AAG 2009 CALL for Marine Geomorph Papers

2009 AAG ORGANIZED SESSION
Marine Geomorphology and Mapping for an Ecosystem-Based Management Approach to Marine Reserve Design and Planning

Seeking co-sponsorship from the Coastal and Marine (CoMa), GI Systems and Science, and Biogeography Specialty Groups

Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, March 22-27, 2009 Las Vegas, NV, USA

ORGANIZERS:
Dawn Wright, Oregon State University, dawn@dusk.geo.orst.edu Will Heyman, Texas A&M University, wheyman@geog.tamu.edu

DESCRIPTION: These sessions will be a follow-up to the highly successful AAG sessions of 2008 entitled "Marine Geomorphology as a Determinant for Essential Life Habitat: An Ecosystem Management Approach to Planning for Marine Reserve Networks." In 2009 we will continue to present and critically examine the growing body of data suggesting that the underlying geology and geomorphology of marine environments dictates the location of critical life habitat for a variety marine species. The broad implications of these findings suggest that geomorphology might be used as a proxy for (or at least help to identify) critical life habitat for marine species, and thus serve to advance the application of ecosystem-based management (EBM) to the design of marine reserve networks. Our goal once again will be to bring together a group of scholars working on this and related issues, and to further advance collaboration between scientists and marine managers towards more efficient conservation and management of marine systems.

Papers are welcome in the areas of:
- essential benthic habitat and geomorphology
- marine GIS and/or remote sensing for the purposes of integrating geomorphology and biology
- applications for marine reserve network design

These will be combined into at as many sessions as needed and will likely include a final panel discussion.

DEADLINES:
October 14, 2008 (TUESDAY): Submit a PIN to either Dawn Wright or Will Heyman

All participants must first register individually for the meeting. 
Please follow the instructions at http://www.aag.org/annualmeetings/2009/registration.htm. Upon registration you will be given a participant identification number (PIN). Send this PIN and a copy of your final abstract to Will or Dawn. They will not edit your abstract, nor will the AAG, so please make sure it is grammatically correct and without typos.

October 16, 2008: Sessions submitted to the AAG for approval.

March 22-27, 2009: AAG Meeting in Boston. Exact day and time of  sessions to be announced.