2006 GIS Conference

Geographic Information Systems and Ocean Mapping in Support of Fisheries Research and Management

Call for Abstracts

The MIT Sea Grant College Program and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center are pleased to invite you to submit a poster abstract for the workshop on geographic information systems (GIS) and ocean mapping in support of fisheries research and management.

The poster session will allow all organizations and individuals working in the areas of GIS, ocean mapping, data sharing, and/or fisheries research and management, to share current and emerging work. Of particular interest are projects which identify opportunities for coordinating the use of GIS, oceanographic data, ocean mapping tools, internet technologies or innovative data sharing techniques to support fisheries science and integrated ocean management.

Projects related to the northeast regional ecosystem (Cape Hatteras through the Gulf of Maine) will be given priority. Non fisheries-related posters will be considered if the material includes potential applications in fisheries science and management.

Topics of interest include:

  • Geographic information systems and data products;
  • Data collection methods;
  • Ocean mapping projects;
  • Data sharing and communication technologies;
  • Visualization and display techniques;
  • Marine data analysis applications;
  • Ocean management and decision making techniques.

Application areas of interest include:

  • Competing usages of marine habitats;
  • Fisheries activity and impacts on marine ecosystems;
  • Distribution of cold-water corals and other species and habitats of concern;
  • Effects of marine protected areas on ecosystems services including the role of MPAs for fisheries and biodiversity conservation;
  • Essential Fish Habitat and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern.

Guidelines for Submission

Authors and organizations wishing to present at the workshop must submit an extended abstract describing the contents of the poster and setting out the general interest for the participants of the workshop. Abstracts should be 3-5 pages or less in length, with figures and references, and at a minimum, should include:

- Title
- Author(s)
- Institutional affiliation(s)
- Email address(es)
- Overview of the material to be presented.
- Application to fishery research and management.

Abstract Submission

The deadline for abstract submission (Wednesday February 15th, 2006) has passed. If you are still interested in presenting a poster at the conference, please contact Christiaan Adams (adamscs@mit.edu, 617.253.9311) with a description of your work.

Abstracts must be submitted electronically to Christiaan Adams (adamscs@mit.edu). Acceptable formats include MSWord (DOC), Adobe Acrobat (PDF), Word Perfect (WPD), and Rich Text (RTF). Inquire about other formats. All applicants will receive the pertinent communication within a few weeks of the deadline.

Poster Preparation

The poster board has a 48" x 36" area for mounting the posters. Let us know if you prefer a horizontal or vertical format. We recommend either a large format poster, or 12 to 16 pages (8.5" x 11"), with lettering and illustrations large enough to be read by attendees from a distance of 4 feet or more. Each poster must have a title, authors, and affiliations section. Authors are responsible for mounting their own poster materials onto the poster boards, which will be supplied at the workshop, along with a reasonable supply of pushpins.

Presenters wishing to display work on a computer screen are invited to bring along a laptop in addition to their poster. Limited wireless internet access will be available.