| This newsletter and the Mangrove Biocomplexity project are made possible in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 99-81309. |
All Hands Meeting a Rousing Success
McKee and the NWRL Staff Go All Out for their Guests
The Erratic Crab Makes its Debut
| Participants review accomplishments, set goals for upcoming year |
| The foremost goal for this year was INTEGRATION. The word cannot be spelled big enough or shouted loudly enough! The group has amassed a most thorough set of baseline data, and we have a clear picture following this meeting about what each group is doing. Examples of integrative science include: 1) Beefing up the application of the EaSY software pioneered by a GIS group at USC. Myrna Jacobson and Barbara Smallwood have been working with Dale Kiefer and his associates to get a demonstration model running. About half of the mangrovelers are interested enough to kick in some bucks to see this project grow. |
Each of the research groups presented summaries of their data, showing just how far the project has come and raising new questions for future collaborations.
Bob Ulanowitz discussed just where we were with regards to the Network model.
Continuing the first day of discussions, the group adjourned to a swamp for a boat tour. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Louisiana had much more to offer to the short-term visitor than, say, central Illinois, and the local hosts did a fine job of organizing both the tour and a cajun dinner and dancing evening afterwards.
The sunset through the cypresses was just about the only thing, though, that could interrupt the scientific discussions, and that only for the two minutes it actually took for the sun to disappear. The band was louder, by comparison, and almost everyone - including Rossalyn - took advantage of the opportunity to two-step or waltz.
The highlights of the second day were the emergent ecosystem models. For the network model, each of the phylogenetic groups was claimed by a team who agreed to quantify just how much of the group there was. Most notable was the willingness of Mat Wooller and Marilyn Fogel to finally admit the importance of lichens and accept responsibility for determining how much they all weigh. "Lichens are definitely important," said Wooller. "Sea slugs, on the other hand, are still an insignificant group," added Fogel, though both admitted to knowing diddly about either of them beyond their stable isotope ratios.
The grand finale of the scientific meeting was a summary diagram, or block model, of the workings and interactions of the biotic and abiotic environment and the trees themselves. The model was photographed almost as much as the Louisiana sunset, and Cheeseman has now placed his version of it on the Smithsonian's server in "Powerpoint" format.
The next All Hands meeting is scheduled for Fall, 2003 in Seattle. Once again, it will be held in conjunction with the ERF meeting. After the intensity and success of this year, there is no question that we will need a full two days or more to deal with the results of the upcoming projects.
| Welcome to The Erratic Crab... the (hopefully) monthly newsletter of the Tangled Roots Mangrove Biocomplexity community. The Erratic Crab began in my mind one long and noisy night in the Blue Moon Hostel, after the band had gone, while the staff were cleaning up the garbage and talking far too loudly outside the window for any real sleep. It had been the day that I complained, once too often, about the lack of basic information about wheres and whens. It was the same day I had offered to take over data management, and variously otherwise put my foot in my mouth. I had a long drive home to think about it more, and at last came up with the idea of the newsletter. It would, I hope, be a way to keep up the interactions and spirit of the Lafayette gathering. So here you go. This is the first issue. The web page format is still a "work in progress" but perhaps you get the idea, or have suggestions for improvement. I would love to have others contribute articles - trip reports and research summaries, foremost, but other things, too. Perhaps interviews and biographies of Pauline or Joe B... Perhaps a list of Martha's top ten artists and songs... I would even be happy to include "columns"... perhaps a continuing discussion, moderated by Marc, on emergent properties, or up dates from Bob on network issues, or a monthly rating, from Mat, of what is and is not important (like sea slugs or lichens). After a meeting as successful as this last one, and nearly three years of working, playing, cooperating and complaining together, this could be a fun way to put things together and in some sort of proper, or warped, perspective. For now, have a look and let me know what you think. |
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| Pre-meeting gathering at the Blue Moon summarizes isotope studies Marilyn Fogel, acting as both travel agent and moderator, organized a one day conference at the Blue Moon hostel to discuss our current understanding of, and problems associated with stable isotope studies at Twin Cays. ...continued |
On September 21st of this year, Belize celebrated its 21st anniversary as an independent country. Regardless of what we might think of the conditions in Dangriga or Belize City from our US perspective, the economic and developmental strides the country has made over those 21 years are really rather remarkable. But the old Belize is also still there and the heritage is also rich.
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"If you say it is an emergent property and I say it is an emergent property, then it is an emergent property. If I say it is an emergent property and you say it is not an emergent property, then it is an emergent property." - Myrna Jacobson