2016 NCAFS Meeting

2016 Joint Meeting of the NC and VA Chapters of the American Fisheries Society
Joined by the SE Atlantic Slope Mollusk and VA Atlantic Slope Mollusk Recovery Groups

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Institute for Advanced Learning and Research Conference Center
Danville, VA – March 14-17, 2016

Join us at the 2016 Joint Meeting of the NC & VA AFS Chapters, as well as the Meeting of the SE Atlantic Slope (SEASMM) & VA Atlantic Slope Mollusk Recovery Groups (VAS MRG), this March.  Our host will be The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, located at 150 Slayton Ave, Danville, VA 24540.  Email NCAFS President-Elect Mike Gangloff or call (828) 262-7790 if you have questions or if you are interested in assisting with meeting execution.  Send suggestions for the SEASMM/VAS MRG agenda to Judith Ratcliffe.

Schedule, Program, & Abstracts

View and download final program  View and download abstracts
Click here for live responsive abstract page:

SE Atlantic Slope & VA Atlantic Slope Mollusk Meeting Agenda

The agenda for the mussel workgroup meeting on March 14-15th is now available:  Click here to read and download.

2015 Business Meeting Minutes For Review

With thanks to Todd Ewing, our previous Secretary/Treasurer, the minutes from the 2015 NCAFS Business Meeting are available for member review prior to acceptance at this year’s meeting.  Click here to read and download.

Continuing Education Course

Topic:  Conservation Genetics
Instructors:  Dr. Eric Hallerman, VA Tech University
Course Capacity:  Open

Dan River Symposium

As the meeting venue is located on the Dan River, we will be hosting a special symposium on Wednesday afternoon, March 16th, of impacts and ongoing assessment/recovery actions following the 2014 coal ash spill.

Lodging and Reservations

A block of rooms at the Comfort Inn and Suites, 100 Tower Drive, Danville, 24540, (434-793-2000) is being held under the code “VA Chapter AFS”.  Sleeping room rates are $85.00 plus sales tax (if applicable) per night for a standard room of 2 double beds (max 4 in a room) or 1 king (max 2 in a room), with breakfast included.

Meeting Sponsors

Many thanks to our generous sponsors (for a full list, view our program):

Abstracts

Topics addressing any aspect of fisheries and related aquatic sciences are welcomed, including, but not limited to, management, research, conservation, outreach and education.  Presentations will be limited to 20 minutes (including a question & answer period).

Lightning Talks

A session of 5 minute talks, 3 minute question/answer for each (PowerPoint optional), for students and professionals to present new projects or programs, results from ongoing work, emerging issues, and other research or management briefs.

Submission deadline for all sessions: Now closed.

How to submit an abstract:

1. Complete the attached abstract submission form (click icon to download): 
2. Attach the abstract submission form to an email with the subject line “Joint AFS Meeting 2016 Abstract”.
3. Email the form to BOTH VA Chapter Program Committee Chair Craig Roghair at [email protected] AND to NC Program Committee Chair Mike Gangloff at [email protected].

Abstracts are limited to 300 words. Abstract title should appear in bold, and be followed by the author name(s), and affiliation(s). Please include contact information with email and phone number. If the presenter is a student, please note this on the submission. Abstracts should be submitted using the official form (example included).

Abstracts should include clearly stated objectives, brief methods, general results, and the basic conclusion. Please list several keywords at the end for future search capability.  Authors will be notified of acceptance by January 31, 2016.

Judges will be scoring all presentations for awards in both the professional and student categories.

Presentation Scoring Criteria

Presenters:  To assist you in putting together an award-winning presentation, below are the judging criteria for both professional and student papers.  You may also download a .pdf version of the scoresheet.

In a 5-point category, judges award 3 points for average quality (even though average quality may be very good), 4 for above average, and 5 for outstanding.

A. Individual Components (5 points for each)

1. Title – Does it accurately describe the subject?
2. Introduction – Does it provide adequate background, a historical context, and justification for the study?  Were the objectives and purpose clearly stated?
3. Methods or Approach – Are they described with sufficient detail?

B. Content

1. Structure and Organization (15 points) – Is there logical development and integration of the presentation?  Is the presentation comprehensible by members of the audience not engaged in that particular specialty?
2. Originality (10 points) – How valuable is the presentation in communicating and presenting unique or innovative methods, concepts, or interpretations? How relevant and significant is it to fisheries science?
3. Analytical Merit (10 points) – Are the analytical methods and study design or approach adequate and appropriate?
4. Technical Merit (10 points) – Are interpretations consistent with the results or evidence presented?  Are limitations identified and evaluated?

C. Physical Presentation

1. Delivery (15 points) – Does the presenter employ good voice quality, enthusiasm, grammar, eye contact, posture and body language, pronunciation, and articulation?
2. Visual Aids (15 points) – Are the visual aids large enough, simple, understandable, relevant, and attractive?
3. Timing (5 points) – Does the presenter complete the talk within the allotted time, and leave time for questions?

D. Other Considerations (5 points)

1. Use this category to reward unique or attractive features which do not fit exactly into other criteria (e.g., judicious and effective use of humor).  It should be considered an extra and should not be awarded automatically.

E. Comments

1. Provide a brief evaluation of your impressions of each presentation.  Comments will be used to break ties.

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