[Coral-List] Registration cost for 12th ICRS

[Eugene Shinn]

Alina, as usual, hit the nail on the head regarding the high cost of 
the ICRS12 and Dustan made significant remarks regarding scientific 
content. Bob Ginsburg, Barbara Lidz, and myself organized the 3rd 
ICRS in Miami in 1977. In addition the two proceedings volumes were 
printed and available at the meeting.  We kept costs down by using 
University housing (two to a room), classrooms, graduate student 
help, and University of Miami printing facilities.  Emphasis was on 
science and field trips although we did have a first-ever evening 
underwater film festival.  So what has changed in the interim? 
Science in all disciplines has changed greatly and has evolved into 
more of a commercial/governmental enterprise where results are 
expected to support ever increasing regulatory agendas and expanding 
agency administrative departments much of which is driven by the ever 
increasing number and power of NGOs. Advocacy science reigns supreme 
and the proliferation of companies who design and manage meetings has 
driven cost upward. In the current situation the decline of the US 
dollar against the Australian dollar and increased fuel costs are 
also significant contributors.  In short we have been too successful 
and in Pogo-speak "we did it to ourselves." Science is the looser. 
Gene    
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No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
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E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
Marine Science Center (room 204)
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eshinn at marine.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158---------------------------------- 
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