Latin American and Caribbean Regional Symposium on Ocean Acidification

Host institute: Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (INVEMAR), Santa Marta, Colombia
Dates: 21-24^th of January, 2019
Organizers: The Ocean Foundation
                      The US Department of State
                      The Swedish International Development Agency
                      The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON)
                      Latin America Ocean Acidification Network (LAOCA)

Language: English, Spanish (simultaneous translation provided for plenary sessions, French and Portuguese may be available upon request)
 

Contact point:  Alexis Valauri-Orton
                          The Ocean Foundation
                          Washington, DC
                          Tel: +1 202-887-8996 x117
                          E-mail: [email protected]

Download the Symposium flyer

Overview:

Ocean acidification – the unprecedented decline in the ocean’s pH as a result of carbon dioxide emissions – poses significant threats to ecosystems and economies in the Latin America and Caribbean region. This symposium will bring together scientists, industry practitioners, and policymakers from throughout the region to discuss and discover strategies for building resilience to ocean acidification. Specifically, the symposium will highlight strategies for building low-cost monitoring systems, techniques for building resilient seafood supply chains including through technological interventions, and policy frameworks for building economic and social resilience at regional and national scales. The symposium will also focus both on existing practices and future options for researching the impacts on and the development of adaptation plans for coral reef ecosystems.

The objective of the symposium is for attendees to leave with an understanding of what implications ocean acidification has on their work and what tools are available to integrate ocean acidification monitoring, mitigation, and resilience into their work.

The symposium will consist of:

• Plenary-style and small group lectures from regional and international experts in each of the three primary fields: science, industry, and policy
• A series of practical demonstrations of monitoring and adaptation techniques, including, but not limited to:
  • Demonstrations of GOA-ON in a Box – a low-cost set of equipment designed to enable scientists to collect weather-quality carbonate chemistry data for a fraction of the cost of previous systems
  • Demonstrations of shellfish aquaculture adaptation systems for use in hatcheries
  • Demonstrations of low-cost and more advanced methods of studying coral response to ocean acidification
• Working sessions divided by discipline to enable attendees to build specific action and research plans for incorporating ocean acidification into their work
• A poster session to enable knowledge sharing of existing research and adaptation strategies from throughout the region

Registration:

Registration will open on October 1^st and will close January 5^th. The cost of registration is $75 USD.  Please register here. 

A limited number of scholarships to support travel to the symposium will be available. Applications for financial assistance to attend the symposium are due November 30^th. Apply for financial assistance here. 

Hotel Option:
We have reserved a room block at the Hilton Garden Inn Santa Marta at the rate of $82 USD per night. A reservation link with a special code is forthcoming, but if you would like to make a reservation now, please email Alyssa Hildt at [email protected] for assistance with your reservation.

Hilton Garden Inn Santa Marta
Address: Carrera 1C No. 24-04, Santa Marta, Colombia
Telephone: +57-5-4368270
Website: https://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/colombia/hilton-garden-inn-santa-marta-SMRGIGI/index.html

Transportation during Symposium and Workshop:
A daily shuttle will be provided in the morning and evening between the Hilton Garden Inn Santa Marta and the Symposium and Workshop activities at the host institute, Instituto de Investigaciones Marines y Costeras (INVEMAR).