CONFERENCE PROGRAM - ASLO

ASLO 2013 ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting
MONDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 2013 – LUNCHTIME PLENARY SESSION
DR. CARL BRASSEAUX
Professor Emeritus of History, University of Louisiana at Lafayette and
Oral History Fieldworker, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program
DR. DONALD W. DAVIS
Director of Oral Histories, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program,
Louisiana State University
Presentation: People and Solutions: Cultural Hind-Casts Must Precede
Restoration Forecasts
South Louisiana’s coastal plain has witnessed two extinction events since
1699. The first—extending from 1699 to approximately 1915—was zoological,
evidenced by the disappearance of numerous species indigenous
to the area. The second—presently unfolding—is cultural, as the cultural
landscape begins to implode in the wake of physical and economic changes
wrought by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, and Isaac, the BP oil
spill disaster, and the flood of 2011. In their presentations, Davis and
Brasseaux will focus on the second watershed event. They will examine
the occupation and development of the coastal wetlands, the subsequent
emergence of unique regional cultures, and the threats posed to that way
of life. In the end, Louisiana’s near sea level wetlands can continue to function
as a “working coast” only when the people living there become part of
the solution.
Biographical Information: As Professor of History and Director of the
Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism, Carl is one of the world’s leading
authorities on French North America, with extensive expertise in the
areas of Acadian/Cajun and Creole history and culture. His doctorate
is from the Université de Paris, from which he was graduated with
the highest distinction. Brasseaux has published thirty-three volumes
of material on Louisiana and French North America. His 1,850-page
biographical dictionary includes sketches of all persons known to have
served the French monarchy in the Mississippi Valley and Gulf Coast
regions during the eighteenth century. In addition, Brasseaux has published
101 chapters in books or articles in scholarly journals throughout
North America and Europe. In 1976, he helped organize the Louisiane
Bien-Aimée exhibit that occupied an entire floor of the Radio France
building in Paris. This exhibit was awarded a gold medal by the United
States Department of Commerce as the best United States exhibit sent
abroad during the bicentennial year.
Biographical Information: Donald (Don) Davis has been involved in
coastal-related research for more than forty years. His professional career
was influenced by a number of coastal scientists while working on his
Ph.D. in LSU’s Department of Geography and Anthropology. Each of
these individuals focused their individual research on some cultural or
physical element in the landscape. From this exposure, Dr. Davis came to
appreciate the importance of humankind on Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.
His research interest has focused on the wide array of renewable and
non-renewable resources that are a vital part in the use of the marsh/
swamp landscape complex. He and a colleague are currently working with
Louisiana’s Sea Grant College Program on an oral history project that
focuses on learning to value heritage, tradition and culture in a place that,
to some, does not matter but to the marsh dweller is home. In addressing
this challenge he has recently published: Washed Away? The Invisible People
of Louisiana’s Wetlands.
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TUESDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 2013 – MORNING PLENARY SESSION
DR. ANDREW WEAVER
Lansdowne Professor and Canada Research Chair, School of Earth and
Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria
NANCY BARON
Outreach Director, COMPASS, and Lead Communications Trainer,
Leopold Leadership Program.
Presentation: The Risks and Rewards of Communicating Your Science
Dr. Andrew Weaver: “Neither I, nor most of my colleagues in climate
science, started our careers expecting to be drawn into the public spotlight.
As an undergraduate studying physics and mathematics, I always wanted
my science to be directly relevant to society. That’s why as a graduate
student, I chose to apply my mathematical expertise to problems in atmospheric
science and physical oceanography. This path led to my ongoing research
efforts to understand internal feedbacks within the climate system.
But as many of us have experienced, science that is relevant to society also
can also become highly politicized.
In this talk I will provide a personal account of some of the risks and
rewards, successes and failures in science communication and interacting
with the media. I will also address the importance of balancing the social
obligation to communicate climate science and its inherent uncertainties--
with the need to continue scientific inquiry.”
Nancy Baron: “Not a day goes by that the public and policy makers could
not benefit from the knowledge of scientists to inform current events and
decisions that that have the power to shape our future. Yet too often, science
is absent from the discussion. Public confusion and scientific frustration over
hot button issues including climate change, ocean acidification and fisheries
only underscore the need for society to be better informed by science.
How can scientists rise above the clamor to communicate more effectively?
I will draw on a decade of experience in the trenches as a communications
coach to share stories of scientists who have taken the leap – their
struggles, successes and most importantly their lessons learned. This
talk will provide useful techniques to help scientists better manage their
messages, deliver them clearly and compellingly, and hopefully, renew their
motivation to engage in society’s most important debates.”
Biographical information: Andrew Weaver is the Lansdowne Professor
and Canada Research Chair in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
at the University of Victoria. He was a Lead Author in the UN Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change 2nd, 3rd and 4th and ongoing 5th
scientific assessments. Weaver is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada,
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society and the American
Meteorological Society. He is a past recipient of NSERC Steacie, Killam
and Guggenheim Fellowships as well as a CIAR Young Explorers Award,
CMOS President’s Prize, Royal Society of Canada Miroslaw Romanowski
Medal and Huntsman Award for Excellence in Marine Science. He was
appointed to the Order of British Columbia in 2008.
Biographical information: Nancy Baron is the outreach director for
COMPASS and the lead communications trainer for the Leopold Leadership
Program. Her book, Escape from the Ivory Tower, is a practical and
entertaining guide for scientists who want to engage their audiences, ace
their interviews, promote their papers and enter the political fray. She and
her COMPASS team offer a wide range of workshops for academic scien-