[Coral-List] Some encouragement for attending the ICRS

[Alan.e.strong]

Coral Enthusiasts,

John's words are important to consider in making the correct decision 
about attendance at the upcoming ICRS.  I'd been hoping something might 
be stated along these lines as clearly to me "going virtual" may not be 
the simple answer for this venue (many sites are likely to have 
difficulty with streaming video).  While I would argue that we need to 
be realistic and certainly strive to use these personal-contact venues, 
such as what is proposed for the upcoming ICRS sparingly and carefully, 
to begin having these "meetings" mainly as on-line conversations will, I 
feel, rob many the chance to make important [often life-changing] 
contacts with scientists and managers in a face-to-face setting --- 
often through side-bar session or even simply going out for a meal.

Think about it....communicating your ideas typically involves more than 
just your spoken words...

Cheers,
Al

On 8/8/2011 1:31 PM, John McManus wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> The recent discussions may have left a few people bit discouraged about
> attending the upcoming ICRS. It will indeed be expensive. However, for those
> who can possibly make it, I strongly encourage you to do so. This especially
> applies to students and early-career scientists.
>
>
>
> There is, in fact,  another reason why the ICRS is held in alternate
> locations. It is an attempt to break down one of the worst problems faced by
> coral reef scientists - regional paradigms. A scientist who has only seen a
> limited range of coral reefs generally develops a limited view of what coral
> reefs are like, which tends to be reinforced by others in the same region
> with the same problem. In particular, people who have only dived on reefs in
> unique areas such as Florida, or the populated Hawaiian Islands will likely
> have difficulties visualizing what other reefs are like. No matter how many
> films one watches or papers one reads, one can only hope to understand coral
> reefs from a comparative standpoint if one has seen a wide variety in
> person. Many debates in the history of coral reef science could have been
> avoided had the participants each had broader ranges of personal experience.
>
>
>
>
> Australia offers a chance to break down some of another major difficulty -
> the shifting baseline. Most coral reef scientists have never seen a really
> diverse coral reef with high bottom cover and dense assemblages of fish.
> Many have never seen the adults of fish species with which they are
> otherwise familiar. If someone has not been on a reef with so many fish that
> they block ones view, or been surrounded by multitudes of fish large enough
> to make one nervous, then that person probably has a distorted view of what
> a natural reef should look like. Not all Australian reefs are pristine, but
> the average healthy reef there is likely to be radically different from what
> most reef scientists have seen.
>
>
>
> The ICRS is a unique opportunity to meet colleagues, generate project ideas,
> and re-motivate our important research efforts. However, the opportunity to
> do field trips or commercial dive trips is equally important.
>
>
>
> Of course, attendance for many is completely out of the range of
> possibility. However, if you aren't sure if taking out a loan or pestering
> local embassies for funds to attend is going to be worth the investment, it
> may turn out to be so.  It is easily as important as a year of graduate
> school.
>
>
>
> I have managed, and sometimes struggled, to attend all since the 4th , and
> helped out a bit with the 4th and 11th. I greatly appreciate the incredible
> amount of work and worry that has gone into putting the upcoming ICRS
> together. That level of insane effort is always driven by a strong belief in
> the importance of the task.
>
>
>
> I certainly hope that something can be done about broadcasting some of the
> presentations. However, if you can possibly attend, I encourage you to do
> so. If not, please do at least try to make some future trips to some
> relatively pristine, large reefs in area far away from your own.
>
>
>
> Cheers!
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> John W. McManus, PhD
>
> Director, National Center for Coral Reef Research (NCORE)
>
> Professor, Marine Biology and Fisheries
>
> Coral Reef Ecology and Management Lab (CREM Lab)
>
> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS)
>
> University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, 33149
>
> jmcmanus at rsmas.miami.edu      http://ncore.rsmas.miami.edu/
>
> Phone: 305-421-4814
>
>
>
>    "If I cannot build it, I do not understand it."
>
>                --Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list

-- 
****<><  *******<><  *******<><  *******<><  *******
Alan E. Strong, Ph.D.
NOAA Coral Reef Watch, Consultant
Strong Research, Inc.&  IMSG
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA Coral Reef Watch Program
  e-mail: Alan.E.Strong at noaa.gov
url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

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