Scientific Program
I. Plenary and banquet speakers. Seven talks by noted scientists and conservationists are planned. See plenary speaker page for speakers & topics.
II. Contributed papers. Oral or poster presentations on any topic relevant to research, commercial use, and management of salt lakes will be considered. We anticipate that perhaps 50% of the presentations will be in this category. See abstract submission page for list of topic options. Oral presentations will be 15 min + 5 min for questions. Allowed poster dimensions are 120 cm x 120 cm (4' x 4').
III. Proposed Special Sessions (Oral and poster presentations as described above)
16. Bird conservation and management of habitats in the World's saline lakes
Organizer: Eric McCulley, Legacy Nature Preserve Manager (Utah), emcculley@utah.gov
This session will focus on development and use of regional and local partnerships for protection and management of bird habitats adjacent to or within saline lakes. I will encourage the discussion of how these partnerships have lead to "more than the sum of the parts" and how land managers can benefit from lessons learned by others. The topics of discussion can include, but may not be limited to: management strategies to benefit resident and migratory birds; local, regional and international partnerships formed to benefit bird conservation; combinations of bird monitoring and habitat assessments in developing monitoring and management strategies; GIS modeling of regional habitat relations; ecosystem services provided by healthy bird ecosystems; scientific studies of bird use patterns as they relate to habitat quality; restoration of hydrology and habitat on disturbed lands; invasive species management; and watershed based restoration.
17. Prairie saline lakes and wetlands: structure and function, patterns and processes
Organizers: Jasmine Saros, University of Maine, saros.jasm@uwlax.edu
Courtney Salm, University of Maine, courtney.salm@gmail.com
Thousands of saline lakes and wetlands are situated in landscapes with natural grasslands and agriculture. The diverse chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of prairie lakes and wetlands make them important sites for a variety of ecological studies. For example, their location in semi-arid regions causes the water budgets of these aquatic systems to fluctuate dramatically, which can strongly affect ecosystem processes but also allow for paleolimnological reconstructions of drought frequency from saline lakes. These saline systems provide valuable ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, waterfowl production, maintenance of biodiversity, and cycling of nutrients. We invite contributions to this session that deal with the study of prairie saline lakes and wetlands across various ecological and temporal scales.
18. Hypersaline algae and cyanobacteria: Diversity, evolution, physiology, genomics and applications
Organizers: Juergen Polle, City University of New York, jpolle@brooklyn.cuny.edu
William Henley, Oklahoma State University, henley@okstate.edu
Photoautotrophs of hypersaline habitats, especially those on exposed sediments, tolerate dynamic extreme osmotic, temperature and irradiation stresses. The chlorophyte Dunaliella is a traditional model for halophysiology and a commercial source of carotenoids, and more recently is being considered as a source of biofuels. In addition, a variety of cyanobacteria and diatoms occupy benthic hypersaline habitats, sometimes forming complex mat communities. Presentations and posters are welcome on any aspect of hypersaline algae, with possible foci on (1) evolutionary relationships to non-hypersaline algae, (2) genetic consequences of chronic stress, (3) algae-bacteria interactions, (4) the D. salina genome project, and (5) Dunaliella for biofuels.
19. Responses of halophilic microorganisms to their environment
Organizers: Aharon Oren, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, orena@shum.cc.huji.ac.il
Bonnie Baxter, Westminster College, bbaxter@westminstercollege.edu
Bart Weimer, Utah State University, bart.weimer@usu.edu
Halophilic microbes have evolved a variety of genetic and physiological mechanisms enabling their survival in harsh and dynamic environments often characterized by high salinity/low water activity, intense solar radiation, or elevated temperatures. Recent advances in genomic approaches have increased our understanding of the mechanisms that enable halophilic microorganisms to survive in these extreme environments. This session will examine the current state of knowledge and enabling technologies in this field that will further increase discovery of novel processes for survival. We will also consider ways in which this growing body of knowledge will help to monitor and manage saline and hypersaline environments.
20. Environmental education in saline systems and their watersheds
Organizer: Andree Walker, Utah Society for Environmental Education andree@usee.org
This special session will be a round table discussion focusing on Environmental Education in Saline Systems/Watersheds. Accepted abstracts as well as invited local professionals will have 10-15 minutes (depending on number of participants) to describe their programs; specifically covering program needs assessments, program delivery, program impacts and recommendations. Local teachers will also be invited to the Round Table to share their experiences with the programs in the Great Salt Lake Watershed. Once all presentations have been made, time will be given for questions and discussion.
21. Salt field (pond) ecology and application: the importance to commercial producers and the community at large
Organizer: Mark Coleman, Actis Environmental Services, Australia, email@actis.com.au
Manmade salterns or salt fields provide an opportunity under controlled circumstances to study complex ecosystems in a succession of increasing salt concentration. Salt field biology is important to the producers of salt and is often closely monitored and managed. Much of this knowledge is readily transferrable to the management and understanding of saline lakes in general. Salt fields can also provide environmental value to the outside community by, for example, providing havens for species that are often not commonly found outside of operational area. Other spheres of interest include the ability of salt fields to sequester carbon and the transformation of salt fields into constructed saline wetlands once salt production has ceased. This forum aims to provide a venue to present information that is often not readily available outside of the industry.
22. Ephemeral lakes and mineral dust
Organizers: Tom Gill, University of Texas- El Paso, tegill@utep.edu
Rob Bryant, University of Sheffield, UK, r.g.bryant@sheffield.ac.uk
Dust (mineral aerosol) is thought to impact on global climate and biogeochemistry through many different mechanisms; these include direct and indirect radiative forcing, ocean fertilization, nutrient redistribution, terrestrial biogeochemistry and atmospheric chemistry. At regional scales, mineral dust can significantly impact human health and visibility reduction. Recent research has demonstrated that most significant global dust sources (‘hotspots’) are associated with topographic lows in dry lands that contain salt lakes or their remnant playas, and that complex relationships (often human-impacted) may exist between surface water, hydrology, water chemistry, climate, ecosystems, and the intensity of dust emissions from salt lakes or playas. Innovative contributions are sought on topics over the full range of spatial and temporal scales of investigation (including regional/global dust modeling, aeolian geomorphology, remote sensing, playa bio/geochemistry, playa ecology, etc.).
23. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the role of science in conserving and managing salt lakes
Organizer: Greg Reis, Mono Lake Committee, greg@monolake.org
Non-governmental organizations play a unique and critical role in the research, conservation, and management of saline lakes. These groups are also often locally-formed with regional, national, and international affiliations. The limited resources available to local groups constrain operations and require innovative strategies. Research is often sponsored by NGOs in order to gather information for use in advocacy. Where upstream water users and pollution dischargers conduct high-value economic activities that result in degradation of a terminal lake, reliable information is often the most useful tool for leveling the playing field and protecting salt lakes. Salt lakes occupy the lowest point in a watershed, and are in a unique position to realize benefits from changes in watershed management. The session will bring together representatives of NGOs from throughout the world to address how conservation can be promoted through legal, legislative, economic, educational efforts, based on a foundation of scientifically-defensible research.
24. Zooplankton ecology in saline systems
Organizer: Robert Jellison, University of California-Santa Barbara, jellison@lifesci.ucsb.edu
Zooplankton play a critical role in regulating physical, chemical and biological attributes in salt lakes. In many systems, dynamic changes in salinity drive a succession in the zooplankton community composition regulation via both physiological mechanisms and top-down control by predators. Artemia and other zooplankton in these communities play an important role as grazers that influence water quality, as food for higher organisms, and often as an important commercial resource. This session is open to discussion of all aspects of zooplankton ecology in saline lakes, wetlands and salterns.
25. Trace metal cycling and toxicology in saline lakes
Organizers: William Johnson, University of Utah, william.johnson@utah.edu
David Naftz, US Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, dlnaftz@usgs.gov
Trace metal cycling and toxicology in terminal lakes is governed by transport and fate processes that characterize marine and freshwater systems, but which are additionally influenced by processes that arise specifically in saline systems. Example processes specific to saline systems include: (1) alteration of geochemical activity coefficients and partitioning coefficients in response to the high ion content of saline waters; (2) alteration of hydrodynamic transport processes due to physical and chemical layering and density-driven flow; (3) enhancement of water column mixing and water-atmosphere interaction fluxes associated with high ratios of surface area to volume, as is typical of saline lakes, and; (4) unusual chemical reactions influencing toxicity to organisms adapted to harsh environments. This session will focus on trace metal cycling studies as influenced by the above considerations, as well as recent anthropogenic influences that could include changes in lake circulation patterns, inflow loadings, sedimentation rates, and atmospheric deposition.
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