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Marine Turtle Newsletter 90:18-21, © 2000
The 21st Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation
(24 February – 28 February, 2001, Adam’s Mark Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA): Announcement and Call for Papers
James R. Spotila
President of the 21st Symposium. Drexel University, School of Environmental Science, Engineering and Policy, Nesbitt Hall, 33rd & Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA, (Tel: + 1-215-895-2627, FAX: +1-215-895-2267, E-mail: STS2001@drexel.edu)
All are invited to attend the 21st Annual Sea Turtle Symposium hosted by Drexel University. This year’s theme “Coming of Age” represents the maturation of the Symposium. This will be a time to reflect on our accomplishments through the adolescence of the Symposium and look to the future of its adulthood. What started out as a small workshop of about 50 people has grown into a major international meeting of almost a thousand. We are faced with the challenge of meeting the requirements of a major meeting while recapturing the informal and personal touch of the original workshop. We will try to do both by focusing on the human dimension of sea turtle biology and conservation in a leadership panel that discusses past, present and future challenges, by focussing on the future in a series of sessions and workshops on environmental education and children, and by bringing more music into the Symposium. Music plays a central role in all cultures and in the growth process from child to adult. We will enjoy two nights of great music and dancing with fantastic local bands, but we will have more. Bring your musical instrument for a series of “jam sessions” in the evenings. Let’s write a “sea turtle” song. We will have music for the auction. Get ready to sing as your money floats away for a great cause. There are many small meeting rooms available so let us know if you want to organize a workshop, discussion group or band. The 21st Symposium is expected to attract well over 800 participants including sea turtle researchers, resource managers, educators, policy-makers, students and enthusiasts from all over the world. Come and be a part of it.
Symposium Registration: You must register to attend the Symposium. The preferred registration method is to visit us online at the Web site: . There you will find everything you need to know about the Symposium in addition to a user-friendly interface for Symposium registration. Please help us by registering via the Internet. However if you do not have Internet access you may also register by post mail. A hard copy Symposium announcement and registration form will be mailed to all individuals who have registered for previous Symposia. If you do not receive a Symposium announcement by post mail, contact the Symposium Registration Coordinator, Donna Broadbent (E-mail: zenith@citlink.net ; Tel: + 1-304-947- 5366, Fax: +1-304-947-5364; 480 Address: Williamsport Pike, Suite 3, Martinsburg, West Virginia, 25401, USA).
Registrants who cannot access the Internet and who require a personal invitation letter to attend can request this letter by contacting the Symposium Secretary, Sheryan Epperly-Chester (E-mail: sheryan.epperly@noaa.gov; Tel: +1-305-361-4207; FAX: +1-305-361-4478; Address: NOAA/NMFS, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149, USA).
Schedule of Events: Tuesday-Wednesday before the Symposium, 20-21 February, the Eighth Reunion of Latin American Sea Turtle Specialists will take place at the Pocono Environmental Education Center, Dingman’s Ferry, Pennsylvania. A bus will transport all those wishing to attend this event from Philadelphia on Monday afternoon (Feb. 19) to Dingman’s Ferry and back to the Symposium Hotel on Wednesday night (Feb. 21). If you plan to attend, you need to arrive in Philadelphia by 3pm February 19. We will meet you at the airport. Alternatively, you can arrive by train and we will meet you at the 30 Street Train Station. For other travel options please contact us. Please plan to bring warm clothes and a coat because it is usually cold in the Poconos. For additional details about this meeting, please contact: Clara Padilla or Roxana Silman (information below).
The Annual General Meeting of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) will be held in the Adam’s Mark Hotel on Thursday and Friday, 22 & 23 February. For additional details about this meeting, please contact Karen Eckert (information below).
On Friday evening, 23 February we will have a Pizza social at the Adams Mark Hotel for early arrivals. At 7pm, Symposium volunteers will meet to coordinate activities. To be a volunteer, contact the volunteer coordinator (TBA).
Saturday, 24 February late registration will begin and continue through Sunday. Sessions begin with invited, as well as contributed, oral presentations. Poster sessions also begin on this day. There will be a “Philly –style” social at 6:30pm with complimentary beer and wine, cheese steaks and pretzels (local cuisine) and a great Latino band – plan to do some dancing. A ticket is required.
Sunday, 25 February, a special session of invited oral presentations on leatherback turtles will take place in the morning and early afternoon. Regular sessions will continue in the afternoon. The Board of Director’s meeting will take place in the evening.
Monday, 26 February, a special session of invited panel participants will discuss past, present and future challenges in sea turtle conservation from 9 – 11am. Regular sessions will continue in the afternoon. The live auction will take place starting at 8pm. Proceeds from the auction go to the Symposium’s international travel fund so please think about contributing auction items for this worthwhile cause. As always, refreshments will be available at the auction for all in attendance.
Tuesday, 27 February, regular contributed sessions continue until 3:30 pm. The Plenary session will be held from 3:30 – 4:30 pm. The awards banquet will begin at 6:30 pm. There will be a live dance band from 8 pm to Midnight so plan to dance some more.
Wednesday, 28 February, the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group Annual Meeting will take place from 10am – 12pm. Several field trips and workshops will also occur throughout the day.
The Symposium Meeting Site: The Symposium will be held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, City Avenue and Monument Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19131, USA, +1-215-581-5000, Fax: +1-215-581-5069; . The Adams Mark has 2 dozen meeting rooms and banquet halls, 515 guest rooms, 4 restaurants and lounges, a health club, indoor pool, gift shop and guest parking.
Reserving a place to stay at the Adams Mark Hotel: Rooms at the Adams Mark are $ 99 plus tax per night for 1 – 4 people. Reserve your room by contacting Donna Broadbent (E-mail: zenith@citlink.net; Tel: + 1-304-947- 5366, Toll Free: +1-800-476-0542, Fax: +1-304-947-5364, 480 Williamsport Pike, Suite 3, Martinsburg, West Virginia, 25401, USA). All hotel reservations must be made through Donna.
How do I get there?: Air travel – Those traveling by air will land at the Philadelphia International Airport. Fly on US Air or United Airlines, the official airlines of the 21st Symposium. To obtain a discount you must use the special rate code for the Symposium. For U.S. Airways, call toll free +1-877-874-7687 ,To obtain a discount/special fare. Refer to the "gold file # 71671661". Check the web site or contact Donna Broadbent to get the special code for United.
Ground transportation: The airport is approximately 10-15 minutes away from the Adams Mark Hotel. Use the “Super shuttle” company to take you from the airport to the Adams Mark. You should reserve this shuttle in advance if possible (Tel: +1-800-669-0521 (bluevan), Fax: +1-215-669-052, URL: ). You can also call the shuttle service after you arrive at the airport by using their special phone located in the baggage claim area of the airport. The cost for travel between the airport and hotel is $10. One other option for ground travel to Philadelphia is passenger train. Amtrak trains service Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. You will have to take a taxicab to travel between the train station and the Adams Mark Hotel. This 5-minute ride will cost approximately $10-$12.
Call for Papers: Contributed oral and poster presentations will be accepted until 10 November 2000. Because we are not going to have concurrent sessions, there will be fewer oral presentations this year. We strongly suggest that you consider presenting your information in one of the poster sessions. We have a huge room for the poster sessions this year. The room is large enough to accommodate the vendors, coffee breaks, silent auction items and the posters and poster observers all at the same time!!!
Submission: If you have access to the Internet (or have access to someone who does), please use the Symposium web site for your abstract submission: . If you cannot access the Symposium web site, you may send your abstract and the additional information below to the Program Chair, Pamela Plotkin, (Address: Center for Marine Conservation, 1725 DeSales St., NW, #600, Washington, D.C.20036, USA, Fax: +1-202-872-0619, E-mail: sts2001@dccmc.org).
Author information and abstract:
1. Name of presenting author
2. E-mail of presenting author (an E-mail contact is required)
3. Fax number of presenting author
4. Date this information was submitted (DD/MM/YY)
5. Title of presentation (ALL IN UPPERCASE)
6. All authors of the presentation in the order you want them to appear in the program. Please place each author name on a separate line.
7. Author(s) affiliation(s) in the same order as above. Please clarify any multiple affiliations.
8. Abstract describing your presentation (250 words maximum). The abstracts must be in English to facilitate proper placement in the Symposium program. Please note that for the Symposium Proceedings you will be able to present an extended abstract version of your presentation (maximum four pages).
9. Specify the type of presentation you wish to make. Your choices are: oral, poster, either oral or poster, or video/film.
10. Equipment needed. Your choices are: slide projector, overhead projector, computer projector system with MS Power point or Corel Presentations, Video tape player, or other (please give details).
11. Indicate whether you are a student and whether you would like to be considered for the Archie Carr Student Paper Awards (given to both oral and poster presentations of merit). Recently graduated presenters who are presenting work done as students will qualify for these awards.
THE DEADINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ALL ABSTRACTS IS 10 NOVEMBER 2000.
Notice of acceptance: Final decisions on paper acceptance will be made by the Program Committee. All first authors will be notified of the acceptance of their oral or poster by January 2001. If you need an acceptance letter sent to someone other than yourself, please specify this in your abstract submission.
Preparation and submission of extended abstracts: For inclusion in the 21st Symposium Proceedings your extended abstract (no longer than 4 pages including figures and tables) must be submitted via the Symposium web site. There will be computers available at the Symposium for you to use.
Travel funds: Limited travel funds are available to assist US/Canadian students and international participants in their efforts to attend the Symposium. Awards should not be expected to cover the full cost of symposium travel. Priority will be given to those who will be presenting papers or posters, those who apply before the deadline, 10 November 2000, and to individuals from relatively under-represented regions. The committee looks favorably upon those who demonstrate efforts to secure additional sources of travel funds or matching grants. If you are in need of assistance for travel to the Symposium apply via the symposium web page. Applicants should follow this procedure:
1. register for the symposium
2.submit your abstract to the symposium for consideration
3. using your symposium registration number, complete the online travel grant application in full, prior to the 10 November 2000 deadline.
If you do not have Internet access, please contact the Travel Chair, Wallace J. Nichols (information below) by fax or mail, however, it is highly preferential that all correspondence is carried out by e-mail. Grant recipients are expected to attend the entire symposium. Candidates should not hesitate to contact their regional travel chair for advice.
Travel support contacts:
Travel Chair:
Wallace J. Nichols
Department of Herpetology,
California Academy of Sciences
POST: c/o Wildcoast, P.O. Box 752 Brookdale, CA 95007, USA (E-mail: wallacejnichols@earthlink.net; FAX: 650-651-1579)
Latin America Spanish-speaking Caribbean:
Ana R. Barragan, E-mail: arbr@mixmail.com
Caribbean (English-speaking):
Karen Eckert, E-mail: widecast@ix.netcom.com
Asia and Pacific:
Nicolas J. Pilcher, E-mail: nick@tualang.unimas.my
Africa and Europe:
Brendan Godley and Annette Broderick E-mail: MTN@swan.ac.uk
USA and Canada:
Alan Bolten, E-mail: abb@zoo.ufl.edu
Contacts for additional meetings:
Latin Reunion:
Clara Padilla and Roxana Silman
E-mail: clarits@hotmail.com
E-mail: baulas@sol.racsa.co.cr
WIDECAST Meeting
Karen L. Eckert
Executive Director, WIDECAST
17218 Libertead Drive, San Diego, CA 92127 USA
Tel: +1-858-451-6894, Fax: +1-858-451-6986
E-mail: widecast@ix.netcom.com
MTSG Meeting
F. Alberto Abreu (Chairman)
Estacion Mazatlan Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia UNAM, Apartado Postal 811 Calz. Joel Montes Camarena, Mazatlan, Sinaloa 82000 MEXICO
Tel: +52-69-85-28-45, -46, -47, or –48
Fax: +52-69-82-61-33
E-mail: abreu@ola.icmyl.unam.mx