Workshops
Each year the AMSS hosts a wide variety of workshops and meetings. If you are interested in leading or organizing a session, please email Darcy Dugan at dugan@aoos.org with the information below. The deadline for workshops is now closed.
- Title of proposed session
- Type (public workshop, or invite only meeting)
- Approximate number of people
- Preferred date and time, if preference (note: public workshops will not be scheduled during the plenary session)
- Duration (hours)
- Contact name and email
Be advised that some of the workshops require registration. Please be sure to register through the contact name listed for the workshop by the date requested or prior to the workshop date.
Monday, January 16
Communicating Ocean Sciences (8:00 am-noon, Fore Deck, Discovery Ballroom) COS AGENDA for PARTICIPANTS. PDF
The 2012 Communicating Ocean Science Workshop will provide a special opportunity for ocean scientists, graduate students and outreach specialists to consider how they tell the story of their scientific research in a manner that is compelling and informative. Randy Olson, author of Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style will lead a two-hour session on communicating through story. You will learn the keys to capturing audience attention and creating a compelling story based on the scientific work you do every day. Participants will be invited to present a short story of their work to the audience and Randy will use these examples to bring to light key aspects of powerful communication.
The second section of the workshop will be dedicated to practical applications of effective storytelling to bring your science to broader audiences. These sessions include how to use basic video that you can take yourself to reach the masses; how to create powerful radio pieces; and how to develop virtual field trips as a way to reach thousands of students. Presenters include Molly McCammon and Darcy Dugan (AOOS), Elizabeth Arnold (Journalism Professor @ UAA and Senior Reporter for Encounters with Richard Nelson) and Darin Trobaugh (Alaska SeaLife Center).
Finally, participants will have another opportunity to share their work with each other through short storytelling that will provide a great kick off to networking opportunities at the AMSS.
Registration required (email Robin Dublin)
Coastal Impressions: A Photographic Journey along Alaska’s Gulf Coast (8:00 am-5:00 pm, Adventure Room)
Alaska’s shores are incredibly diverse, as are the processes that shape them and the habitats they support. Come see a gallery of vivid large-format prints and narratives of these extraordinary places, sponsored by the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC). The exhibit will present a small selection of the tens of thousands of photographs collected by the ShoreZone Alaska Partnership during surveys along the Gulf of Alaska coast. From the extensive salt marshes and wave-cut platforms of lower Cook Inlet to recently uncovered bedrock from glacial retreat in southeast Alaska; from quiescent habitats inside Prince William Sound to wave-exposed rocky headlands on Kodiak Island; from coastal lagoons to coastal spits to massive river deltas, the images were chosen to reflect the diverse and dynamic and often rugged and remote margins where land meets the sea. The exhibit will be open during the day at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium at the Hotel Captain Cook. Make time to view at your leisure (coffee and tea provided). The collection will leave you with new impressions of the complexity and beauty of our wild coast.
Contact: Sue Saupe, Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC)
Tuesday, January 17
Arctic Cod - Assessment and Coordination of Research on Genetics, Biogeography and Ecology (noon-1:00 pm, Club Room 2)
At present there are fundamental gaps in our knowledge of population size, stock structure, life-history, and the characteristics of critical habitat for Arctic Cod. A range of ongoing and planned research initiatives are targeting these gaps. This workshop aims to bring together people involved in Arctic Cod research so that we are best able to coordinate our activities, identify complementarities and facilitate collaboration. All parties interested in Arctic Cod are invited to attend. Those with ongoing or planned research are asked to briefly describe their research to provide information regarding the nature of the research and the geographical region of focus. A LCD projector will be provided for those who would like to show a few slides. The output from this workshop will be a summary spreadsheet and map of ongoing and planned Arctic Cod research.
Contact John Nelson. Please email jnelson@uvic.ca if you are interested in attending.
Career Tracks at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (12:30-2:00 pm drop-in, Voyager Room)
Calling all students and interested professionals! This is an informal information session, and participants can come and go as they please. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) will be on site recruiting for current and future openings, and a department recruiter will be providing information about the department’s numerous divisions and current opportunities and answering questions about department careers and internships. ADF&G is a state government agency that is constitutionally mandated to protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of Alaska through the sustained yield principle. ADF&G manages approximately 750 active fisheries, 26 game management units, and 32 special areas. Plus, the department has about 1,700 employees and an annual operating budget of almost $200 million, so there are many opportunities to become part of our team. Session attendees can learn more about ADF&G, pick up an Opportunities Guide, and also sign up for e-mail notifications for new employment opportunities. Alaska is an amazing place to discover a career, and our careers are unlike any other. Come discover Your Career in the Last FrontierTM!
Contact: Candice Bressler, ADFG
Coastal Impressions: A Photographic Journey along Alaska’s Gulf Coast (8:00 am-5:00 pm, Adventure Room)
Alaska’s shores are incredibly diverse, as are the processes that shape them and the habitats they support. Come see a gallery of vivid large-format prints and narratives of these extraordinary places, sponsored by the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC). The exhibit will present a small selection of the tens of thousands of photographs collected by the ShoreZone Alaska Partnership during surveys along the Gulf of Alaska coast. From the extensive salt marshes and wave-cut platforms of lower Cook Inlet to recently uncovered bedrock from glacial retreat in southeast Alaska; from quiescent habitats inside Prince William Sound to wave-exposed rocky headlands on Kodiak Island; from coastal lagoons to coastal spits to massive river deltas, the images were chosen to reflect the diverse and dynamic and often rugged and remote margins where land meets the sea. The exhibit will be open during the day at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium at the Hotel Captain Cook. Make time to view at your leisure (coffee and tea provided). The collection will leave you with new impressions of the complexity and beauty of our wild coast.
Contact: Sue Saupe, Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC)
Mapping Alaska’s Coastal Communities: How to Use CIAP Orthoimagery and Digital Elevation Map Services in Your Desktop GIS or Online Web Map (5:30-7:30 pm, Quadrant Room)
The Coastal Impacts Assistance Program is supporting a number of coastal mapping projects in Alaska. This workshop will first demonstrate, then allow hands-on practice accessing hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of new coastal community high resolution imagery and elevation data. You will learn how to use open standards web services in desktop applications such as ArcMap or QGIS. If you are a web programmer, you will learn how to use cached map tile and REST endpoints to bring this data easily and rapidly into your web maps built with OpenLayers, ESRI ArcGIS Online, Google, Bing, and Yahoo Maps. A laptop is recommended but not required for hands on portion of the workshop. All levels of expertise are welcome.
Presenters: Syliva Kreel with DNR CIAP; Tom Heinrichs, Dayne Broderson, and Will Fisher with UAF’s Geographic Information Network of Alaska and Alaska Statewide Digital Mapping Initiative
Contact: Tom Heinrichs
Wednesday, January 18
Cumulative Effects of Sound (11:45 am-1:00 pm, Endeavor Room)
Most assessments of cumulative effects, including those of underwater sound, rely on narrative summaries rather than quantitative or even systematic qualitative evaluations. An expert committee sponsored by BP through the University of California has developed a method based on (1) acoustic modeling to define an acoustic footprint of multiple sound sources and (2) simulation modeling of the movement of marine mammals through that footprint. Outputs include measures of aggregate sound exposure (both sound exposure level [SEL] and sound pressure level [SPL]) and an estimate of occurrences of aversive behavior. In an additional step, masking, or loss of acoustic habitat, will be assessed. A trial of the method with data from the Alaskan Beaufort Sea in 2008 has been undertaken. The work is a first step toward development of more sophisticated approaches that will improve understanding of the cumulative effects of sound on marine mammals. In this workshop, the method will be presented and workshop participants will be encouraged to contribute ideas for improvements and additional work, such as ways to address oversimplifications in the method, stress responses, and hearing damage from chronic exposure to elevated sound levels.
Contact: Bill Streever, BP/North Slope Science Initiative
Coastal Impressions: A Photographic Journey along Alaska’s Gulf Coast (8:00 am-5:00 pm, Adventure Room)
Alaska’s shores are incredibly diverse, as are the processes that shape them and the habitats they support. Come see a gallery of vivid large-format prints and narratives of these extraordinary places, sponsored by the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC). The exhibit will present a small selection of the tens of thousands of photographs collected by the ShoreZone Alaska Partnership during surveys along the Gulf of Alaska coast. From the extensive salt marshes and wave-cut platforms of lower Cook Inlet to recently uncovered bedrock from glacial retreat in southeast Alaska; from quiescent habitats inside Prince William Sound to wave-exposed rocky headlands on Kodiak Island; from coastal lagoons to coastal spits to massive river deltas, the images were chosen to reflect the diverse and dynamic and often rugged and remote margins where land meets the sea. The exhibit will be open during the day at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium at the Hotel Captain Cook. Make time to view at your leisure (coffee and tea provided). The collection will leave you with new impressions of the complexity and beauty of our wild coast.
Contact: Sue Saupe, Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC)
Introducing the Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR) Project (5:00-6:30 pm, Quadrant Room)
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Alaska Region and the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) established an interagency agreement (IAA) in May 2011 to support the Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR) project (http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/soar/). The overarching goal of the 5-year project is to increase scientific understanding of the inter-relationships among oceanographic conditions, lower trophic benthic and pelagic species (zooplankton and forage fish), seabirds, and marine mammals in the Pacific Arctic region. The project seeks to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration among scientists working in the northern Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas and will support analytical projects leading to synthesis of data from research programs funded by the BOEM, as well as other federal and state agencies and industry. It is anticipated that analytical results from the SOAR will result in a series of peer-reviewed scientific publications that will enhance capability to understand and predict inter-relationships among oceanographic features (e.g. currents, upwelling, sea ice) and responses in the biological system, including variability in the distribution and relative abundance of seabirds, marine mammals and their prey.
Since the initiation of the IAA, an eleven-member Science Steering Committee (SSC) has met via teleconference and at a 3-day workshop to establish DRAFT Science Themes and questions, as a foundation for an invitational Science Workshop to be held in Anchorage 14-16 March 2012. The Town Hall meeting at the AMSS is meant to introduce the SOAR project to any and all interested parties, to provide a forum to address questions regarding the project’s anticipated milestones and timelines, and to suggest opportunities for collaboration with other research and synthesis efforts in the Pacific Arctic region.
Contacts: Sue Moore (NOAA/Fisheries) & Phyllis Stabeno (NOAA/PMEL)
North Pacific Research Board Town Hall Meeting (7:00-8:30 pm, Fore Deck)
The purpose of this open, informational session is to provide the opportunity for attendees to learn more about how NPRB operates. NPRB staff will describe the process by which the organization’s annual Request for Proposals is drafted, how topics within themes are prioritized, and ways in which the greater scientific community can contribute ideas. They will also present an overview of the proposal review process. The session will conclude with time for general questions regarding current and planned NPRB activities.
Contact: Cynthia Suchman, NPRB
Thursday, January 19
Coastal Impressions: A Photographic Journey along Alaska’s Gulf Coast (8:00 am-5:00 pm, Adventure Room)
Alaska’s shores are incredibly diverse, as are the processes that shape them and the habitats they support. Come see a gallery of vivid large-format prints and narratives of these extraordinary places, sponsored by the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC). The exhibit will present a small selection of the tens of thousands of photographs collected by the ShoreZone Alaska Partnership during surveys along the Gulf of Alaska coast. From the extensive salt marshes and wave-cut platforms of lower Cook Inlet to recently uncovered bedrock from glacial retreat in southeast Alaska; from quiescent habitats inside Prince William Sound to wave-exposed rocky headlands on Kodiak Island; from coastal lagoons to coastal spits to massive river deltas, the images were chosen to reflect the diverse and dynamic and often rugged and remote margins where land meets the sea. The exhibit will be open during the day at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium at the Hotel Captain Cook. Make time to view at your leisure (coffee and tea provided). The collection will leave you with new impressions of the complexity and beauty of our wild coast.
Contact: Sue Saupe, Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC)
The Arctic Mixing Zone - Where Science & Policy Come into Solution (7:00-9:30 pm, Fore Deck)
This workshop will provide information and a context on new Arctic policies and collaborative science activities. The policy component will include the Interagency Arctic Permitting Working Group, the National Ocean Policy Strategic Action Plan, the International Arctic Research Policy Committee, and the Northern Waters Task Force. The collaborative science component will cover new collaborative science/data sharing endeavors including the North Pacific Research Board’s Arctic Synthesis/RFP; Shell- North Slope Borough MOA; NOAA-Shell/ConocoPhillips Data Sharing MOA; NOAA-BOEM MOA; and the UAF Arctic Oil Spill Research and Development Center. Attending this workshop will enable participants to understand how these efforts will impact their current and future research.
Contact: Amy Holman, NOAA
Friday, January 20
Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration 101 (8:00 am-noon, Whitby Room)
This workshop aims to give an introduction to Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) which may occur after an oil spill or hazardous substance release. The workshop will cover the three phases of NRDAR: (1.) Preassesment, (2.) Restoration Planning (Injury Assessment), and (3.) Restoration Implementation. The workshop is open to all persons interested in learning more about this process and those considering or interested in participating in potential future responses.
Contact: Erika Ammann, NOAA
Introduction to Metadata Workshop (8:00 am-noon, Adventure Room)
This workshop will provide an introduction to metadata for documenting scientific data. The presentation will define the value of metadata, why federal agencies are required to create it, describe the role of metadata in data management and distribution, briefly explain the origin of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata standard and the Biological Data Profile, give an update on the status of the suite of ISO standards (19115, etc), illustrate ways in which a metadata program can be implemented, and how to search and submit records using the US Geological Survey's Core Science Metadata Clearinghouse (http://mercury.ornl.gov/clearinghouse) as an example. Metavist, a desktop metadata entry tool available for free download online from the USDA Forest Service (http://ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/viewpub.asp?key=2737), will be used to teach participants the elements of the FGDC standard and how to create an FGDC-compliant metadata record.
Registration required: email francis.wiese@nprb.org
Presenter: Viv Hutchison will present the Introduction to Metadata workshop. Viv is with the US Geological Survey's Core Science Analytics and Synthesis (CSAS) program. She is located in Denver, CO, and can be reached at vhutchison@usgs.gov or 303.202.4227.
Aleutian and Bering Sea LCC Listening Session (10:00 am-noon, Quadrant)
The Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands Landscape Conservation Cooperative (ABSI LCC) is the third LCC to be established in Alaska. LCCs are applied conservation partnerships focused on a defined geographic area that inform on-the-ground strategic conservation efforts at landscape scales, with an emphasis on climate change. The ABSI LCC will not duplicate or assume the authority of any of the existing partnerships - rather, it will seek to find efficiencies through collaboration and through the collection of additional science products to address conservation concerns shared by the cooperative’s partners. This "Listening Session" is an opportunity for interested parties to share thoughts and ideas with the Steering Committee about how the LCC can help bring added value to science activities in the Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands region.
Contact: Doug Burn, USFWS
ShoreZone Training (1:00-3:00 pm, Adventure Room)
This workshop will focus on describing the Alaska ShoreZone coastal habitat mapping project and its many uses. The workshop will provide hands-on examples with the ShoreZone web-based and GIS datasets for marine scientists, GIS specialists, coastal managers, and other users. The workshop will also provide a venue for feedback and discussion on needs or ideas for future development of ShoreZone and for new partnership opportunities.
Contact: Cindy Hartman-Moore, NOAA
Registration is preferred to participate in this free workshop. Send an email to maeva@coastalandoceans.com by January 11, 2012 and include your name, title, organization, email, daytime phone number.
Yup’ik Environmental Knowledge: the natural and cultural history of the Bering Sea Coast (1:30-5:30 pm, Club Room 2)
The Yup’ik Environmental Knowledge Project is a major effort in indigenous observation and knowledge documentation initiated by Bering Sea coastal communities in collaboration with the Calista Elders Council. The workshop will introduce conference participants to the project, including an opportunity to meet some of the elders and community members involved. A major project goal is to integrate Yup’ik environmental knowledge with scientific observations to produce a holistic documentation of the unique natural history and cultural geography of the Bering Sea coast. If you have an interest in Yup’ik views of the Bering Sea coastal environment, we welcome your input and participation.
Contact: Ann Fienup-Riordan
