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| Scientists from the School of the Coast and Environment at LSU have come together to address issues of sustainability in the Mississippi River Delta and will be hosting a conference titled, “Sustainable Management of Deltaic Ecosystems: Integration of Theory and Practice” on Aug. 25-26 in the Energy, Coast and Environment Building. The conference will provide a forum for the discussion of important issues relevant to the informed stewardship of natural resources in the coastal zone and in deltaic ecosystems in particular. On Aug. 25, there will be an evening session with guest speakers, former Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and Garret Graves, director of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Affairs. The session will focus on some of the problems and constraints Louisiana is facing and its plans for future stewardship of coastal resources. “Understanding the dynamics of human investments in a fragile and ever-changing deltaic ecosystem is critical to our future. Harnessing the commercial and residential possibilities of the waterways demands good planning that anticipates the inevitable risks,” said Blanco. Presentations by scientists from across the United States will examine the many facets of this interdisciplinary subject and will consider coastal management problems related to the natural sciences, engineering, economics and social science. The first day of the conference will consider examples and experiences from other coastal ecosystems; the second day will focus on the Mississippi Delta. A wide range of conference topics will be presented and discussed, including ecological resilience and the integration of social and economic considerations into science-based management of large deltaic ecosystems. Other topics will include prediction of changes in coastal margin habitats in the Everglades, diversity and resilience in the Georges Bank food web, coastal community resilience to hazards, restoration and resilience of deltaic wetlands in a changing environment and post-Katrina recovery patterns among New Orleans neighborhoods. The conference will also kick off the School of Coast and Environment’s new undergraduate degree in Coastal Environmental Science and will address some fundamental issues related to management of the resources of coastal deltaic ecosystems and the Mississippi Delta in particular. Conference speakers will include scientists with expertise and experience relevant to sustainable management of coastal resources: Lance Gunderson, Emory University; Robert Costanza, University of Vermont; John Pine, LSU; Don DeAngelis, University of Miami; John Steele, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; Jay Lund, University of California-Davis; Michael Kemp, University of Maryland; Denise Reed, University of New Orleans; Kam-bui Liu, LSU; James Cowan, LSU, Nina Lam, LSU; Karen McKee, U.S. Geological Survey; Irv Mendelssohn, LSU; Margaret Reams, LSU, Susan Cutter, University of S. Carolina; Paul Kemp, The Audubon Society; and Robert Twilley, LSU. The conference has also been approved for continuing education through LAPEL, or the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Those interested in receiving LAPEL credit hours may do so at the conference. The Sustainable Management of Deltaic Ecosystems Conference is open to the public and will provide an informative forum and offer feedback to anyone having a vested interest in preserving Louisiana’s coast. The pre-registration fee per individual is $10 for students, $25 for all others. The deadline for pre-registration deadline is Aug. 22. On-site registration fee is $20 for students and $35 for all others. To register, visit http://www.sce.lsu.edu/conference or contact Emma Schneider at 225-578-3381 or Karen Gros at 225-578-8806 for more information. -30- |
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