Date

ANNOUNCEMENT

ARCTIC SEAS: CURRENTS OF CHANGE
An International Symposium
October 21-24, 1998

To mark the International Year of the Oceans, Sea Research Foundation, Inc., will host a symposium highlighting our current understanding of the Arctic marine environment and the nature and consequences of changes to that ecosystem. The ASCC symposium will consist of plenary sessions with a multi-disciplinary character that spans physical, biological and sociological disciplines. The meeting will be held in Mystic, Connecticut, home of Mystic Marinelife Aquarium and the Institute for Exploration.

Six sessions will feature presentations on the following themes:

CLIMATE - Arctic seas and global climate; trends in Arctic climate; models
ICE AND OCEAN - mass, nutrient and contaminant transport; residence times; ice dynamics and mass balance; ice formation and breakup, dynamics of leads and polynyas
PRODUCTIVITY - nutrient cycles; food web studies; ecosystem energetics; effects of altered physicochemical properties of Arctic marine systems
ECOLOGY OF MARINE MAMMALS - whales, seals, walruses and polar bears as indicator species; consequences of habitat change on marine mammals; role of marine mammals in indigenous culture; changing patterns of marine mammal utilization in native society
CONTAMINANTS - sources, levels and distribution; historical trends in tissue burdens; impacts on animal and human health
DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES - sustainable growth; historical perspectives; political transformation; natural resource extraction; transportation; economic projections; ecotourism; international jurisdiction

Each session will conclude with a panel discussion by presenters who will address points of uncertainty and offer recommendations for research. The discussions will be included in the published proceedings, which will feature the full text of presented papers. Abstracts for proposed talks must be received by March 1, 1998. Invitations will be extended to presenters blending long-term research with new information. Speakers may inquire as to the availability of funding to defray travel expenses.

For further information, or to be placed on a mailing list for registration materials, please contact:
D.J. St. Aubin, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Veterinary Services
Mystic Marinelife Aquarium
55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, Connecticut, USA
Tel: 860-572-5955, ext. 102; FAX: 860-572-5984
e-mail: dstaubin [at] mysticaquarium.org