More
than 100 scientists who study the world's sea lions, including
dozens who study the decline of Alaska's Steller sea lions,
will gather in Anchorage, Alaska, from September 30 to October
3, 2004, for the 22nd Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium.
Sea Lions of the World: Conservation and
Research in the 21st Century, is the theme of the international
science conference, coordinated by the Alaska Sea Grant College
Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a host of
Alaska state and federal agencies.
Researchers from Argentina, Australia, Canada,
Chile, Ecuador, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand,
Puru, Russia, Uruguay, and the United States will deliver
presentations on topics including life history, physiological
ecology, foraging ecology, population ecology, population
dynamics, and conservation and management.
The Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium
has been held annually since 1982. The series is named in
honor of Lowell Wakefield, a long-time Alaska fisherman, who
is credited with modernizing Alaska's red king crab fishing
industry.
Changes in the abundance of sea lions is
a growing concern to fisheries and conservation groups, either
because fisheries are feared to threaten sea lions, or because
sea lions are feared to threaten fisheries. The issues are
common to all five of the world's sea lion species.
This symposium will bring the world community
of sea lion researchers together to share their experiences
and knowledge. Interspecies comparisons can shed light on
why some populations might decline while others increase.
Insights can also be gained on whether trends in the abundance
of sea lions are related to fishing activities through food
dependencies or more directly through control or conservation
measures.
A better understanding of the biology of
sea lions is urgently needed. This symposium will significantly
contribute to understanding why sea lion populations fluctuate,
including populations of Alaska's Steller sea lions.
Link: http://www.uaf.edu/seagrant/Conferences/symposia.html#sealions
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