NWRC Weekly Highlights 11/6/2008

Weekly Highlights

MEMORANDUM

From: Gabrielle B. Bodin
Subject: Weekly Highlights, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, November 6, 2008

Departmental/Bureau News - Upcoming

16th International Conference of Environmental Bioindicators: USGS National Wetlands Research Center scientist Jill Jenkins will present her paper, “Biomarkers of an Endangered Species in Lake Meade, Nev.,” at the conference being held in Orlando, Fla. November 11 – 14. (Jill Jenkins, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8607)
Lower Basin Pallid Sturgeon Workgroup Annual Fall Meeting: USGS National Wetlands Research Center scientist Jill Jenkins will provide an update on her USGS Science Support Partnership Program project, High Resolution DNA Analysis in Attempts to Discriminate Between the Endangered Palled Sturgeon and the Shovelnose Sturgeon, at the December 2 – 3 meeting in Vicksburg, Miss. The project is addressing species differentiation between the endangered pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon. (Jill Jenkins, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8607)

Departmental/Bureau News -Current

Radar Images Provided to the American Museum of Natural History: At the request of the American Museum of Natural History, USGS National Wetlands Research Center biologists Dr. Wylie Barrow, Jr. and Lori Randall provided radar images for possible use in a book entitled, "Remote Sensing for Conservation." The images depict migratory bird movements and may be used as illustrations for a discussion of ground-based radar. (Wylie Barrow, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8668)
Evangeline Elementary Educational Program and Tour: USGS National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) contractor Gabrielle Bodin, along with several NWRC scientists, gave a presentation and tour to two second grade French immersion classes on November 3. (Gabrielle Bodin, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8655)
Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force Meeting: USGS National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) Spatial Analysis Branch Chief Scott Wilson and NWRC ecologist Greg Steyer presented information on various projects to the task force at their quarterly meeting held November 5 in New Orleans, La. (Scott Wilson, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8644)
Regional Louisiana Coastal Area Workgroup Meeting: USGS South Central Area Regional Executive Stanley Ponce, La. Water Science Center Director Charlie Demas, and National Wetlands Research Center staff Scott Wilson and Greg Steyer participated in the meeting hosted by General Walsh of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on November 6. (Scott Wilson, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8644)
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Coastal Sciences Class: USGS National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) contractor Gabrielle Bodin, along with several NWRC scientists, provided a presentation and tour to this university group on November 7. (Gabrielle Bodin, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8655)

Agency Work on Presidential Initiatives

Launch of the DRAGON Institute and Climate Change Working Group: USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director Gregory Smith leaves November 11, 2008, to join a delegation of Department of the Interior and non-government organization scientists in Vietnam. The purpose of the meeting is the launch of the Delta Research and Global Network (DRAGON) Institute-Mekong at Can Tho University and to organize a new Climate Change Working Group. Participants include Tim Petty, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior; Sue Haseltine, USGS Associate Director for Biology; Stanley Ponce, USGS South Central Area Regional Executive; Jeb Barzan, Field Director with the International Crane Foundation; and Marc Gaden, Communications Director, Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Events will take place in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho. They will be meeting with U.S. embassy officials and various Vietnam ministries related to the environment. (Greg Smith, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8501)

Press Inquiries/Media - Newspapers/magazines/wires, etc.

Randy Westbrooks, an invasive species prevention specialist with the USGS National Wetlands Research Center based in Whiteville, N.C., was recently interviewed by a writer for Texas Co-op Power for an article about giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) in Caddo Lake, Tex. and La.
“A Monster Is Loose in Caddo Lake” (Texas Co-op Power; November 2008)
“ULL Started Small, But Its Impact Is Big” (The Advocate; Nov. 5, 2008)

Other (Forum meeting, press conferences, media training, etc.)

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant distributed a press release regarding USGS scientist Virginia Burkett. Burkett who, along with others, participated in a presentation to honor and thank her former high school teacher, Della McCaughan, at the Mississippi-Alabama Bays and Bayous Symposium held in Biloxi, Miss., Oct. 28 – 29. Burkett was a keynote speaker on climate change at that meeting. (Virginia Burkett, Many, La., 318-256-5628)

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