Losing Ground? Impacts of Sea Level Rise on the Biogeochemistry of Tidal Marshes

Co-Convenors:
Dr. Michael Piehler (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Dr. Christopher Craft (University of Indiana, Bloomington)

Contact: Michael Piehler, mpiehler@email.unc.edu

Relative Sea Level Rise (RSLR) has the potential to affect marsh function through the alteration of hydrology, geomorphology and chemical processes. Such changes have significant implications for the biogeochemistry of tidal wetlands. This session includes papers that touch on each of these topics across a wide range of geographic locations and tidal wetland salinities. The session will emphasize the implications of RSLR for carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling.

Sources and Cycling of Dissolved Carbon in Wetland Ecosystems (Organized by Maria Tzortziou)

Co-Convenors:
Dr. Maria Tzortziou (University of Maryland College Park)
Dr. Patrick Neale (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center)

Contact: Maria Tzortziou,martz@code613-3.gsfc.nasa.gov

Dissolved organic matter (DOM), a major reservoir of organic carbon in the ocean, plays a key role in a broad range of processes and climate-related biogeochemical cycles in aquatic ecosystems. Wetlands and marsh systems act as important sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to adjacent estuarine and coastal waters. More information is needed on the composition, optical quality, and transformation pathways of the dissolved organic compounds exported from these systems, in order to better understand the role of this DOC in biogeochemical processes. This session invites contributions that use laboratory, field, or modeling approaches to elucidate: i) the role of wetlands and tidal marshes in coastal DOC biogeochemical processing and DOM dynamics, (ii) the interplay between microbial and photochemical processes that affect DOM quality (both optical and chemical) in near-shore waters, (iii) the effect of climate and land-use change on DOC cycling, and (iv) methods for describing and predicting DOM degradation in coastal wetland ecosystems.

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Quantifying the Role of Wetlands in Achieving Nutrient and Sediment Reductions in Chesapeake Bay

Co-convenors:
Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, Chesapeake Bay Program Living Resource Subcommittee, Chesapeake Bay Program

Contact: Jennifer Greiner jennifer@epa.gov

Most wetland projects in the Chesapeake watershed involve enhancement of existing wetland acreage, raising the question of whether wetlands that are enhanced in function are better able to retain nutrients and sediments than degraded wetlands, and if so, to what extent these projects should be credited toward implementation of State Tributary Strategies. The objective of this organized session is to determine if a scientific foundation exists to quantify the beneficial effects of wetland enhancement on nutrient and sediment processes. The anticipated outcome of the session is a summary matrix of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment removal rate results normalized for wetland class, drainage area, residence time, flow rate, physiographic region, etc. Specific questions to be addressed during the session include:

• What are the relationships between wetland enhancement, geomorphology, sediment flux, and nutrient removal?
  
• What is the influence of terrestrial and in-stream carbon contributions on the de-nitrification process?
  
• What are the relative contributions of valley and upland sources of sediment to total watershed yield?
  
• How does nutrient processing change with wetland class and function?
  

Important Dates
Abstract Submission Begins: October 2006
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 29, 2007
Early Registration Deadline: February 27, 2007

Abstract Submission Has Been Closed

The deadline for the submission of abstracts was January 29. Please contact Tracy Nininger at tnn@ufl.edu with questions.

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Registration
The registration fee includes the program and other printed materials, daily continental breakfast, morning and afternoon refreshment breaks, the Sunday Welcome Reception and the Monday evening Poster Session & Reception.

All figures are presented in US dollars ($).

Refund Policy: Requests for refunds will be honored if a written notification of cancellation is received by the Office of Conferences & Institutes IFAS, University of Florida by Monday, March 12, 2007 . A processing fee of $75.00 will be deducted from all conference registration refunds. A processing fee of $10.00 will be deducted from all guest refunds. No refunds will be honored for cancellations after Monday, March 12, 2007.

Special Needs: Special needs (such as visual, hearing or walking impairments) of registered attendees can be reasonably accommodated if they contact the Office of Conferences & Institutes at least 10 working days prior to the conference. We can be reached by phone at 1-352-392-5930, by fax at 1-352-392-9734, by email at tnn@ufl.edu . If calling from within the State of Florida , the office can be reached at 1-800-955-8771 (TDD).

For more registration information, contact:

Tracy Nininger, Conference Coordinator
University of Florida/IFAS
Office of Conferences and Institutes
P.O.Box 110750
Mowry Road Building 639
Gainesville, FL 32611-0750, USA
PH: 321-256-2483
FAX: 954-252-2215
Email: tnn@ufl.edu

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Accommodations and Meeting Site

126 West Street
Annapolis , MD 21401
Phone: 410-263-7777
Fax: 410-263-0084

Web site: http://www.loewshotels.com/hotels/annapolis/

The symposium will be held in the beautiful Loews Annapolis Hotel, located in the heart of the historic seaport village of Annapolis, Maryland. Annapolis was established over 350 years ago on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay and is steeped in maritime heritage. From the hotel you can stroll down brick sidewalks to watch passing ships and sail boats, dine on seafood or visit shops and pubs. It is located 30 miles from Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), 40 miles from Reagan International Airport (DCA), and 60 miles from Dulles International Airport (IAD).

It is a nice time of year to visit the many attractions in Washington, DC, which is about a 45 minute commute from Annapolis. Visit the symposium web site for information on the special, reduced room rates offered to participants of the Symposium.

Room Rate Information: The Loews Annapolis Hotel is offering a special rate of $116 per night (single occupancy) or $152 per night (double occupancy) and is subject to a 5 percent state tax and a 7 percent city tax. This group rate is also available during the three days prior to and following the symposium dates. We strongly encourage you to stay at this outstanding hotel, both for your convenience and the financial viability of symposium.

To make a reservation, contact the Hotel Reservations Department directly at 1-800-526-2593. Be sure to specify you are attending the Symposium on Wetland Biogeochemistry. All hotel reservations must be made by Wednesday, March 7, 2007. After this date, neither availability nor the discounted group rate is guaranteed.

For attendees outside of the U.S., you may email your reservation to annapolisreservations@loewshotels.com . Indicate that you are participating in the 10 th Wetland Biogeochemistry Symposium, and provide the arrival date, departure date, and any room preferences.

Room Guarantee: All reservations must be guaranteed and accompanied by a first night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. All 'no show' reservations will be billed to each individual's account. The cancellation of guaranteed reservations must be received 48 hours prior to arrival in order to avoid a charge equal to one night's room and applicable taxes.

Early Departure Fee: At check-in, each guest will have the opportunity to reconfirm his or her departure date. Any guest departing prior to that date will be assessed a $50 charge. This charge will be posted to the guest's individual account.

To learn about Annapolis surf to www.visit-annapolis.org or www.annapolis.com

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Sponsorship Information
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Symposium, please contact Patrick Megonigal, Symposium Chair.

Special Issue of Archive of Agronomy and Soil Science
We are pleased to announce plans to publish a special issue of the International Journal Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science (http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/03650340.asp) containing full versions of papers from Symposium presentations. The special issue will be co-edited by members of the symposium organizing committee and editorial board of the Journal. Authors who are interested in contributing to this special issue should indicate their intent by entering a note in the "Comments" section of the abstract submission form or contacting the co-editors directly. The selection decision will be made by April 30, 2007. All submissions must be received by July 31, 2007.

Co-Editors:
Professor Jörg Rinklebe (University of Wupertal, Germany)
Dr. Kewei Yu (Louisiana State University, USA)

Contact: Professor Rinklebe (rinklebe@uni-wuppertal.de) or Dr. Yu (kyu1@lsu.edu)

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Contact Us
For questions about scientific program content and sponsorship opportunities contact Pat Megonigal. For all other inquiries contact Tracy Nininger.

Receive Symposium Updates
Click here if you would like to be added to the
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Organizers:

Patrick Megonigal
Symposium Chair
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037
Email: megonigalp@si.edu
Voice: (443) 482-2346
Fax: (443) 482-2380

Kathy Boomer
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037
Email: boomerk@si.edu
Voice: (443) 482-2313
Fax: (443) 482-2380

Cynthia Gilmour
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037
Email: gilmourc@si.edu
Voice: (443) 482-2498
Fax: (443) 482-2380

Thomas Jordan
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037
Email: jordanth@si.edu
Voice: (443) 482-2209
Fax: (443) 482-2380

Jason Keller
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037
Email: kellerj@si.edu
Voice: (443) 482-2351
Fax: (443) 482-2380

Jennifer Keisman
University of MD Center for Environmental Science
Chesapeake Bay Program Office
410 Severn Ave., Suite 109
Annapolis, MD
Email: jkeisman@chesapeakebay.net
Voice: (410) 295-1321

Adam Langley
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
P.O. Box 28
647 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, MD 21037
Email: langleya@si.edu
Voice: (443) 482-2355
Fax: (443) 482-2380

Gregory Noe
U.S. Geological Survey
430 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Email: gnoe@usgs.gov
Voice: (703) 648-5826
Fax: (703) 648-5484



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