Maine Summit 2004
The Consensus Decisions of the Gulf of Maine Forum, along with the Bay
of Fundy Coastal Forum and 16 regional watershed forums will lead to a “State
of the Gulf Summit” in 2004, providing
the first region-wide assessment
of the state of the Gulf of Maine in 12 years.
Registration (limited to 100).
Registration
With Forum Proceedings $50.00
Forum Proceedings (additional copies)
$15.00
For Updated Forum Agenda and Information, visit: www.meriresearch.org/GulfofMaineForum
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