Whales in a Changing World American Cetacean Society's 11th International Conference November 13-16, 2008 Monterey Bay, CA **With a Gray Whale and Climate Change Symposium following on Monday, November 17** We're pleased to announce that the 11th International ACS Conference will be held November 13-16, 2008, in Monterey Bay, California. American Cetacean Society conferences have a long tradition of presenting the latest findings and news about whales and other marine life. We also work to promote discussion and thought about the role and conservation of whales in an ever-changing world, and leave attendees motivated to work together for the good of the whales. American Cetacean Society conferences are open to everyone - you don't need to be "in the field" to participate. So come, be informed and inspired, and immerse yourself in the world of "Whales in a Changing World". For more information see the event press release below and visit the ACS website at <www.acsonline.org <http://www.acsonline.org/> >. The Program Whales in a Changing World will look at how whales, dolphins, and porpoises are currently adapting to rapid environmental changes and altered ecosystems. Human uses of the ocean have irrevocably changed the ecosystem where whales have thrived, including the overfishing of whales and many other marine species. As roads become more crowded, we look to the ocean for increased levels of transport of both people and goods. As energy gets more scarce, we look to the ocean as a source of power (from such things as wind energy and the potentially disastrous return to offshore oil drilling); and to build shipping terminals that had previously been associated with ports of call (e.g. offshore LNG terminals). Further, the changes that we have brought to the global climate will also likely affect oceans and their ecosystem, potentially in serious ways. Join us as we take a look at the Whales in a Changing World from a wide range of views: Orcas in a Changing World Orcas and prey succession - Paul Wade (NMML Seattle) Orcas off Monterey - Nancy Black (Monterey Bay) SPLASH: Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance, and Status of Humpbacks Program overview & results from photo ID - John Calambokidis (Cascadia Research, WA) Entanglements - Dave Mattila (NOAA, HI) Genetic findings - Scott Baker (OSU, OR) Whaling in a Changing World The politics of humpback and fin whale scientific hunts The U.S. effort to stop whaling - D.J. Schubert (Whales Need US, PEW) Efforts to stop whaling - Jon Stern (SFSU) Whale Conservation in a Changing World Extinction of the Baiji: What could we have done? Vaquita - A species at the latest minute? Right Whale Conservation: Tangled in a web of politics - Sharon Young (Boston) Whales in a Changing World Sea Ice and Climate Change - Sue Moore (Seattle) Bowhead whales and climate change Sea ice, polar bears, and seals The environment and the current political climate Climate change and politics: what can we do? And no ACS conference would be complete without our ever-popular Art Show and Silent Auction! Gray Whales and Climate Change: Sentinels of the North Pacific/Arctic Ecosystems You are invited to a workshop on gray whales and their apparent responses to changes in their environment on Monday 17 November 2008. The workshop will bring together a group of marine scientists with broad research interests to review and discuss gray whale population dynamics and behavior change in the context of environmental changes that are being observed throughout the gray whales' North Pacific and Arctic range. Specific topics will include observed changes in physical, chemical, and biological oceanography of the North Pacific and Arctic and the time scales of those changes, and the history and current status of the gray whale population including shifts in distribution, phenology, population dynamics, and behavior throughout their range. All of this information will be discussed in the context of how well gray whales serve as indicators of environmental change, and how they serve as "sentinels of the North Pacific/Arctic ecosystems". This workshop will contribute to the development of a qualitative framework for integrating gray whales and other marine mammals into ecosystem and climate change studies. This workshop will follow the Biennial Conference of the American Cetacean Society's Biennial Conference in Monterey, California 15-16 November 2008. The gray whale workshop will be from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Monday 17 November 2008 at the same venue as the American Cetacean Society Biennial, and is sponsored by the Pacific Life Foundation. Call for Abstracts Researchers, Educators, Conservationists, and Students are invited to submit abstracts for poster presentations at the ACS conference, Whales in a Changing World. The poster session is a great way to share cutting edge research, new methods or concepts in education, and new issues in conservation of cetaceans. Students (undergraduate, Masters, or Ph.D.) can also enter their poster into the student poster contest to be held during the poster session. Student posters will be judged by a panel of attending scientists in the field and cash prizes will be awarded. The deadline for abstract submission is October 1st, 2008. Prospective authors may direct questions and submit abstracts via email to Kate Sardi at sardika@hotmail.com (please cc all submissions to lasol@verizon.net) or by regular mail to: American Cetacean Society Attn: Kate Sardi PO Box 1391 San Pedro, CA 90733-1391 Abstracts must be no longer than 300 words and written in a clear and concise manner. Students wishing to be entered into the student poster contest should indicate so clearly on their submission, as well as list the school attending and degree sought. Please visit the ACS website (www.acsonline.org) for details on abstract submission. Fantastic Field Trips Join fellow whale lovers aboard the "Sea Wolf II" for a natural history trip in world-famous Monterey Bay. Blue whales often linger into November and humpback whales are still a good possibility. The first gray whales can be expected on their southward migration. Many species of dolphins are regular in the bay, including Pacific white-sided, Northern right whale, long-beaked and short-beaked common, Risso's and bottlenose as well as harbor porpoise. We did have killer whales on the conference field trip in 2000, and they are spotted regularly in Monterey Bay. Many other species are possible. Enter the Photo Contest We invite amateur photographers to participate in the "Whales in a Changing World" photo contest. The winning entries will be displayed during the conference Monterey Bay, CA, on November 13 - 16, 2008. Entries must be received by October 31, 2008. For entry form and guidelines, please visit www.acsonline.org Submit Your Video for the Video Reception We invite cinematographers to submit your entries for the "Whales in a Changing World" video night. Accepted entries will be displayed during the Friday night reception. Entries must be received by October 15, 2008. For entry form and guidelines, please visit www.acsonline.org Conference Venue Embassy Suites - Special rate of just $169/night for a suite! Please note that all reservations made at the Embassy Suites help keep our costs, and therefore, YOUR registration costs, down! Please make your overnight accommodations at the Embassy Suites - be sure to mention ACS to get the great rate of just $169 night! You must make your reservation before the October 31st deadline. We look forward to seeing you there. **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** **************** Researchers to Discuss Whale Conservation Issues at International Conference in Monterey Bay, CA American Cetacean Society to host Whales in a Changing World The 11th Annual International American Cetacean Society (ACS) Conference will be held on November 13-16, 2008 in Monterey Bay, California. The conference will provide ACS members, and the general public, with the opportunity to participate in discussions with leading experts in whale conservation biology from around the world. The theme of the conference is Whales in a Changing World. This is an important issue since most large whale species migrate thousands of miles, crossing international boundaries, between their breeding and feeding grounds. Whales in a Changing World's program is designed to look at how whales, dolphins, and porpoises are currently handling and will be prepared to deal with an environment, and an ecosystem, that is changing at a rapid rate. Human uses of the ocean have irrevocably changed the ecosystem that whales live in during the last century, by over-fishing both the whales themselves and many other marine species. Now we are looking to the ocean for increased levels of transport of both people and goods as roads become more crowded; as energy gets scarcer we are looking to the ocean as a source of power (from such things as wind energy and the potentially disastrous return to offshore oil drilling); and to build shipping terminals that had previously been associated with ports of call (e.g. offshore LNG terminals). Further, the changes that we have brought to the global climate will also likely affect oceans and their ecosystem, potentially in serious ways. The 11th International ACS Whales in a Changing World Conference will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Monterey Bay, CA November 13-16, 2008 and will include a photography contest, silent auction, poster presentations, and a whale watch in Monterey Bay. Abstracts are being accepted for the poster session until October 1, 2008 and the photography contest entries are being accepted through October 31, 2008. For more information about conference registration contact the American Cetacean Society at (310) 548 6279 or www.acsonline.org <http://www.acsonline.org/> . The American Cetacean Society protects whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats through public education, research grants, and conservation actions. Founded in 1967, the American Cetacean Society (ACS) is the oldest whale conservation group in the world. ACS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with an office in San Pedro, California and chapters in Los Angeles, Orange County, Puget Sound (Seattle), Monterey, San Francisco, and the Channel Islands (Santa Barbara). ACS members live throughout the United States and in more than 20 countries. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Diane Alps ACS Conference Co-Chair and Event Coordinator dianealps@acsonline.org (310) 500-8485 Sign up now! The ACS Conference is Nov. 13-16 in Monterey Bay. More details are available at www.acsonline.org