www.wellsreserve.org/news/2004-03-10_forum.htm

SCIENCE FORUM WILL LINK RESEARCH TO MANAGEMENT

WELLS, MAINE -- Getting scientific findings into the hands of people who can use the information to protect land and water resources is the goal on Thursday, April 8, from 8:30 am to 4 pm, as the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and the University of New England present "Science in Service to Communities."

In the forum, local scientists will tailor their remarks for municipal officials, conservation commissioners, students, and the general public. Those who attend will come away with a deeper and broader understanding of how environments can stay healthy as our region's population grows.

The public may freely attend any number of presentations, which will be made in the St. Francis Room beneath the Jack S. Ketchum Library at the University of New England.

For more information, visit www.wellsreserve.org or call Dawn Morse or Chris Feurt at (207) 646-1555.

At least a dozen scientists who are linking coastal research to resource management will speak at the forum.

View the Schedule

• Dr. Pamela Morgan, University of New England, will explore the role and importance of fringing salt marshes and will provide an overview of current research in these systems.
• Dr. Michele Dionne, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, will describe how fish and shellfish can be used to evaluate fringing marsh ecology as it relates to upland land use in Casco Bay.
• Dr. Ray Konisky, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, will explain how he linked hydraulic and ecosystem computer models to assess potential impacts of a self-regulating tide gate at Drakes Island marsh in Wells.
• Kristen Whiting-Grant, Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, will describe how microbial source tracking was used in two southern Maine watersheds to identify sources of fecal contamination in water.
• Charles Lubelczyk, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, will explain how Lyme disease influences white-tailed deer management in Maine.
• Alyson Eberhardt and David Burdick, University of New Hampshire, will show that road culverts can impede the movements of certain salt marsh fish.
• Tin Smith, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, will describe a new method for measuring and mapping estuarine water quality from river mouth to head of tide, and plans to relate the results to land use practices.
• Jim Dochtermann, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, will describe the automated water quality and weather instruments he employs to measure and monitor environmental conditions at the Wells Reserve as part of a nationwide program.
• Susan Smith, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, will describe how geographic information systems are used to map natural resources in York County and provide a basic overview of ArcView software.
• Jeremy Miller, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, will describe how fish and shellfish surveys are used to measure salt marsh health and to assess recovery after oil spills and other disturbances.
• Mike Haas, University of New England, will describe the invertebrates found in fringing salt marshes of Casco Bay.
• Andrea Leonard, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, will define non-point source pollution, describe how watershed surveys are used to identify water quality problems, and explain how Best Management Practices can be created and applied in a watershed.

The forum is being organized by the UNE Center for Sustainable Communities and the Wells NERR Coastal Training and Information Program. The Wells Reserve, with facilities at historic Laudholm Farm, is committed to investigating coastal environments and increasing understanding of their ecology.

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