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St. Petersburg Center Hosts USGS Marine Ecology Workshop
"Marine Ecology: The Unique Role of USGS Biological Research" was the title and substance of a
workshop held at the St. Petersburg Field Center (SPFC) during the week of May 23rd. The meeting involved 60
invited participants from all four USGS Divisions, the National Park Service (NPS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS),
Minerals Management Service (MMS), NOAA, academia, and others. The purpose of the workshop was to develop
a road map for BRD marine research into the 21st century. The meeting was structured to stimulate discussion and
achieve consensus as to where the USGS should be heading with respect to marine biological research and how
best to get there.
The workshop took place over four days. The first day involved discussion and prioritization of strategies by
USGS scientists, using a few case studies to identify and highlight the unique USGS role in marine research.
The case-study approach was again used the second day, this time by members from other Department of
Interior (DOI) agencies, other federal agencies outside DOI and from academia, with illustrated examples of how
BRD has succeeded or failed to address issues of importance to partners and clients. The third day was used to
define some short- and long-term goals for the future of marine biological research within BRD. A white paper will
be written outlining a vision on USGS marine biological research-primarily targeted toward a USGS/DOI
audience-and a strategic plan for building interest in collaborative marine research among DOI clients and
partners. The last day and a half was spent on a field trip to the Florida Keys where participants explored
coral reefs and discussed ecological issues facing Biscayne Bay National Park and the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary.
John Piatt from the BRD Alaska Biological Science Center chaired the workshop steering committee.
Other members included Bill Steiner (BRD Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, HI), Ken Sulak
(BRD Florida Caribbean Science Center), Mary Voytek (WRD National Research Program, VA), Page
Valentine (GD, Woods Hole Field Center), Homa Lee (GD, Menlo Park Field Center, Western Region
Coastal and Marine Geology, CA), and Gary Hill (GD-SPFC). Greg Smith, BRD Senior Science Advisor,
played a major role in organizing and conducting the meeting as part of his task to help develop strategic
directions for research within BRD.
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July 2000
in this issue:
Snake Pond
Delmarva Inland Bays
Barataria Barrier-Shoreline
OBS Recovery
Lake Mead
Joint USGS/BRD/WRD Studies
SeaMap Program
Coastal Erosion
Woods Hole Field Center
cover story:
Marine Ecology Workshop
Southern California Academy of Sciences
Penrose Conference
Visitors
July Publications List
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U. S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
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