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Tampa Bay Internet Training Workshop
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)'s Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science Tampa Bay Study team held an Internet Training Workshop on January 29 at the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) in St. Petersburg, FL. Geared toward managers and scientists, the workshop was designed to teach interested professionals how to use the Interactive Mapping System (IMS) and Digital Library on the USGS' Tampa Bay Study Web site in their management and research activities. The IMS and Digital Library are Internet-based resources that allow the public to access data and information about Tampa Bay. For example, participants can analyze evidence of seagrass recovery in aerial photographs, using the tools available in the IMS. During workshop sessions, FMRI reviewed how to use their Tampa Bay imagery system. The course was unique because it required no previous knowledge of Geographic Information System (GIS) science or software. Two sessions were scheduled to accommodate as many people as possible, yet keep the groups small enough for easy interaction; each 3-hour session was limited to 12 participants. Both sessions filled quickly, and a waiting list formed. Because of the Internet workshop's popularity, another will be held in the near future. Data and Information Management instructors included Kathryn Smith (USGS, St. Petersburg, FL), Ravic Nijbroek (Johnson Controls World Services, Inc., USGS National Wetlands Research Center, St. Petersburg Project Office), and Tina Udouj (FMRI). The task manager was Jimmy Johnston (USGS, Lafayette, LA). Contributors to creation of the Internet tools were Renee Koenig (ETI Professionals Inc., USGS, St. Petersburg), Christopher Cretini (Johnson Controls World Services, Inc., USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, LA), and Sumani Chimmula (University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and USGS National Wetlands Research Center). The scientific expertise of attendees ranged widely, from managers with little scientific background to members of the scientific communities of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Participants came from such organizations as the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Pinellas County Environmental Management, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, FMRI, and the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science. Also represented were the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' New Orleans District, the University of Pennsylvania, HDR Engineering, Inc., and Lewis Environmental Services, Inc.
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in this issue:
cover story: Submarine Ground Water in Rhode Island Underwater Microscope System Patented Meeting Highlights Florida's Natural Beauty Coastal Environmental Indicators Workshop Internet Tools Featured at Tampa Bay Workshop Normark and Oremland Selected AGU Fellows |