Land-Ocean Connectivity - from Hydrological to Ecological Understanding of Groundwater Effects in the Coastal Zone

Land-Ocean Connectivity - from Hydrological to Ecological Understanding of Groundwater Effects in the Coastal Zone

CONFERENCE OUTLINE

The coastal zone, where fresh and saltwater meet, hosts some of the most dynamic, diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. These ecosystems experience significant pressure from human activities, responding to direct and indirect human disturbance and to climatic-hydrologic variability. Hydrological land-ocean connectivity is an important driver of these ecosystems. It greatly affects coastal ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, algal and zooplankton community dynamics, ecosystem metabolism or food web dynamics.

The critical role of surface water discharge from rivers to coastal ecosystems has been well documented. In the past decade or so, the hidden subsurface flow of coastal (intertidal and submarine) groundwater discharge and associated geochemical and hydrological processes have received an increasing amount of scientific attention. However, the effects of groundwater flow on productivity, composition, diversity and functioning of benthic and pelagic ecosystems along the world’s shorelines are not well understood.

This interdisciplinary conference will bring together physical scientists with expertise in various coastal groundwater studies (e.g., physicists, chemists, geologists, hydrologists) with coastal ecologists and environmental economists. The intention is to discuss the state of knowledge and to design future experiments that will help advance the understanding of hydrological-ecological connectivity in the coastal zone.

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE 

Thomas Stieglitz (CNRS / IUEM, France, chair)
William C. Burnett (Florida State University, USA)
Makoto Taniguchi (Research Institute of Humanity and Nature, Japan)
Carlos Rocha (Trinity College, Ireland)
Henry Bokuniewicz (State University of New York, USA)

ORGANISING COMMITTEE 

Thomas Stieglitz (CNRS / IUEM)
Severine Thomas (Europole Mer)
Nadine Reniers (Europole Mer)

PROGRAM
Scientific themes

• Physical & geographical effects of coastal groundwater discharge
• Biogeochemical effects of coastal groundwater discharge.
• Linkages of coastal groundwater discharge with phytoplankton community structure, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and primary productivity.
• Ecosystem Services and economic implications.

APPLICATION & REGISTRATION 
This conference can host about 80 participants at the most. Thus participation is on invitation and on application.  
Deadline for participation application: 28 May 2012 (register early please)

To apply, get the programme and any information, please visit the conference web site

http://www.europolemer.eu/en/land-ocean-connectivity.php

SUPPORT GRANTS 
PhD students and post-docs may apply for registration and travel grants to attend the conference. See details on the application.
Details at 
http://www.europolemer.eu/en/call-for-applicants.php
Deadline for grant application: 28 May 2012

 

Conference format

The format of the conference is similar to that of Gordon research conferences: a small number of invited speakers will provide an introduction of a theme in a 30-45 min presentation, and ample time is planned for subsequent discussions, to which all conference participants will contribute.

All participants will be staying together at the Centre des Abers for the duration of the conference in order to reinforce contacts and networking opportunities.

Confirmed speakers to date (regularly updated):

Matt Charette (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Pete Swarzenski (US Geological Survey)
Adina Paytan (Univ. California Santa Cruz)
Caroline Slomp (Utrecht Univ.)
Guebum Kim (Seoul National Univ.)
Pierre Anschutz (Bordeaux Univ.)
Hans Paerl (Univ. North Carolina)
Hugh MacIntyre
Olivier Thébaud (CSIRO)

A detailed programm will be available in due course.

CONFERENCE LOCATION AND ACCESS

The conference is set on the attractive Brittany coast, right on the water side of secluded Aber Wrac'h, where the ocean meets the land. The conference centre is purposedly isolated from city and outer life to allow the best possible environment for the brainstorming exercice it intends to facilitate.

Address: Centre de la Mer, UCPA Aber Wrac’h - 311, ar palud - 29870 Landéda -  Brittany (France).

Nearest airport: Brest airport (Guipavas): 20 minutes
1-hour direct flights to/from France airports (Paris Orly, Paris Roissy Charles De Gaulle, Lyon and others) with Air France and Easy Jet, and to the UK.

Nearest train station: Brest gare SNCF: 30 minutes
4,5 hour TGV to/from Paris Montparnasse station.

Shuttles to conference centre
Shuttles will run between Brest city center / Brest airport and the conference centre in l'Aber Wrac'h at the start and at the end of the conference. The cost of this shuttle will be covered by the organisers. Detailed schedule will be posted on this website in due course.

Arrival on 24th Sep:
A shuttle will depart Brest city centre around 16:30.
Shuttles will connect with the following arriving flights at Brest airport:

4:45 pm Lyon               AF5793      BRIT AIR
4:50 pm Paris CDG       AF7738      AIR FRANCE
5:15 pm Paris Orly        AF7376      AIR FRANCE

Departure on 28 Sep:
A shuttle will arrive in Brest city centre around 8:30 (and earlier if required).
Shuttles will connect with the following departing flights from Brest airport:

06:30 am Lyon             AF5790         BRIT AIR
06:40 am Paris CDG     AF7737         AIR FRANCE
06:55 am Paris Orly      AF7361         AIR FRANCE
08:55 am Paris CDG      EZY3972      EASYJET
09:15 am Paris Orly       AF7363         AIR FRANCE

Participants are kindly asked to organise their travel to match one of these shuttle schedules. Depending on participants requirements, other shuttles may also be planned but with no guarantee. Taxis will also be available between Brest and the conference centre (at participants cost), and a public bus service runs regularly - although not very often - between Brest centre and the conference centre. Shuttle arrangement will be confirmed directly with each participant early September.

 ACCOMODATION

Accommodation will be arranged at the conference centre (see location above) for all participants and will be booked directly by the organisers.

Conference registration fee includes accommodation for 4 nights from Monday 24th Sep evening until Friday 28th Sep morning.  

Due to a limited number of rooms at the conference centre, shared rooms will be the default (if this is an issue please contact the organisers early on). 

All meals will be provided by organisers on site (breakfast, lunch, diner, and various breaks) from Monday the 24th Sep evening (incl. diner) until Friday the 28th Sep morning (incl. breakfast).

Note: Accommodation and transport before Monday evening and after Friday morning is the responsibility of and at own cost of participant. For accommodation options in the centre of Brest see www.brest-metropole-tourisme.fr/en/your-holiday/

Depending on availability, accomodation for spouses and accompanying guests may be available at the conference centre. Please contact the organisers directly for details.

DRESS CODE

Very informal

Contact
If you cannot find the required information on this page or on the application form, please contact the organisers at:

contact@europolemer.eu
Tel: +33 2 98 49 88 20
or   +33 2 98 49 88 48