"THANK YOU" TO OUR SPONSORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

The 2003 Estuarine Research Federation conference was, by any measure, a great success. We had over 1500 people attend, 600 oral presentations and almost 500 poster presentations. The Washington State Trade and Convention Center proved to be an excellent venue, allowing all the ERF and associated activities to stay under one roof, and providing an enormous hall for all the exhibit booths and posters to be on display for three and a half days. There are many people to thank for making this happen, but most of all we could not have had such a successful conference without the financial support, participation and general goodwill of our sponsors and contributors.

On behalf of the ERF 2003 Conference Committee, ERF Headquarters, and all the ERF membership, I would like to thank the following long list of sponsors and contributors

Andrea E. Copping
ERF 2003 Conference Chair

SPONSORS

NOAA, Coastal Ocean Program
USEPA, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
NOAA, National Marine Fishery Service, Ecosystem Assessment Division
NOAA, National Sea Grant College Program
NOAA, NOS, Coastal Services Center
USEPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab,
    Gulf Ecology Division
NOAA, Estuarine Reserves Division
Washington Sea Grant Program
USEPA, NHEERL, Western Ecology Division
American Chemistry Council: Ecological Risk Assessment Sub-Team
    and Long Range Research Initiative
The Harken Foundation
Association of National Estuary Programs
NOAA, NERR, Padilla Bay
Port of Seattle

In-Kind Sponsors

University of Washington, School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences
Puget Sound Action Team

STUDENT AWARDS

Sea Grant Association
Southern Association of Marine Laboratories (SAML),
School of Oceanography, University of Washington

AFFILIATE SOCIETIES – STUDENT CAREER EVENT

Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (AERS)
California Estuarine Research Society (CAERS)
Gulf Estuarine Research Society (GERS)
Gulf of St. Lawrence Estuarine Research Society (GSLERS)
New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS)
Pacific Estuarine Research Society (PERS)
Southeastern Estuarine Research Society (SEERS)

POSTER PRIZES

Agua Verde Café and Paddle Club
Madison Cellars
Seattle Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Randy Shuman
Charles (“Si” Simenstad)
Taylor Shellfish Company
Windstreamers

SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE

King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks
NOAA Hazardous Materials Response Division
People for Puget Sound
San Francisco State University
Shannon Point Marine Center
University of Washington, Tacoma
Washington Department of Ecology
Western Washington University
College of Ocean and Fishery Science, University of Washington

FIELDTRIP ORGANIZERS

Jacques White, People for Puget Sound
Greg Hood, Skagit River Cooperative
Roberto Llanso, VERSAR
Jason Toft, University of Washington
Jim Norris, The Menzies Project
Lisa Younger, The Nature Conservancy
Christian Sarason, Ocean Inquiry Project
Stephanie Raymond, People for Puget Sound
Tom Mumford, Washington Department of Natural Resources

WORKSHOP ORGANIZERS

Christopher Craft, University of Indiana
Eugene Olmi, NOAA Coastal Services Center
Melissa Albert, Washington Sea Grant Program
Philippe Hensel, US Geological Survey