My new hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas is hosting this year’s Benthic Ecology Meeting from March 4-7. Abstracts are due this Friday, Jan. 23. Click here for registration information. It should be a nice meeting, not too huge, with just two concurrent sessions.
The three day agenda includes sessions on deep-water ecology, biodiversity and ecosystem function, coral reefs, and benthic pelagic coupling. Seafood lovers will enjoy sessions on oysters and blue crabs. The big highlight is a rockin farewell party on the USS Lexington aircraft carrier (pictured) with Beatles cover band The Eggmen, promising a good time with a brilliant view and a BBQ. Details below.
If you were hoping to get out on the water, you can plan to go kayaking on the Lighthouse Trail in nearby Port Aransas. If enough people show interest I’ll try to arrange a van. Kayaks are ~$25 for two hours. Its an easy circuit to paddle with great birdlife.
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38th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting: http://www.benthicecologymeeting2009.org/
Abstract Deadline: extended to 23 January 2009
Corpus Christi, Texas
4 – 7 March 2009
The banquet / party
The conference party will be held on Saturday the 7th of March on the USS Lexington, a former US Navy aircraft carrier that now functions as a museum on Corpus Christi Bay. Dinner will be catered by Water Street, a highly rated Corpus Christi restaurant that is most popular for its seafood . Food will be of southern style with barbeque brisket, chicken and shrimp as main courses. Vegetarian options will also be available. Entertainment will be by The Eggmen, a Beatles cover band from Austin, Texas. The Eggmen have been voted the best cover band in Austin for six years in a row. In Austin, the self proclaimed ‘live music capital of the world’, that is no mean feat.
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Man, this is the conference of the year I REALLY want to get to. I really enjoyed and learned alot from the sessions at last years, and now, in Corpus!!! I could add 2 days of Port Aransas birding with my dad, and who can pass up another opportunity for REAL Texas Brisket (I can tell the brisket sauce content of my blood is getting low again) Not to mention the Oysters…
Hi, Nigel from The Eggmen here. This is gonna be an amazingly fun party, and onboard the “Blue Ghost” too. I was born and raised in Corpus so it’ll be fun for me to get back to where I once belonged. (sorry).
Anyway, a splendid time is guaranteed for all!
Nigel
TBP -The Eggmen
I really want to go, it sounds like its going to be great. Several sessions I’d fit right into. Unfortunately, I have no funding now and can’t afford the registration, hotel and travel. :(
There’s a place to lay your head if you can make it here, my friends. :)
Would I learn how to keep hagfish in a home aquarium, at such a meeting? ;)
I am sure you’d hear a few ideas! But, since hagfish aren’t exactly benthic (more demersal, I believe) you might strike out, too. A few gifted aquaculturists will be in attendance, but the best place for this kind of information would probably be from the aquarists at Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have (or had) hagfish on display last I checked. Great idea. Keep us posted on your progress!