[Coral-List] Posting a workshop announcement

[Walt Jaap]

I am cohosting this workshop if you feel it meets standards, please post.  Thank you

Walt Jaap

Training workshop on
Analysis of Multivariate Data from Ecology and Environmental Science, using PRIMER v6
Clam Bayou Marine Science Education Center (USF), Boca Ciega Bay, 

St Petersburg FL, October 16-20, 2006

Course
● This five day workshop will cover the statistical analysis of assemblage data (species by samples matrices of abundance, area cover etc) and/or multi-variable environmental data which arise in a wide range of applications in environmental science and ecology, from environmental impact assessments, through fundamental community ecology studies and monitoring of widescale biodiversity change, to biomarker studies and purely physical or chemical analyses  

● Based on the PRIMER package (Plymouth Routines In Multivariate Ecological Research), a worldwide standard software tool used in over 2000 recent SCI-listed papers, for analysis of assemblages of marine benthic flora/fauna, corals, plankton, fish, algae etc, and, increasingly, terrestrial, freshwater, palaeontological, microbial & genetic data

● The workshop covers definitions of similarity, clustering (CLUSTER), ordination by non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) and principal components analysis (PCA), hypothesis testing on similarity matrices (ANOSIM) and other permutation tests (RELATE), linking biotic patterns to environmental variables (BEST/Bio-Env), identifying species responsible for observed community pattern (SIMPER, BEST/BvStep), comparison of ordinations (2nd stage MDS), dominance curves and (bio)diversity indices, including measures based on taxonomic relatedness of species (TAXDTEST), and practical issues such as taxonomic identification level, sample design, choice of analysis, etc 

● Lectures will also cover new tools in PRIMER v6, released in March 2006, e.g. a much wider range of similarity measures including new dispersion-weighted and taxonomically-based coefficients, new global permutation tests for a) groups formed in dendrograms (for a priori unstructured samples), b) dominance curves and c) optimal biota-environment relationships (the latter also examined by new non-parametric ‘linkage trees’). Also new in v6 are SIMPER analyses for 2-way layouts and abiotic variables, missing data algorithms for environmental data, improved MDS plots and diagnostics, merging of non-matching species lists, a wide class of richness estimators, workspaces which are navigable and savable, major speed and data capacity enhancements etc 

● The workshop will be given by Dr K R Clarke (PRIMER-E and an honorary fellow of the Plymouth Marine Lab, UK). Bob Clarke is a researcher in ecological statistics and has worked for many years at the PML, where he was responsible for adapting and developing the methods underlying the PRIMER package 

● ‘Hands-on’ lab sessions will use real literature case studies, analyzed with PRIMER. Participants are also encouraged to bring some of their own data to the course. The emphasis throughout is on practical application and interpretation, the theoretical aspects (e.g. the multivariate statistical methods which are the core of the course) being carefully selected to be those that are simple to describe and understand.  No prior statistical knowledge is assumed

 
Venue
● The workshop will be held at the University of South Florida, Clam Bayou Marine Science Education Center, set in a Nature Preserve on Boca Ciega Bay, about 15 minutes drive from the St Pete Campus of  USF. Whilst the schedule is an intensive 5 days of lectures and labs, 8 am to 5 pm (but finishing mid-afternoon Friday for those who need to get away), there will be opportunity to relax-recreate during lunch breaks by wandering round the reserve or taking short canoe trips.
● In addition to snacks and coffee at mid-morning and afternoon breaks, lunches will be provided as part of the course fee. Accommodation and other main meals; however, are not covered by the course fee (though it is hoped to arrange an evening event at the center, including dinner, on the Thursday).

● Accommodation is not available at the Clam Bayou center itself. There are several chain hotels (Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson’s, Hampton Inn) about 10 minutes’ drive from the center; also the small town of Gulfport (about 15 minutes away) has character accommodation and restaurants. Non-local participants will need to arrange their own travel and accommodation, but the local organizer, Walt Jaap, can provide further information on the hotels and travel possibilities 

● Lectures and exercises will take place in a multi-function room, not a computer laboratory, so participants are expected to bring their own laptop computers to use during the lab sessions, analyzing literature data sets and some of their own data (with Bob Clarke’s help). Not every participant needs a laptop and you may prefer to share with a colleague – one machine between two people is very workable (in fact, has some benefits in terms of livelier interactions!).

 

Workshop costs
 

● Course fee: $700 ($500 for full-time students) for a full 5 days. This includes materials (but not software), and catering at breaks and lunches

● Software license for PRIMER6. The PRIMER version 6 software will be used throughout and, to register, participants must either already have purchased a license for this new version or purchase/upgrade at the time of the course*. The below are discounted license fees for course participants (postage will be added if software is required in advance of the workshop)

Private sector company:                                                     $800 new v6                         $400 upgrade+ to v6 from v5 

Public sector institution:                                                     $600 new v6             $300 upgrade+ to v6 from v5

University staff/student (research use only**): $400 new v6             $200 upgrade+ to v6 from v5

*An exception can only be made for a student who will, in future, only be using their supervisor’s PC (and their supervisor already has a registered v6 license), or they will be using a machine covered by a v6 teaching license at their university. 

**University use of v6 for contractual work requires an appropriate public or private sector license

+ If upgrading, please first check with Cathy (admin at primer-e.com) that you hold a valid v5 license

 

Contact and Registration
 

● Contact the local organizer, Walt Jaap, e-mail: wjaap at tampabay.rr.com, wjaap at marine.usf.edu  phone: 727-896-0521 or 727-553-3612.  Walt can e-mail you a detailed schedule for the workshop and a registration form, and can send non-locals information on the hotels and directions.   

● Registration for the course is solely through PRIMER-E in Plymouth, UK. Registration must be accompanied by payment, for both course and software fees, preferably by providing credit card information (Visa or Mastercard only). Cards will be debited on receipt of registration form, or later if requested, but no later than the registration deadline of 21 July 2006. Dollar checks drawn on a US bank can also be accepted but these must again arrive by the registration deadline.

● The course will cater for about 25 participants, and is limited to an absolute maximum of 30: places will be allocated in strict order of receipt of registration, with payment. Forms can be faxed (++44 1752 783366) or posted to Cathy Clarke at PRIMER-E. Invoices, confirming payment, will be issued. (Cathy can also e-mail proforma invoices, if requested. Contact her on admin at primer-e.com). Late registrations will be accepted, space permitting, also in order of payment.