Conference Announcement and Call for Papers for--

Statistics for Aquatic Resources: Monitoring, Modeling and Management

September 7-9, 2005

The aim of the conference will be to improve our understanding of the status and trends of aquatic plant and animal populations, fisheries, wetlands, water quality, and water abundance. The meetings will feature discussion of recent findings in statistical research into methods of monitoring, modeling, and managing aquatic resources, including lakes, streams, estuaries, near-coastal waters, wetlands, and the associated physical habitat and biological communities. Session topics will include design and analysis of aquatic resource surveys; design-based/model-assisted survey methodology (including small area estimation), analysis of rotating panel designs and incorporation of ancillary or non-probability information, and spatial and temporal modeling. Approaches to monitoring and assessment of aquatic resources and management implications will receive special emphasis. We encourage the participation of statisticians and environmental scientists with an interest in any aspect of monitoring, modeling, or managing aquatic resources. Invited speakers include Noel Cressie, Steve Thompson, Jay Ver Hoef. A one-day workshop on Designing Aquatic Resource Surveys will be given in conjunction with the conference.

Representatives from the Oregon Plan Monitoring Team will join us in a plenary session to discuss the lessons learned from a recent assessment of the Oregon Plan’s efforts to conserve and rebuild coastal coho salmon populations. The Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds is Oregon's cooperative effort to restore salmon runs, improve water quality, and achieve healthy watersheds and strong communities throughout the state.

Conference is co-sponsored by the USEPA-funded programs DAMARS (Program on Designs and Models for Aquatic Resource Surveys) at Oregon State University and STARMAP (Space-Time Aquatic Resource Modeling and Analysis Program) at Colorado State University, the Section on Statistics and the Environment of the American Statistical Association, and The International Environmetrics Society.

Deadline for submission of abstracts for consideration for oral or poster presentation is July 1, 2005. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by July 15, 2005. Abstracts may be sent by email to stevens@science.oregonstate.edu or mailed to Statistics for Aquatic Resources Conference, Statistics Department, 44 Kidder Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331. For more information contact Don Stevens, (541) 737-3587 or visit our website http://oregonstate.edu/dept/statistics/epa_program/meeting.html.