2017 NCAFS Meeting

2017 Meeting of the NC Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

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New Bern Riverfront Convention Center
New Bern, NC – February 14-16, 2017

Join us at the 2017 Meeting of the NC Chapter of the AFS in February.  Our host will be the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, located at 203 S Front St., New Bern, NC, 28560.  Email NCAFS President-Elect Corey Oakley if you have questions or if you are interested in assisting with meeting execution.  Additionally, the NC Freshwater Mollusk Workgroup will be meeting in the same location on February 14th (details below).

Schedule & Program

• Tue, Feb. 14th
  • 9:00 am – 5:00 pm:  NC Freshwater Mollusk Workgroup Meeting
  • 6:30 – 10:00 pm:  Oyster Roast/Social
• Wed, Feb. 15th
  • 8:00 – 11:30 am: Mussel Identification Workshop
  • 1:00 – 6:00 pm:  Registration Open
  • 12:45 – 5:40 pm: Presentations
  • 7:00 – 10:00 pm: Poster Session/Dinner/Raffle
• Thu, Feb. 16th
  • 8:00 am – 12:30 pm: Presentations
  • 1:45 -3:00 pm: NCAFS Business Meeting/Awards

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

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Business Meeting Minutes

Thanks to Secretary/Treasurer, Bryn Tracy:

• Minutes from the 2016 Chapter Business Meeting are available here for review prior to our 2017 Business Meeting on Thursday, February 16th
• Minutes from the 2017 Chapter Business Meeting are available here. (added fall 2017)

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Abstracts

Abstracts accepted for oral, lightning, & poster presentations.  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

Returning for 2017: 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: Closed.

Program Committee Members:  Ben Ricks, Kyle Rachels, Tom Fox, Kelsey Lincoln

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

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NC Freshwater  Mollusk Workgroup Meeting Announcement

The NC Freshwater Mollusk Workgroup will meet on February 14th from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm in New Bern, NC prior to the NCAFS meeting:  Click here to read and download announcement and call for topics.  Contact organizer Rachael Hoch with questions.

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Registration

Meeting early registration is $80 for professionals, $50 for students & retirees.  Workshop registration is $15 for NCAFS members, $20 for non-members.  Please note the following changes & reminders for 2017:

• You may join or renew your NCAFS membership as part of registration.  If you would like to pay your dues separately, visit our online membership form here.  Both allow either electronic or mail-in submission & payment.
• Deadline for early registration fees is February 1st, 2017.  A late fee of $10 has been added to all registration costs after this date & the form has been updated to reflect the added cost.

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Continuing Education Course

Topic:  Freshwater Mussels 101:  An Introduction to Freshwater Mussel Biology & Identification
Instructors:  Tim Savidge (Three Oaks Engineering), Tyler Black & Rachael Hoch (NCWRC)
Workshop Fee:  COURSE FULL
Course Capacity:  40 people

North America has the highest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world with approximately 300 native species in the United States, over 60 of which occur in North Carolina.  Unfortunately, roughly two-thirds of freshwater mussels in North Carolina are considered imperiled, making these animals & their habitats conservation priorities.  Additionally, mussels are a vital component of ecosystems serving as bio-indicators, natural filters, food resources, & ecosystem engineers.  However, positive identification of freshwater mussels can be problematic due to plasticity in morphological characters.  Proper identification & understanding of the life history requirements of freshwater mussels are essential for the conservation of this imperiled faunal group.  Thus, the goals of this workshop are to introduce participants to freshwater mussel biology & teach the skills needed to identify species in North Carolina.  We will start with a lecture format to discuss life history, ecology, taxonomy, & morphology of North Carolina freshwater mussels.  Then, we will provide participants with the opportunity to identify specimens during a hands-on session.

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Lodging and Reservations

Accommodations will be provided at the Bridge Pointe Hotel, 101 Howell Rd New Bern, NC, 28562, (877-283-7713).  Room rate:  $67.30.  Group code for reservations:  NCFS17.

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Meeting Sponsors

Many thanks to our generous sponsors:

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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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