Media Advisory 2 - 2002 Ocean Sciences Meeting: press conferences scheduled

Note: Please see also Media Advisory 1 of January 8, which contains important information not repeated here. It may be seen at http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/prrl/prrl0202.shtml.

Contents of this message

1. Press conferences at Ocean Sciences
2. How to participate in press conferences by phone
3. Press room phone numbers and related information
4. Attention PIOs: Sending press releases to the meeting
5. Who's coming
6. Press registration information and form (repeated from Media Advisory 1)

1. Press conferences at Ocean Sciences

All press conferences take place in the Press Room, Room 325A, Hawaii Convention Center.

This schedule is correct as of the time of its transmission, but changes are always possible. Press conferences may be added, dropped, or rescheduled. Any changes to this schedule will be announced in the Press Room.

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Day: Monday, February 11
Time: 10:00 AM HST (12:00 noon PST, 3:00 PM EST, 2000 UCT)
Subject: New insights into benefits and risks of aquaculture

Description: Mariculture, or marine aquaculture, the technique of raising fish, other seafood, and plants in ocean cages offers the possibility of increasing the food supply for a hungry world, but it also poses environmental risks of various sorts. We will hear about two ongoing experiments that seek to assess the positive and negative impacts in two geographic areas. Kenneth Black will discuss a Scottish salmon farm, its production and its impact on the water column and the sedimentary layer on the ocean floor. Anthony Ostrowski will present results of the Hawaii Offshore Aquaculture Research Project (HOARP), which raises Pacific threadfin in an effort to determine the economic and environmental feasibility of offshore aquaculture in the Pacific region.

Participants:
� Kenneth D. Black, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban, Argyll, United Kingdom;
� Anthony C. Ostrowski, Program Manager, Finfish, The Oceanic Institute, Waimanalo, Hawaii.
Relates to session: OS22H

***
Day: Tuesday, February 12
Time: 8:00 AM HST (10:00 AM PST, 1:00 PM EST, 1800 UCT)
Subject: New technology provides close in-ocean observation of "red tide" cells

Description: An exciting new technology is being applied to study toxic algal blooms ("red tide") with minimal impact on their environment. A new instrument, which can view individual algal cells floating in the ocean, will be described. The problem has been viewing these microbes in their natural "seascape," without disturbing the water with a wave. The solution was not as easy as dropping a microscope into the sea. It is, rather, a laser that excites the algae so that they emit red light, making themselves visible to the camera. The distance from the instrument to the cells (800 mm, 30 inches), compared to the size of the cells (0.02 mm, 0.0008 inch), is equal to the task of spotting a small ship from a satellite in orbit. We will also hear the results of using this new technology, as compared to the current method of bringing up a water sample in a bottle, and its utility in gaining a new understanding of a red tide phytoplankton bloom.

Participants:
� Jules Jaffe, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, California;
� Peter J.S. Franks, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, California.
Relates to session:OS21U

*** Day: Tuesday, February 12
Time: 9:00 AM HST (11:00 AM PST, 2:00 PM EST, 1900 UCT)
Subject: Recent changes in the Pacific Ocean carbon cycle

Description: Christopher Sabine describes the uptake of manmade carbon dioxide in the Pacific. This is the first comprehensive study of its kind for the entire Pacific Ocean and shows where and how this greenhouse gas is being taken up. Stephen Emerson shows how large scale climate changes have changed circulation patterns and biogeochemical processes in the Pacific Ocean over the last 20 years. Fei Chai presents a 3-D biogeochemical model that indicates that an abrupt climate change that took place in the late 1970s caused dramatic changes in the ecosystem's response.

Participants:
� Christopher L. Sabine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington;
� Steven Emerson, School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington;
� Fei Chai, School of Marine Science, University of Maine, Orono, Maine.
Relates to session: OS31J

*** Day: Wednesday, February 13
Time: 9:00 AM HST (11:00 AM PST, 2:00 PM EST, 1900 UCT)
Subject: The Science and Human Dimensions of Purposeful Ocean Carbon Sequestration

Description: The burning of coal, oil and natural gas produces carbon dioxide which, released to the atmosphere, causes global warming. To reduce the danger of manmade climate change, some scientists have suggested storing carbon dioxide in the deep ocean. Planned ocean carbon storage experiments off Keahole Point, Kona, on Hawaii's Big Island, have, however, generated strong local opposition. James Barry will discuss recent experiments conducted using submersibles in the deep ocean, exposing organisms to high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Jorge Sarmiento will describe recent model simulations of a proposal to store carbon in the deep ocean by fertilizing plankton living near the surface of the ocean. Lara Hansen will discuss political, legal and ethical aspects of ocean carbon storage.

Participants:
� James P. Barry, Associate Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Moss Landing, California;
� Jorge L. Sarmiento, Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey;
� Lara J. Hansen, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC.
Relates to session: OS51F

***
Day: Wednesday, February 13
Time: 10:00 AM HST (12:00 noon PST, 3:00 PM EST, 2000 UCT)
Subject: New insights into the ecology of pelagic animals

Description: We will hear first results based on a new way to study biological oceanography. The traditional method has been to conduct vessel-based cruises following a systematic grid in the ocean. The new way, illustrated with various examples in this session, is to place electronic sensors on marine animals and send them out to sea. Biologists are now seeing the ocean from the perspective of large oceanic animals including seal, whales, and turtles. These large migratory animals find that most of the North Pacific is unproductive. They are more wide ranging than previously thought, but feed primarily in a small number of very specific areas. For example, young sea turtles spend years feeding and traveling across the Pacific along a very narrow pathway, one that is also used by albacore tuna and albatrosses. Elephant seals travel thousands of kilometers [miles] from California beaches to feeding areas where they may dive more than 1,500 meters [4,900 feet]. The males go north to the Aleutian Islands, while females go to mid ocean fronts 1,000 kilometers [600 miles] south of the males. Blue whales travel at relatively high speeds for months, moving from California feeding grounds in the summer to winter grounds off Mexico and Costa Rica.

Participants:
� Jeffrey J. Polovina, Honolulu Laboratory, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, Hawaii;
� George W. Boehlert, Pacific Fisheries Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific Grove, California;
� Daniel P. Costa, Ecology Evolunary Biology, Long Marine Laboratory, Santa Cruz, California;
� Bruce R. Mate, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon.
Relates to session: OS41J

***
Day: Thursday, February 14
Time: 8:00 AM HST (10:00 AM PST, 1:00 PM EST, 1800 UCT)
Subject: Tides, Turbulence, and Ocean Mixing along the Hawaiian Ridge

Description: Tourists sipping cocktails on sunset cruises off Waikiki are probably unaware that 100 meter (300 foot) tall sub-surface waves are forming directly beneath their cruise ships and radiating outward across the Pacific. Three hundred meter (1,000 foot) high sub-surface tides have been discovered just 20 kilometers (10 miles) off Kaena Point, Oahu's western tip. These internal waves are now believed to be an important component of ocean mixing, the process by which warm surface water is exchanged with colder waters far below. The surface tide slams twice daily into the Hawaiian Ridge at nearly a right angle. Roughly 20 gigaWatts (20 billion watts) of tidal energy are lost at the Ridge, potentially providing the energy to fuel extensive mixing, most of which is believed to take place takes place in localized "hot spots." The Hawaii Ocean Mixing Experiment (HOME) is gearing up for a close-up look at Hawaii's Kauai Channel hot spot later this year.

Participants:
� Robert Pinkel, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, California;
� Daniel L. Rudnick, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, California;
� Walter H. Munk, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, California;
� Douglas S. Luther, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Relates to sessions: OS32P, OS41E, OS42O

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2. How to participate in press conferences by phone

For the first time at an AGU meeting, reporters will be able to participate in press conferences by telephone conference call. You must submit a Press Registration Form, available at the end of this advisory, in advance of the meeting.

To participate by phone in any of the press conferences listed above, call this number from the United States and Canada: 800-752-1361. This is a toll-free call.

From all other countries, call: +1-415-217-0050. The caller pays for international calls.

You will be asked for the name of the host or moderator of the call. For all press conferences, it is: Harvey Leifert.

You will also be asked for the reference number of the call, which is different for each press conference, as follows:
Monday, February 11, 10:00 AM HST (Aquaculture): 01240182
Tuesday, February 12, 8:00 AM HST (Red tide): 01240197
Tuesday, February 12, 9:00 AM HST (Carbon cycle): 01240199
Wednesday, February 13, 9:00 AM HST (Carbon sequestration): 01240200
Wednesday, February 13, 10:00 AM HST (Pelagic animals): 01240202
Thursday, February 14, 8:00 AM HST (Internal tides): 01240203

You will then be asked for your name, publication, location, and email address.

During the opening presentations at press conferences, you will be able to listen only. Then, during the question period, you may participate by pressing *1 on your phone. The conference call operator will put you in a queue and advise us in Honolulu that a phone question is pending.

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3. Press Room phone numbers and related information

The Press Room is Room 325A of the Hawaii Convention Center.

Phone: +1 (808) 792-6530 (Note: this number will not provide participation in press conferences.)
Fax: +1 (808) 792-6529
Please provide these numbers to anyone who may have to reach you at the meeting. Messages for Press Room registrants will be posted in the room.

The Press Room will be equipped with one computer work station with Internet access. There are four phone jacks for laptop modems. Business voice, fax, and modem calls are free of charge.

The Press Room will be open daily from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM HST (9:30 AM to 7:00 PM PST, 12:30 to 10:00 PM EST, 1730-0300 UCT).

Continental breakfast will be available for Press Room registrants from 7:30 AM, lunch from 11:30 AM, compliments of AGU.

Press conferences will take place in the Press Room.

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4. Attention PIOs: Sending press releases to the meeting

Public information officers of universities, government agencies, and other research institutions are encouraged to provide press releases and other documentation relevant to sessions at the meeting. We suggest 20-30 copies. Leftovers maybe collected Friday, February 15, after 1:00 PM, after which they will be scrapped.

PIOs who cannot attend may send releases by mail or express service. Address them as follows:
Harvey Leifert (Hold for February 9 arrival)
Hilton Hawaiian village
2005 Kalia Road
Honolulu, HI 96815
(Phone: 808-949-4321)

Shipments should be timed to arrive by Saturday, February 9, for distribution the first day of the meeting.

Video B-roll should be in Beta format for use by TV stations (not the VHS format used in press conferences).

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5. Who's coming

The following persons have registered for Ocean Sciences Meeting as of the date of this advisory.

Lou Bergeron, Freelance
Kristen Cabral, University of Hawaii
Kirk Fernandes, KHON-TV
Emily Gardner, Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Geoffrey Garrison, Freelance
Tara Hicks, Freelance
Charles Petit, U.S. News & World Report
Shawn Nakamoto, University of Hawaii
Robert Pitscheneder, Focus Magazin (Germany)
Gisela Speidel, International Pacific Research Center
Gary Sprinkle, KITV
Ji'an Zhu, Episodes (China)

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6. Press Registration information and form

Press registrants receive a badge that provides access to all of the science sessions of the meeting, as well as to the Press Room. No one will be admitted without a valid badge. A press registration form will be found at the end of this message.

Eligibility for press registration is limited to the following persons:
� Working press employed by bona fide news media: must present a press card, business card, or letter of introduction from an editor of the publication.
� Freelance science writers: must present a current membership card from NASW, a regional affiliate of NASW, CSWA, ISWA, or SEJ, a letter from the editor of a recognized publication assigning you to cover this meeting, or evidence of by-lined work pertaining to science intended for the general public and published in 2001 or 2002.
� Public information officers of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies: must present a business card.

Note: Representatives of publishing houses, for-profit corporations, and the business side of news media must pre-register through the AGU web site or register at the main registration desk at the meeting and pay the appropriate fees.

Press Registration Form

The press pre-registration deadline is Tuesday, February 5, 2002. The form must be received at AGU by that date for your badge to be available upon arrival, avoiding delay. You may, of course, also register onsite in the Press Room (not at the main registration windows). Once the Abstracts are available in CD-ROM and/or book form, and while limited supplies last, they will be sent to registrants, upon request from the form below. (Others will receive a copy in the Press Room.)

The Press Registration Form for easy online submission is available at http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/02OSPress_Reg_Form.shtml The form is also available there in a version that may be submitted by fax, email or by post.

Email address: [email protected]
Fax: +1 (202) 328-0566
Mail to: Harvey Leifert
AGU
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
USA
Or, you may take the form with you to the Press Room to register on site.

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<<< 2002 Ocean Sciences Meeting Press Registration Form >>>

Name (to be printed on badge):
Media or organizational affiliation (to be printed on badge):
Mailing Address:

Telephone:
Fax:
Email Address:

If freelancer: Check below one basis of your eligibility below and bring relevant proof to meeting.
_____ Member of NASW
_____ Regional affiliate of NASW
_____ CSWA
_____ ISWA
_____ SEJ
_____ Letter from recognized publication assigning you to cover this meeting
_____ Evidence of bylined science story published in 2001 or 2002

Check one of following two lines:
_____ I expect to attend the meeting in person.
_____ I do not expect to attend in person, but may participate in press conferences by conference call.

Abstracts:
Indicate preference for book or CD-ROM version (Check one box below)
____ I prefer a CD-ROM in advance of the meeting.
____ I prefer a bound volume in advance of the meeting.
How shall we send the abstracts?
____ Send Abstracts to me at the above address by USPS First Class mail.
____ Send Abstracts to me at the above address (no P.O. Boxes!) via express service
Name of express service (e.g. FedEx, UPS, etc.):
Class of service (e.g. next day, 2nd day, etc.):
My Account Number:
_____ Do not send Abstracts in advance; hold for me in the Press Room.