SATURDAY May 21st, 2011
Theme: Gulf of Mexico – A Case Study
Marvin Center, George Washington University, 800 21st Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20052
- Schedule
7:30-8:30 AM Registration (3rd Floor)
8:30-9:00 Welcome Address (Grand Ballroom)
9:00-10:30 Plenary: Voices from the Gulf (Grand Ballroom)
10:45-12:15 Plenary: Healthy Oceans, resilient coasts, jobs and the economy (Grand Ballroom)
12:15-1:00 Lunch (Continental Ballroom)
1:00-2:15 Workshops and Panels
PANEL: Establishing Ocean Wilderness Areas and Hope Spots in the Sea (Grand Ballroom)
PANEL: Advancing the issue of ocean acidification: beyond climate and energy policy reform (Room 307)
PANEL: Oceans of Faith – Religious Leadership and the Ocean (Room 308)
PANEL: Offshore energy: yesterday, today and tomorrow (Room 310)
2:30-4:00 Plenary: The BP Oil Disaster and the Gulf’s Recovery (Grand Ballroom)
4:15-5:30 Workshops and Panels
Workshop: Promoting Ocean & Coastal Restoration (Room 307)
PANEL: Ocean Energy – Turning the tide for power & the environment (Room 308)
PANEL: Seas of Plastic (Room 310)
4th ANNUAL PETER BENCHLEY OCEAN AWARDS
5:00-5:45 Cocktail Reception (Ballroom)
5:45-7:00 PETER BENCHLEY OCEAN AWARDS CEREMONY (Ballroom)
7:00 – 10:00 PETER BENCHLEY OCEAN AWARDS CELEBRATION DINNER (Carnegie Institution)
Event Descriptions
7:30-8:30 Registration (3rd Floor)
Coffee, tea & light breakfast available
8:30-9:00 Welcome Address (Grand Ballroom)
David Helvarg, president of Blue Frontier Campaign, welcomes you to BVS3!
Watch the Welcome Address (Here)
9:00-10:30 Plenary: Voices from the Gulf (Grand Ballroom)
The BP Horizon disaster is just the latest in a history of environmental impacts, including thousands of miles of oil and gas pipelines and canals that slice through coastal wetlands, introducing damaging levels of saltwater and hastening the erosion of this sediment starved landscape. This Panel featured community leaders, representatives of environmental NGO’s and scientists working in the Gulf of Mexico to ensure “restoration” of coastal communities, wetlands and marine resources in the wake of the BP Disaster.
PANELISTS: Casi Callaway (Mobile Baykeeper), Dr. William E. Hawkins (University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory), Chris Dorsett (Ocean Conservancy), Father Vien Nguyen (Catholic priest and progressive social activist in the Vietnamese community, New Orleans)
MODERATOR & ORGANIZER: Cynthia Sarthou (Gulf Restoration Network)
Watch the Plenary (Part 1 and Part 2)
10:45-12:15 Plenary: Healthy Oceans, resilient coasts, jobs and the economy(Grand Ballroom)
DESCRIPTION: This panel was about how much economic and market value depends on healthy marine ecosystems and coasts, but also about the full range of real blue jobs and the economic wellbeing they support.
PANELISTS: Greg MacGillivray (MacGillivray Freeman Films and One World One Ocean Foundation), Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones (LiveFuels Inc), Jeff Nadler (PADI)
MODERATORS & ORGANIZERS: Mark Spalding (Ocean Foundation) & Linwood Pendleton(NOAA)
Watch the Plenary (Part 1 and Part 2)
Notes Unavailable
12:15 – 1:00 Lunch (Continental Ballroom)
Vegetarian cuisine provided
1:00-2:15 Workshops and Panels
PANEL: Establishing Ocean Wilderness Areas and Hope Spots in the Sea (Grand Ballroom)
Hear from experts in the field about the challenges, benefits, conflicts and approaches to creating a unified global system of marine protected areas and what role the public plays in their success or failures.
PANELISTS: Dr. Sylvia Earle (Mission Blue), James N. Barnes (Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition), Billy Causey (NOAA), John Hoecevar (Greenpeace), Dr. Greg Stone (Conservation International)
MODERATOR & Organizer: Vicki Nichols Goldstein (Colorado Ocean Coalition)
Notes Unavailable
PANEL: Advancing the issue of ocean acidification: beyond climate and energy policy reform (Room 307)
Given recent setbacks in climate and energy policy reform, many people are wondering what we can do to address the issue of ocean acidification. This panel offered a range of perspectives on next steps in ocean acidification science and advocacy and include discussion on the FOARM Act, local actions, public perceptions on ocean acidification, and stakeholder engagement.
PANELISTS: Ned Cyr (NOAA), Melissa Foley (Center for Ocean Solutions), Lisa Dropkin(Edge Research), Brad Warren (Sustainable Fisheries Partnership), Dwight Gledhill (NOAA)
MODERATOR & Organizer: Lisa Suatoni (NRDC)
Watch the Panel (Part 1 and Part 2)
Notes Unavailable
PANEL: Oceans of Faith – Religious Leadership and the Ocean (Room 308)CANCELLED
Four religious leaders from diverse communities will share stories of their leadership linking their religious and spiritual beliefs, their faith communities, and the ocean. The diversity of the presenters will offer participants the opportunity to see the many ways in which religious groups can become important allies for the ocean.
PANELISTS: Sister Suzanne Golas (WaterSpirit), Rev. Richard Young (Greater First Baptist Church of Escatawpa, LA), Mati Waiya (Wishtoyo Foundation and Ventura Waterkeeper)
MODERATOR & Organizer: Rev. Fletcher Harper (Green Faith)
PANEL: Offshore energy: yesterday, today and tomorrow (Room 310)
Guests participated in a panel-lead discussion of the politics of offshore oil & gas drilling in the United States.
PANELISTS: John Amos (Skytruth), Richard Charter (Defenders of Wildlife), Linda Lance(Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee)
MODERATOR: Jackie Savitz (Oceana)
ORGANIZERS: Jackie Savitz & Anna Gowan (Oceana)
Watch the Panel (Part 1 and Part 2)
2:30-4:00 Plenary: The BP Oil Disaster and the Gulf’s Recovery (Grand Ballroom)
Leading federal authorities and a member of the federal BP Commission spoke about their ongoing efforts to address the ecological and social impacts of the largest environmental disaster to hit the U.S. coastline in a region that was not yet recovered from Hurricane Katrina less than five years earlier.
Panelists: Dr. Jane Lubchenco (NOAA), Admiral Thad Allen (USCG, Ret.), Terry Garcia(National Geographic Society), Dr. Donald Boesch (University of Maryland)
Moderator: Jeff Young
Organizer: David Helvarg (Blue Frontier Campaign)
Watch the Plenary (Part 1 Part 2 and Part 3)
4:15-5:30 WORKSHOPS & PANELS
Workshop: Promoting Ocean & Coastal Restoration (Room 307)
As we navigate declining budgets and political partisanship, what are the options available to the conservation community to continue making progress with efforts to restore critically important ocean and coastal ecosystems? This session explored this question using a workshop format that encouraged dialogue between a panel of practitioners and, between the panelists, the moderator, and the audience. Each panelist had 5-8 minutes for a brief overview of their topic, followed by a 30-minute discussion among the panelists led by the moderator. Last 30 minutes incorporated Q & A from audience.
PANELISTS: Tim Dillingham (American Littoral Society), Dr. Stephen Crooks (ESA PWA, Ltd), Teresa Christopher (CEQ), Emily Pidgeon (Conservation International)
Moderator: Sean Cosgrove (CLF)
Organizer: Jeff Benoit (Restore American’s Estuaries)
Watch the Workshop (Part 1 and Part 2)
Notes Unavailable
PANEL: Ocean Energy – Turning the tide for power & the environment (Room 308)
Developing renewable energy facilities in the marine environment has proven to be a challenge. Concerns exist on many fronts, including impacts to the environment, viewsheds, property values, and quality of life. This panel explored the experience of those in the renewable energy industry and how they are attempting to address concerns and looking for support from the environmental community.
PANELISTS: Captain Jim McPherson (US Coast Guard), Sean O’Neill (Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition), Fara Courtney (US Offshore Wind Collaborative), Pete Stauffer(Surfrider Foundation), John Ferland (OCEAN RENEWABLE POWER COMPANY), and Carolyn Elefant (OREC)
MODERATOR & Organizer: Anna Zivian (Ocean Conservancy)
Notes Unavailable
PANEL: Seas of Plastic (Room 310)
Plastic Marine Pollution is recognized globally as an emerging threat to marine ecosystems, impacting wildlife, transporting invasive species, clogging waterways, coral reefs and coastal environments, and potentially acting as a vector for persistent organic pollutants (POPS) entering the food chain. While collaborative solutions to plastic pollution tend to focus on greater public awareness and voluntary measures, greater collaboration between the scientific community, NGOs, and policymakers is necessary to generate effective solutions. The Seas of Plastics panel was an opportunity to assemble representatives from key organizations to:
a) Discuss regulation, legislation, and the need for establishing target reductions;
b) Discuss International policy efforts
c) Identify barriers to implementing relevant legislation and discuss potential collaborative approaches.
PANELISTS: Dr. Marcus Eriksen (5 Gyres Institute, Algalita Marine Research Foundation),Dr. Kara Lavender Law (SEA Education, Woods Hole), David Ogden (UNEP), Daniella Russo (Plastic Pollution Coalition)
MODERATOR: Leslie Mintz Tamminen (Clean Seas Coalition)
Coordinator: Anna Cummins (5 Gyres Institute)
Watch the Panel (Part 1 and Part 2) Download the Panel Notes
Evening Events
PETER BENCHLEY OCEAN AWARDS RECEPTION & CEREMONY
Celebrating our Seas and the People who protect them
Watch the Awards Ceremony (Part 1 and Part 2)
THEME DINNERS
Provided networking opportunities and chances to explore topics in depth
