9ICRS Scientific Field Trip Schedule

[Mark and Arnaz Erdmann]

Dear Colleagues,
After months of negotiations, we are proud to announce the finalized 9ICRS
Scientific Field Trip Schedule. This field trip series will offer a range of
ten pre and post-symposium excursions on various liveaboard dive vessels to
four diverse reef regions of Indonesia: Komodo, North Sulawesi, Wakatobi (SE
Sulawesi) and Bali. Each trip will be led by a reef scientist with at least
three years' experience working on Indonesian reefs, and should offer an
unparalleled opportunity for 9ICRS participants to explore some of the most
diverse but understudied reef systems in the world while benefitting from the
insights of local and expatriate reef scientists. All four destinations will
feature diving within Indonesia's Marine Protected Areas system (including
Komodo National Park, Bunaken National Marine Park, Wakatobi National Marine
Park, and Bali Barat National Park), allowing participants to view first hand
both the successes and problems with this MPA system. 

Trips range from three to six days in duration, and most require additional
air
travel from Bali. Each itinerary has been designed to visit the widest
range of
reef environments possible in the short time available, making full utility of
the liveaboard dive vessel platform to offer trips that would be impossible
from a land-based itinerary. The liveaboard situation should also allow
maximum
exchange of information between the trip leader and participants, with the
possibility of slide shows and short presentations during the evenings.
Additionally, each trip will be encouraged to conduct at least one ReefCheck
survey during the course of their itinerary (though this will be voluntary).

Space is limited to a total of 137 participants on the 10 scheduled trips, and
enquiries received to date indicate that these spaces will fill quickly. 
Detailed information on the trips is now available by contacting Tara
Schoedinger at Asia Transpacific Journeys:  <tara at southeastasia.com>.  This
detailed information will also soon be available through the 9ICRS website:
<http://www.nova.edu/ocean/9icrs> (note that some preliminary information is
already posted on the website, but should be updated in the next few days).
Below is a brief summary of the 10 trips:

Bali October 20-23 (3 days/3 nights)  on board Sea Safari VI 
Bali October 28-31 (3 days/3 nights)  on board Baruna Adventurer
Komodo October 15-22 (6 days/6 nights) on board Evening Star II
Komodo October 28-Nov 2 (5 days/5 nights) on board Sea Safari VI
Komodo October 28-Nov 2 (5 days/5 nights) on board Adelaar
Tukang Besi  October 17-22 (5 days/5 nights) on board Baruna Adventurer
North Sulawesi October 17-22 (5 days/5 nights) on board Serenade
North Sulawesi October 17-22 (5 days/5 nights) on board Symphony
North Sulawesi October 28-Nov 2 (5 days/5 nights) on board Serenade
North Sulawesi October 28-Nov 2 (5 days/5 nights) on board Symphony


We would like to thank the Indonesian 9ICRS organizing committee for allowing
us to develop this field trip series, and especially Terry Done, David Hopley,
and Kevin Kohler for their support throughout the negotiation process. Hope to
see you in Bali!

Best wishes,

Arnaz and Mark Erdmann


Mark V. Erdmann, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Indonesian Institute of Sciences 
and
University of California, Berkeley 

PO BOX 1020
Manado, Sulawesi Utara  95010
Indonesia
Telp: (62) 811-432649