All, Please see the information below on our upcoming session at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Utah in February, 2012. The session focuses on the reproduction and early life history of top predators. Abstracts are due tomorrow by midnight central time (5 AM GMT Saturday). Best, Lesley (on behalf of Joel, Barb and Kate) http://www.sgmeet.com/osm2012/default.asp 124: NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE EARLY LIFE STAGES AND REPRODUCTIVE DYNAMICS OF LARGE MARINE VERTEBRATES Organizers: Joel Llopiz, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, jllopiz@whoi.edu; Barbara Muhling, University of Miami Rosenstiel School Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Science, barbara.muhling@noaa.gov; Kate Mansfield, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA/NMFS, kate.mansfield@noaa.gov; Lesley Thorne, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, lesley.thorne@duke.edu Large marine vertebrates, whether bony fishes, sharks, mammals, sea turtles, or birds, play critical roles in the functioning of marine ecosystems. Since the maintenance or rebuilding of large marine vertebrate populations is highly dependent upon successful reproductive events and the survival of the early life stages, the understanding of these processes is critical for effective management and conservation efforts. For many of these long-lived species, the ‘lost years’ during the early life stages (part or all of the juvenile stage, and including the larval stage for bony fishes) have been distinctly understudied. Yet, a recent increase in efforts is shedding new light on the early life stages of large marine vertebrates, as well as their reproduction. Examples of such research include the mapping of reproductive areas in relation to oceanographic conditions, understanding the processes influencing reproductive output, and investigating how the survival and behavior of early life stages vary with biotic and abiotic conditions. The comparative approach of bringing together knowledge and perspectives gained from studying this taxonomically broad but important group of organisms should provide greater insight into general patterns and processes influencing the survival and conservation of the world’s large marine vertebrates. ______________________________________________ Lesley Thorne, PhD School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000 lesley.thorne@stonybrook.edu