Water Quality - Tuesday and Wednesday, November 28 & 29, 2006
     
      Session Chairs
            Dr. Hugh MacIntyre, Dauphin Island Sea Lab
            Mr. James McIndoe, Alabama Department of Environmental Management
            Ms. Jennifer Buchanan, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
            Ms. Barbara Viskup, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
  
Human activity is often responsible for changing the physical and chemical nature of our coastal waters through discharge and runoff of pollutants, excess nutrients, pathogens, and hydrologic modifications such as accelerated erosion or flow alterations. Changes in water quality also alters biological dynamics and influences the abundance of micro-organisms and larger plant and animal communities. This session will be devoted to examining all aspects of coastal water quality (chemical, physical or biological). Characterization and status of our coastal waters, human-induced or natural changes, monitoring, impacts on plant and animal communities, including algae, bacteria, and other micro-organisms, coastal hydrology and other related topics will be discussed.

Living Resources - Tuesday, November 28, 2006

      Session Chairs
      Dr. Rick Wallace, Auburn University Marine Extension and Research
      Ms. Harriet Perry, USM Gulf Coast Research Lab
      Mr. Steve Heath, Alabama Marine Resources Division
      Ms. Traci Floyd, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

The living resources of Alabama and Mississippi’s coastal waters, bays and bayous are abundant and diverse. This session will review and summarize our knowledge of living resources while highlighting recent research that contributes to our overall understanding of abundance, diversity, and ecology. Topics may include: population status, trends and dynamics, threatened and endangered species, non-native species, commercial and recreational fish and shellfish issues, diseases and pathology, manmade and natural impacts and interactions on living resource populations and other related subjects.

Habitat Management - Wednesday, November 29, 2006

      Session Chairs
      Dr. LaDon Swann, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium
      Ms. Leslie Craig, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
      Dr. Judy Stout, Mobile County Board of Education
      Ms. Nicole Vickey, The Nature Conservancy

The anthropogenic and natural events on estuarine ecosystems have led to a decline in total acreage of coastal and estuarine habitats. Estuarine ecosystems physically protect coastlines, provide essential habitat, and filter nutrients and other pollutants that degrade water quality and adversely affect overall ecosystem health. This session will highlight important and innovative research, conservation, education and outreach programs leading to better stewardship of these critical resources. Topics to be considered may include: restoration strategies or research, habitat creation or design, status and trends of wetlands, coastal beaches and dunes, submerged aquatic vegetation, migratory and colonial bird habitat and others. Human-induced and natural impacts on coastal habitats and other related topics will also be considered.

Natural Hazards & Coastal Development - Weds. Nov. 29, 2006

       Session Chairs
       Ms. Tina Shumate, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
       Ms. Tina Sanchez, South Alabama Regional Planning Commission
       Dr. Becky Allee, NOAA Coastal Service Center

The northern Gulf Coast has experienced tremendous growth in both population and development, stimulated by legalized gaming in Mississippi and condominium development in Alabama. The ever increasing population and related development/infrastructure requirements place additional pressures on the coastal ecosystem. This session will review these pressures, in conjunction with coastal related natural hazards such as hurricanes, erosion, and sea level rise, and present a wide array of challenges and associated opportunities for citizens, resource managers, and researchers. Topics may include: status and trends of land use, coastal population dynamics and impacts, coastal geology and erosion, land use policy and regulation, cultural and sociological impacts associated with coastal hazards/natural disasters, coastal monitoring, forecasting and warning systems and research and related topics will be considered.