Tall Ships America Conference 2020

47th Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships
Tradewinds Island Resorts
St. Pete Beach, Florida
February 17 - 20, 2020
www.tallshipsamerica.org

Tall Ships | credit USCG

The 47th Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships will be held February 17- 20, 2020 at the Tradewinds Island Resorts in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

At the conference, hundreds of ships’ masters, crew members, program administrators, educators, environmentalists, port representatives, festival managers, and others will gather for an information-packed three day conference.

Conference sessions will address vessel operations, regulatory issues, coast guard licensing, administration and management, educational programming, safety at sea, media relations, marketing, funding, and port event organization.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit:

https://www.tallshipsamerica.org/event/47th-annual-conference-on-sail-training-and-tall-ships/

November is Right Whale Month

North Atlantic right whale | photo credit: NEFSC

In November, 2018, the City of Fernandina Beach Florida, by order of Proclamation, recognized the month of November as "Right Whale Month."

In November of 2019, Fernandina Beach will be the location of the 11th Annual Right Whale Festival.

The Right Whale Festival celebrates the annual return of endangered North Atlantic right whales to the warm coastal water off northeast Florida and Georgia, where they give birth to and nurse their young.

The annual festival raises awareness of the threats to right whales and how to aid in their recovery. The event highlights local efforts to protect these whales from extinction. The festival also features activities and exhibits that emphasize education and environmentally responsible practices.

The 2018 Right Whale Festival was held on Saturday, November 3 along Jacksonville Beach, FL.



Right Whale Facts

In 2017, NOAA confirmed 17 North Atlantic right whale deaths; about 4 percent of a population estimated at about 450 animals.

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an "Unusual Mortality Event," which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

In 2018, there have been two confirmed right whale mortalities.

There are currently only about 100 females of breeding age in the population and more females seem to be dying than males.

Births have also been declining in recent years, and no new calves were spotted in the calving grounds off Florida in 2018.

Every winter, many right whales travel more than 1,000 miles from their feeding grounds off Canada and New England to the warm coastal waters of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida's east coast.

Entanglement in fixed commercial fishing gear is a major threat to right whales. There are restrictions on where and how commercial traps, pot gear and gillnet gear can be set. These restrictions include seasonal closures and gear modifications such as sinking groundlines, weak links, and gear markings.

To reduce the risk of harassment or collisions between right whales and boats, federal law requires vessels and aircraft to stay at least 500 yards away from right whales.

Vessels 65 feet and longer are also required to slow to speeds of 10 knots or less in Seasonal Management Areas along the East Coast, including the calving and nursery area.

To report right whale sightings, especially dead, injured, or entangled whales, please contact NOAA Fisheries at (877) WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343) or the Coast Guard on marine VHF channel 16.

The public can also identify and help marine mammals in trouble by using their smartphone. Learn more about the Whale 911 app by visiting https://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_resources/outreach_and_education/mm_apps/.



Related Information

Whale Smart Phone Apps

2017 North Carolina Coastal Conference

2017 North Carolina Coastal Conference
April 4 - 5, 2017
McKimmon Center
Raleigh, NC

North Carolina Sea Grant will host North Carolina’s Coastal Conference, April 4 - 5, 2017, at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The 2017 Coastal Conference will energize partnerships to develop solutions that can benefit the state’s coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems.

“Many communities from central North Carolina to the coast found their resilience tested in 2016,” notes Susan White, executive director of North Carolina Sea Grant and the Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina system. “They continue to need information and resources to respond to, recover from and anticipate both urgent and long-term coastal challenges.”

Coastal Conference sessions will include:

weather, storms and climate;

community and ecosystem health;

fisheries and aquaculture; and

planning and economics.

Experts from the fields of economics, transportation, energy, environment, industry, and health will lead interdisciplinary sessions designed to bring together diverse perspectives.

The program includes a networking reception on April 4 at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Research Center in Raleigh.

Registration and other details are available at ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/nc-coastal-conference.

source: North Carolina Sea Grant

2017 Maine - New Hampshire Beaches Conference

The Beaches Conference 2017 (Maine - New Hampshire)
July 14, 2017
Wells High School, Wells, ME
seagrant.umaine.edu/maine-beaches-conference

The Beaches Conference 2017 will be held July 14, 2017 at Wells High School in Wells, Maine. Participant registration will begin in May.

The Beaches Conference works to provide continuing opportunities for exchange of the most current information among beach and coastal stakeholders with diverse interests, and to present the findings from Maine and New Hampshire beach monitoring programs.

Conference Themes:

Management approaches in our coastal habitats
Implementing successful projects in beach communities
Preparing for and adapting to our future
The nature, and culture of our beaches
Monitoring, research, and emerging issues on the coast
Respecting stakeholder needs and values
Coastal development and regulation

The Beaches Conference Steering Committee includes:
Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
Maine Coastal Program
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Maine Geological Survey
Maine Healthy Beach Volunteers
Maine Sea Grant
New Hampshire Sea Grant
Rockingham Planning Commission
Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission
Town of Damariscotta
Town of Kennebunkport
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Walsh Engineering
Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve


For more information, visit: seagrant.umaine.edu/maine-beaches-conference


source: Maine Sea Grant

When Is World Oceans Day?

World Ocean Day (formerly World Oceans Day) is celebrated each year on June 8, as officially declared by the United Nations.

Canada proposed the concept of World Ocean Day in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and the day has been celebrated internationally ever since.

Each year, civil society, science centers, research institutions, NGOs, businesses, communities, and governments celebrate World Oceans Day round the world with local and global events.

*2021 UPDATE*

In 2021, worldoceanday.org urged the world to drop the "s" from World Ocean Day

"To strongly emphasize our connectedness on this blue planet, we are officially dropping the ‘S’ from World Ocean(s) Day."

Oceans Facts

The World's oceans produce at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen.

Oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.

Approximately 40 million people are expected to be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.

Related Information

worldoceanday.org

World Oceans Day - UN

Delaware Wetlands Conference 2016

Delaware Wetlands Conference
February, 3-4, 2016
Chase Center
Wilmington, DE

Delaware's DNREC will host the 2016 Delaware Wetland Conference which focuses on advancing wetland science and conservation through its theme “Educate, Connect, Protect.”

One of the largest gatherings of wetlands professionals on the Atlantic Coast, the conference takes place Feb. 3 and 4 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. This year's agenda includes two full days of presenting and sharing wetlands expertise.

The conference brings together nearly 300 wetlands professionals, students and environmental policy makers. They will take advantage of 43 diverse presentations, along with interactive workshops, abundant networking opportunities and an exhibition hall with nearly two dozen displays showcasing programs and products available to attendees.

DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program and the Coastal Training Program organized the conference.

Registration closes Jan. 27. Interested parties can access online registration and the conference agenda at http://de.gov/dewetlandsconference. Interested parties may register for one or both days.

2015 National Estuaries Day

National Estuaries Day will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2015.

In celebration of National Estuaries Day, beach clean-ups, hikes, canoe and kayak trips, cruises, workshops, and other special events are organized by Restore America's Estuaries member organizations, NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System, and EPA’s National Estuary Program.

National Estuaries Day began in 1988 to promote the importance of estuaries and the need to protect them. National Estuaries Day is held annually the last Saturday of September.

American Fisheries Society 2015 Annual Meeting

145th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232

The 145th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society will be held Aug. 16-20 in Portland, Oregon.

Scientists, policymakers, and fishermen will discuss what is being done to apply a more comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach to managing ocean resources.

Presentations and talks will highlight the latest advances in fisheries research, conservation, and policy measures.

source: American Fisheries Society

Yuba River Salmon Viewing Tours

In October, nature enthusiasts can experience unique salmon-viewing opportunities on California's Yuba River. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will host tours on Saturdays in October.

The fall run of king salmon as they return from the sea to spawn in the Yuba River east of Marysville can be enjoyed by participants via access provided by the University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center. Ninety minute tours beginning at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. will explore a section of the Yuba River featuring scenic vistas and close proximity to salmon spawning beds.

The tour will focus on the salmon lifecycle and its natural history. While salmon will be the primary focus, participants may be able to view wildlife such as bald eagles, osprey, mergansers, kingfishers and American dippers.

Advance registration via the CDFW website is required at www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/2/salmontours. Space is limited to 30 per tour with supervised children allowed. Participants are encouraged to dress for changeable weather and to bring drinking water and snacks. Bringing binoculars is also suggested although a spotting scope and some loaner binoculars will be available.

source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife