2020 Spring Meeting
The Spring 2020 meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society (SEERS) will be at the Holiday Inn Resort Jekyll Island on Georgia’s Jekyll Island during March 19 – 21, 2020 (Thurs – Sat). Rachel Guy, Research Monitoring and Program Coordinator with the Sapelo Island NERR, is our local host.
Special Session: Coastal Cultures Guiding Coastal Sciences
As the marine sciences have evolved over the years, estuarine scientists have recognized humans as a major player in our coastal environments. Ecosystem-based management decisions without the integration of humans and our impacts are insufficient. Culture, from all walks of life, should be compatible with coastal ecological goals. Thus, our coastal environments represent complex socioecological systems requiring interdisciplinary research in order to conserve them for present and future generations. SEERS is calling for presentations in this special session that address the influence of culture on governing scientific or managing principles such as community resilience, cultural interaction with the biophysical environment, and/or cultural knowledge on practice.
For other sessions, presentations on other research topics related to estuaries and coasts are welcome as always.
Student Networking Breakfast
Are you unsure about the career paths available to you after graduating? Come to the Student Networking Breakfast on Friday morning! Participate in a round-robin event where students can move from table to table, while eating breakfast, and learn about the variety of career paths available in the estuarine and coastal sciences. Professional participants may range from academia to non-profits to state and federal employees. There is a question on the registration form where you can indicate your interest in participating in this event.
Deadlines
Registration is open! Register at our Member Services website.
- Monday, Feb. 24: last day for abstract submission, early registration, and travel award applications
- Tuesday, Feb. 25: late registration fee of $15 is applied
- Thursday, Feb. 27: last day to reserve hotel room at block rate
- Monday, Mar. 2: last day for late registrations without abstracts, or to cancel
Registration Rates
Make sure your membership is up-to-date to receive the best registration rates! See instructions for multiple registrations and third-party payers. Full registration includes the Thursday evening reception; Friday breakfast, lunch, and evening banquet; Saturday breakfast; coffee breaks each day; and the program book. Reception-only and banquet-only tickets may be purchased individually or for guests.
- Professionals: $140 (member) / $160 (non-member)
- Students: $80 (member) / $95 (non-member)
- One day, no banquet: $70
- Late fee (after Feb. 24): $15
- Extra Thursday night reception ticket: $30
- Extra Friday banquet ticket: $35
Preliminary Schedule
- Thursday evening: plenary talk, poster previews, and a hearty reception
- Friday early morning: Student Networking Breakfast
- Friday morning to mid-afternoon: oral sessions, including the special session, and lunch
- Friday late afternoon: poster session (student posters are judged during this session). Posters can remain up throughout the meeting.
- Friday evening: the banquet, a low-country boil, will be held outside after the poster session at Great Dunes Beach Pavilion
- Saturday morning: oral sessions
Abstract Submission
Abstracts are submitted during the registration process. Abstracts for oral or poster presentations should highlight scientific research, education, or outreach in the field of estuarine science and are limited to 250 words. SEERS generally accepts all submitted abstracts that meet these guidelines, so do not wait for abstract acceptance before registering for the meeting. If you have any questions about whether your topic meets these guidelines, please contact the program chair well ahead of the submission deadline.
Each abstract may be submitted only once for presentation at the conference, i.e., an abstract with multiple authors must have one designated presenter.
Oral Presentations
Oral presentations are limited to a 15 minute time block, which includes a 12 minute talk and 3 minutes for questions. Presentations should be prepared in a Windows compatible format (ppt or pdf). Awards will be given for best undergraduate and graduate oral presentations.
Poster Presentations
Posters are limited to a maximum size of 30” wide by 40” tall. Awards will be given for best undergraduate and graduate poster presentations.
Student Travel Awards
SEERS is offering up to five student travel awards of $150 each to qualifying students attending this meeting. See the Student Travel Awards page for details and an application.
SEA Buddy Program
The new Student Experience Alliance (SEA) Buddy program is designed to welcome first-time student attendees by pairing them with SEERS student members who have previously attended SEERS meetings. To be part of the SEA Buddy program for this meeting, read all about it here and be sure to select First-time Student or Experienced Student on the meeting registration form.
Sponsorship
One of our top priorities is to encourage participation of student colleagues. Sponsorships allow SEERS to offer reduced registration prices for students and provide travel awards for selected students (who are presenting their research) to participate in the meeting. We offer three paid sponsorship levels with a range of benefits. SEERS may be interested in sponsorships with provision of goods or services to the meeting in lieu of payment: please contact the program chair at programchair@seers.org to discuss arrangements.
Lodging
A block of rooms is available at one local hotel; reservations MUST be made by February 27 to qualify for reduced rate:
Holiday Inn Resort: Jekyll Island
701 North Beachview Drive
Jekyll Island, GA 31527
(912) 635-2211
Please use this booking link: https://www.holidayinnresorts.com/redirect?path=asearch&brandCode=RS&localeCode=en®ionCode=1&hotelCode=BQKJI&checkInDate=19&checkInMonthYear=022020&checkOutDate=21&checkOutMonthYear=022020&rateCode=6CBARC&_PMID=99801505&GPC=SEE&cn=no&viewfullsite=true
SEERS attendees that would like to come early or stay through the weekend can get access to group rates, but must call the Holiday Inn directly: (912) 635-2211. Make sure to mention you’re a part of the SEERS group.
Travel
Vehicle entry onto Jekyll Island requires a valid parking pass which must be purchased at the entry gate or Guest Information Center upon arrival on the island. The daily rate is $8; other rates are available for extended stays.
Cancellation
After registering, if you are not able to attend the meeting, we encourage you to send a substitute attendee in your place. You may substitute at any time, even on-site at the time of the meeting. If you must cancel, a refund of meeting registration (less a $10 cancellation fee) may be requested by March 2, 2020. No refunds will be issued for cancellation after March 2, 2020. Membership dues are not refundable.
