2010 Conference Registration is NOW OPEN
Emerging Threats to Amphibian Conservation in New England with Attention to Chytrid & Ranavirus
Friday, April 9, 2010 ~ 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Quonset O Club, North Kingston

TO REGISTER, DOWNLOAD THIS FORM AND RETURN IT TO RINHS OR CALL 401-874-5800

For the 2010 RINHS conference, experts in chytrid fungus and ranavirus have been invited to discuss the biology and potential ecological impact of these water-borne pathogens, monitoring strategies, and potential management responses, on amphibian populations. At the end of the conference, a moderated discussion will focus on ways to continue the investigation of the situation in Rhode Island and on possible management responses.

Invited speakers:
Edgardo Griffith, El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama. Keynote.
Tim Georoff, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Itraconazole Bath Treatment of Potential Carriers.
Carlos Rodriguez, Wildlife Conservation Society, Captive Surveillance with Necropcsy
Eric Baitchman, Zoo New England, Probiotic Treatment and Pathophysiology in Panama
David Skelly, Yale University, Discussion Moderator – ongoing investigation & management possibilities in RI
Additional talks on the Rhode Island chytrid study, ranavirus in RI wetlands & New York State, historical presence, origin & evolution of chytrid in New England, chytrid prevalence in Honduras, posters & displays.

The 2010 RI Distinguished Naturalist Award presentations will be held at 8:30 a.m. Watch this space for an announcement of the winner(s).

This year’s conference is sponsored by:
EPA Region 1
Roger Williams Park Zoo
American Association of Zoo Keepers
Zoo New England–Franklin Park Zoo/Stone Zoo

For more information on RINHS conferences, including details of past conferences, please visit the Conference Page of our website.

Emerging Threats to Amphibian Conservation in New England, with Special Attention to Chytrid and Ranavirus

Friday, April 9, 2010
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Quonset O Club, North Kingstown, RI

This year, the Rhode Island Natural History Survey’s annual ecology conference is focused on emerging threats to amphibians in New England and potential management responses. Experts in chytrid fungus and ranavirus have been invited to discuss the biology and potential ecological impact of these water-borne pathogens, monitoring strategies, and potential management responses. At the end of the conference, a moderated discussion will focus on ways to continue the investigation of the situation in Rhode Island and on possible management responses.

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has caused population declines and extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South America, eastern Australia, and the Caribbean. Preliminary results of a recent chytrid fungus survey in Rhode Island, sponsored by Roger Williams Park Zoo, documented a widespread, uneven distribution of this globally significant pathogen. Ranavirus, another emerging infectious disease, is also present in isolated wetlands throughout New England and has been implicated in recent catastrophic mortality events.

Keynote Speaker: Edgardo Griffith, Herpetologist and Director of the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama. No one is more experienced with the chytrid devastation or responded to it better than Griffith. His initiatives have been featured in National Geographic and promoted by David Attenborough and Jane Goodall, among others.

Researchers and wildlife managers working on threats to amphibians in New England including pathogens, polluted run-off, habitat loss/fragmentation, and climate change are invited to offer papers for presentation in oral or poster form. The organizers are particularly interested in hearing from researchers working on chytrid, ranavirus, or other pathologies or able to place emerging pathogens among other threats to amphibian conservation in southern New England. Student submissions are encouraged.

Abstracts should be less than 200 words, text only (no tables/graphs), left justified, arranged as follows:
Author(s), Affiliation(s), address, e-mail, phone number
(Skip a line)
Body of abstract

Submit abstracts electronically, attached as a Word file to: abstract@rinhs.org with preference for an “oral presentation” or “poster presentation” indicated in the subject field.

The submission deadline is 5 p.m., Monday, March 1, 2010. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference.

The conference is sponsored by Rhode Island Natural History Survey, Roger Williams Park Zoo, University of Rhode Island Department of Natural Resources Science, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Display space and additional sponsorship opportunities are available, contact RINHS.

RINHS conferences are widely regarded for convening a broad spectrum of people sharing a curiosity about southern New England’s animals, plants, geology, and ecosystems. They are excellent venues for researchers and organizations to showcase what they do in a collegial environment. For information on past RINHS conferences, including abstracts, visit our conference page.

RINHS will host its conference on marine ecosystems and off-shore development on Thursday, April 23, at the Quonset ‘O’ Club, North Kingstown, RI.

For full details of this day-long event, including the speakers, registration information, and directions, visit the Conference 2009 webpage.

Talks and Posters Sought for 2009 RINHS Conference:

Rhode Island’s Off-Shore Marine Ecosystem and the Potential Impacts of Alternative Energy Development

To be held Thursday, April 23, 2009
Quonset “O” Club, North Kingstown

The conference, sponsored by RINHS, Ocean SAMP, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, will engage scientists, organizations, and citizens in an investigation of ocean development impacts on marine ecosystems and resources. Rhode Island researchers and resource managers will be joined by speakers from Europe and elsewhere with experience of off-shore wind energy development. In addition to the scientific sessions, there will be organizational displays and presentation of the 2009 Distinguished Naturalist Awards.

RINHS invites submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations for the conference. Reports of scientific investigations into Rhode Island’s off-shore marine ecosystem and the potential impacts of alternative energy development are especially encouraged, as are submissions by students. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference.

RINHS invites submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations for the conference. Reports of scientific investigations into Rhode Island’s off-shore marine ecosystem and/or the potential impacts of alternative energy development are especially encouraged, as are submissions by students. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference. The submission deadline is Monday, March 2, 2009.

Instructions:
Abstracts should be < 200 words, text only (no tables/graphs), left justified, in the following format:
Author(s), Affiliation(s), address, e-mail, phone number
(Skip a line)
Body of abstract

Submit abstracts electronically, attached as a Word file to: abstract@rinhs.org, with preference for an “oral presentation” or “poster presentation” indicated in the subject field

The submission deadline is end of the business day on Monday, March 2, 2009.

RINHS conferences are widely regarded for convening a broad spectrum of people sharing a curiosity about Rhode Island’s animals, plants, geology, and ecosystem. They are an excellent venue for students to gain experience and for researchers and organizations to showcase what they do in a collegial environment.

For more information contact the RINHS office: contacts

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