Check out the latest from CERF's Up!
Volume 44.4 features student papers, affiliate society updates, and the latest news and details about CERF 2019.
Make sure to stay up-to-date on the latest papers from Estuaries and Coasts. Coastal and Estuarine Science News (CESN) is our way of sharing summaries of articles we think are relevant and applicable to CERF members.
The newest issue of CERF's Up! is now available, and features informative and reflective letters from the CERF Board, important membership updates, and new industry-related articles from students and professionals in coastal and estuarine research.
In this issue, you are encouraged to read a specially-written article touching on how CERF finds and selects our conference venues while keeping the importance of diversity and inclusion in mind. Learn more about "The Search for the Goldilocks Conference Venue" on page 15 of the newsletter.
The CERF community recently lost Susan Williams, a beloved and respected CERF Past President (2009–2011) and Distinguished Professor of Evolution and Ecology at the University of California Davis, on 24 April, 2018. There will be a celebration of Susan on Friday, 26 October, with a day-long remembrance of How Susan Influenced My Science and a Celebration of Susan's Life. A welcome reception will take place on the evening of 25 October and there will be a picnic at Bodega Marine Lab on 27 October. These events are open to all family, friends, and scientific colleagues of Susan.
More information can be found on the event page and on Facebook.
The CERF's Up! newsletter volume 44 issue 2 is now available! Meet the new CERF's Up! Editor-in-chief Jason Howard, learn about the official theme of the CERF 2019 conference, and read the latest updates on our Affiliate Societies. Read CERF's Up! online today!
We are deeply saddened by the news that Susan Williams, CERF Past President and renowned marine ecologist, has passed away. She was a dear friend, generous mentor, and role model to so many in the CERF community. She will be greatly missed. Our condolences to her family and friends.
CERF has joined over 100 institutions and organizations in support of FY2019 funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The testimony was submitted to the Appropriations Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, and Science for both the House of Representatives and Senate. The testimony highlights the importance of NSF geoscience research, infrastructure, and education as vital to addressing critical security issues related to national defense, economic competitiveness, and public health and safety. Read the full testimony.
Volume 44.1 is now available online! Hear from CERF President Hilary Neckles about #Whatsnext, catch up with CERF's Affiliate Societies, and learn about upcoming events. Read CERFs Up online today!
You Asked. We Listened.
Early professional membership has been extended!
CERF prides itself on being student and early career friendly, as these members are the heart and soul of our society, as well as the future of our discipline. Because of this, CERF has extended the early professional membership to those who are five-years post degree. CERF recognizes that for early professionals, membership dues can be a substantial cost, and we want to encourage our early-career members to stay engaged and take advantage of career development and other CERF opportunities as they become established in their professions.
CERF is proud to announce the recipients of the 2017 Rising TIDES (Toward an Inclusive, Diverse, and Enriched Society) Conference Mentoring Program awards. Rising TIDES will jointly support underrepresented minority (URM) students and mentors to participate in CERF 2017 - 24th Biennial Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, 5-9 November 2017.
CERF received 75 applications from students based at institutions around the world. From these applications, 11 student/mentor pairs were selected:
The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) strongly condemns the actions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prohibit three EPA scientists, who are also CERF members, from presenting their research at “The State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed” workshop in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 23, 2017. Such censorship compromises the fundamental role of science to understand and report on our natural world, and goes against the EPA's long history of being an important partner in coastal research. Read the full statement.
CERF, in conjunction with 11 other scientific societies, has submitted comments on the proposed rule to rescind the 2015 Clean Water Rule definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The American Fisheries Society (AFS), American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF), Ecological Society of America (ESA), Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS), International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), North American Lake Management Society (NALMS), Phycological Society of America (PSA),Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) and Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) wrote in support of the sustainable management of the nation’s waters, and in strong opposition to the proposal to rescind the WOTUS definition.
The comments were submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the public comment period required under the agencies' rulemaking authority. They state that the proposed repeal of the 2015 Clean Water Rule, unlike the 2015 Clean Water Rule itself, is unsupported by the peer-reviewed science and evidentiary analysis, has not been subjected to rigorous independent peer review, nor to a robust public comment process, and poses a significant threat to the integrity and security of our drinking water, public health, fisheries, and wildlife habitat while significantly increasing the risks and costs associated with flood and storm damage.
The CERF Summer 2017 Newsletter is now available! Learn about CERF 2017 Conference, read up on our webinar series, and hear from our Affiliate Societies. Read CERF's Up online today!
Dear CERF Members,
We are all watching with great sadness the events unfolding along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Having experienced these disasters firsthand, and living on the fringe of this event as it continues to impact coastal Louisiana today, I share your concern for all of those impacted by this disaster. We want to find ways we can reach out and assist our friends and colleagues based at the many research and academic institutions in the region. The CERF Executive Committee is monitoring the situation. We share your heartbreak for the suffering experienced by those caught in this extensive flooding, and the fear for those still awaiting help. And we know that once the waters recede and we move from rescue to assessment and recovery, we will see the full extent of the damage to the communities and ecosystems hit by this storm. Our thoughts are with all the people affected by Hurricane Harvey.
CERF has joined the Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies (CASS) partners to urge the EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers to extend the public comment period for the proposed rule that seeks to rescind the 2015 Clean Water Rule (80 FR 37054), also known as the Waters of the United States or WOTUS. CASS is requesting at least a six month comment period, the same time period the agencies provided for comment on the 2015 Clean Water Rule. CASS has already released a statement opposing the repeal of the WOTUS, and plans to submit public comments.
(July 27, 2017) Washington, D.C. - The Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies (CASS) opposes the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to repeal and replace the 2015 Clean Water Rule (Waters of the United States Rule or WOTUS). CASS urges the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider the far-reaching implications to aquatic resources from repealing the rule and calls for a meaningful opportunity for stakeholders to engage in the repeal and replacement of WOTUS to ensure the best available science is considered.
EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adopted WOTUS to clarify longstanding confusion over which water bodies were protected under the Clean Water Act. The rule was developed using the best available science and with robust engagement of stakeholders. More than 1,000 peer-reviewed, published, scientific studies support the rule.[i]
The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation announce the recipients of the 2017 CERF Scientific Awards. The Federation recognizes excellence in and service to the fields of coastal and estuarine science, management and education through several scientific and service awards. The recipients of these awards embody the mission of CERF to advance understanding and wise stewardship of estuarine and coastal ecosystems worldwide by promoting research in estuarine and coastal ecosystems; supporting the education of scientists, decision-makers and the public; and facilitating communication among these groups.
In addition to our five long-standing awards, CERF is excited to present two inaugural stewardship awards; one in honor of Margaret A. Davidson to recognize an individual’s excellence in coastal and estuarine management, and the Coastal Stewardship Award to recognize exemplary stewardship activities of an organization, project, or program. The Distinguished Service Award recipient is selected by the CERF President; all other recipients are selected by award committees.
The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) is the proud recipient of a $47,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to support "Broadening Participation in Coastal and Estuarine Sciences: A Workshop at the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference." The overall goal of this program is to promote opportunities for all underrepresented minorities while cultivating a culture that actively engages and leverages diversity of all types throughout our organization.
The funding will allow CERF to support the participation of ten underrepresented minority (URM) students and their mentors to participate in CERF 2017 – 24th Biennial Conference. The students and their mentors will participate in a workshop with expert panelists and key CERF members and partners who are leaders in diversity, with the goal of inspiring and motivating URM students to pursue career pathways in coastal and estuarine science. The Conference Mentoring Program is currently accepting student applications.
