6 February 2018

The Willamette River running through Portland, Oregon.

WASHINGTON, DC — Discover the latest in ocean sciences research at the 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting, where nearly 4,000 attendees are expected to present the latest research findings about the world’s oceans. The biennial meeting brings together researchers from the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society.

The 2018 meeting runs from 11-16 February 2018, at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, Oregon, 97232.

Included in this advisory:

Press conferences and press releases
Webstreaming: Watch 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting press conferences live
Keynotes, plenaries and award lectures
Press registration and badge pickup
Press Room and Quiet Room information
Virtual Press Room
Press happy hour
Ocean Sciences Meeting App

Please visit the 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting Media Center to view previous media advisories that include important information about visas for international reporters and searching the scientific program. For any questions about the Ocean Sciences Meeting or information included in this advisory, email [email protected].

1. Press conferences and press releases

The AGU press office has planned a number of press conferences highlighting newsworthy research being presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting. A list of 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting press conferences is below and can be found on the Press Conferences tab in the Ocean Sciences Meeting Media Center.

The following schedule of press conferences is subject to change before or during the Ocean Sciences Meeting. Updates, changes and additions to the press conference schedule will be posted in the Press Conferences tab in the Media Center.

All press conferences will take place in the Press Conference Room, Oregon Convention Center Room D130. Times are listed in Pacific Standard Time. All press events will be streamed live over the web. Click on the Webstreaming tab in the Media Center for further information and see #2 below for details.

The AGU press office will also issue daily press releases about newsworthy research being presented at the meeting.

Please also see our Media Tip Sheet, a list of potentially newsworthy research presentations selected by the AGU press office. AGU’s journal editors give their recommendations for some of the most interesting oral and poster sessions at this year’s meeting in this post on Eos.org.

2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting Press Conference Schedule

Emerging plastic and chemical contaminants in coastal ecosystems
Monday, 12 February
10:00 a.m. PST

Pharmaceuticals, microplastics and their byproducts are finding their way into the bodies of Pacific razor clams, Pacific oysters and even showing up in the reproductive tissues of remote seabirds. These emerging contaminants are causing a range of real, potential and unknown biochemical effects on animals and their food webs. In this briefing, researchers will present new results on plastics and pharmaceuticals in coastal marine environments and a review of emerging contaminants in the coastal ocean.

Participants:
Veronica Padula, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A.;
Elise Granek, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.;
Amy Ehrhart, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.;
Britta Baechler, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.

Sessions: ME13A, ME14A

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Meteotsunamis: An overlooked hazard for the Great Lakes and beyond
Monday, 12 February
11:00 a.m. PST

You’ve heard of tsunamis – giant oceanic waves triggered primarily by earthquakes that can roll ashore, causing loss of life and disaster. But have you heard of meteotsunamis? These are large waves scientists are just beginning to better understand. They are known to occur in the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and off the coast of Australia. Unlike tsunamis triggered by seismic activity, meteotsunamis are driven by weather events such as fast-moving, severe thunderstorms. As scientists better understand this phenomenon and its effects, they are working to develop a reliable early warning system. In this briefing, researchers will discuss the state of meteotsunami science, the hazards they pose to coastal communities and scientists’ efforts to develop meteotsunami early warning systems in the Great Lakes and off the coastal United States.

Participants:
Philip Y. Chu, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.;
Eric J. Anderson, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.;
Gregory Dusek, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, NOAA National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.;
Chin H. Wu, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Session: PO34A

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The growing Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Monday, 12 February
1:00 p.m. PST

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch — a large, floating island of plastic and debris in the eastern Pacific Ocean – was first described in 1988. For 15 years, researchers have sailed to the patch to measure its accumulation. In this panel, one researcher will share details on the patch’s sprawling reach and size, its composition and what kind of policy changes are best in an increasingly plastic-filled world.

Participants:
Charles Moore, Algalita, Long Beach, California, U.S.A.

Session: PO11A

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New technologies to observe the ocean (Workshop)
Tuesday, 13 February
9:30 a.m. PST

Technologies to study the ocean are evolving at a rapid pace. This workshop will showcase how scientists are pushing technological boundaries in ocean observations, robotics, machine learning and visualization. Panelists will describe the next generation of Argo floats that will be able to descend to depths of 6,000 meters (20,000 feet); advances in robotic plankton, miniature autonomous underwater explorers that measure small-scale environmental processes in the ocean; and new imaging technologies to create 3D maps of coral reefs that allow researchers to track the growth and decline of individual colonies over time.

Participants:
Dean Roemmich, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.;
Jules Jaffe, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.;
Clinton Edwards, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.

Sessions: IS24E, IS31A, IS43B

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Unusual ocean conditions contributed to Hurricane Harvey’s intensity
Tuesday, 13 February
10:30 a.m. PST

When Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August 2017, it dumped more than 1.5 meters (60 inches) of rain on the Texas coast, making it the wettest tropical cyclone to affect the continental U.S. in history. In this briefing, researchers will present new findings on how unusual ocean conditions in the Gulf of Mexico contributed to Harvey’s intense rainfall and flooding. Panelists will discuss Harvey’s atypical storm surge, the strong ocean currents it generated, and the large amount of ocean heat that contributed to the storm’s rapid intensification. In light of toxin leaks associated with the hurricane in Harris County, Texas, and forecasts of more frequent and intensified hurricanes, researchers will also discuss current work aimed at identifying U.S. regions vulnerable to similar contamination risks.

Participants:
Steven DiMarco, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, U.S.A.;
Henry Potter, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, U.S.A.;
Arnoldo Valle-Levinson, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A.;
Rosanna Neuhausler, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A.

Sessions: AI44C, E21A, ES43A, IS12A

2. Webstreaming: Watch 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting press conferences live

Reporters can remotely participate in Fall Meeting press events via webstreaming.

All Ocean Sciences Meeting press events will be streamed live on the Ocean Sciences press events webpage and archived on AGU’s YouTube channel. Reporters can visit this site throughout the meeting to watch press events in real time and ask questions via an online chat. For more information and instructions, click on the Webstreaming tab in the Ocean Sciences Meeting Media Center.

If, for some reason, the webstreaming does not work for a particular press conference, we will immediately switch to making the briefing available via teleconference. To call into the teleconference, dial 877-709-0939 within the United States and Canada, or +1 678-735-6305 internationally. The participant passcode is 192-424-7921.

NOTE: The teleconference will only be available if the webstreaming goes down.

3. Keynotes, plenaries and award lectures

The Ocean Sciences Meeting will host several plenary lectures throughout the meeting. Plenary lectures will take place in the Portland Ballroom, located on level 2 of the Oregon Convention Center. All plenary lectures will also be streamed live on AGU’s Facebook page and archived on AGU’s YouTube channel. These lectures include:

Sigi Gruber, Head of the Marine Resources Unit in the Directorate General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission; and Scott Rayder, Senior Advisor to the President of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR); will deliver the 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting Policy Plenary lecture on Sunday, Feb. 11 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. PT.
Claudia Benitez-Nelson, College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor in the Marine Science Program and Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of South Carolina, and John Dabiri, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University will deliver the 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting Science Plenary lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT.
AGU, ASLO and TOS will present their society award lectures on Wednesday, Feb. 14 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT. Andone Lavery, Associate Scientist in the Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will deliver the TOS Munk Award Lecture; Sybil Seitzinger, Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions at the University of Victoria will deliver the AGU Sverdrup Award Lecture; and Lisa Levin, Distinguished Professor in the Integrative Oceanography Division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will deliver the ASLO A.C. Redfield Lifetime Achievement Award Lecture.
Michael McPhaden, Senior Scientist at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, will deliver the Ocean Sciences Meeting closing remarks on Friday, Feb. 16 from 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. PT.

4. Press registration and badge pickup

Online press registration for the Ocean Sciences Meeting will remain open throughout the meeting to expedite the registration and badge pick-up process. We encourage all press registrants to register online. For press registration eligibility requirements and required credentials, please visit the Press Registration Eligibility Requirements page.

Press registrants receive, at no charge, a badge that provides access to all scientific sessions, the press room, press conference room, and quiet room.

Pre-approved press registrants should print and bring their confirmation letter with them to the meeting. Badge pick-up will be available in the main registration area, in the lobby of Hall C on the first floor of the Oregon Convention Center.

Eligible members of the press may also register on-site at the meeting. To register on-site, please proceed to the main registration area, in the lobby of Hall C on the first floor of the Oregon Convention Center. On-site press registrants will need to provide the required credentials listed in the Press Registration Eligibility Requirements page.

On-site registration and badge pick-up times:
Sunday, Feb. 11: 2:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 12 and Tuesday, Feb. 13: 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 14 and Thursday, Feb. 15: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 16: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Check the online Who’s Coming list of journalists and press officers who have registered for the meeting. This list is updated regularly.

Please note: Some events and activities, including but not limited to invitation-only events and communications workshops, are not open to press badge holders.

5. Press Room, Press Conference Room and Quiet Room

The Ocean Sciences Press Office will provide a Press Room with workspace for press registrants, including a computer, printer, Wi-Fi, and room for working and networking with colleagues.

The Press Room is located in Room D129 on the first floor of the Oregon Convention Center. All press conferences take place in the Press Conference Room, Room D130, adjacent to the press room. View a floorplan of the Oregon Convention Center for more information.

The Press Room opens daily at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 12 through Friday, Feb. 16. The Press Room closes daily at 6:30 p.m. except for Friday, Feb. 16, when it closes at 2:00 p.m.

A continental breakfast and light refreshments will be provided in the Press Room for press registrants.

Press registrants can reserve a quiet room during the meeting to conduct interviews. The quiet room is room C127, on the first floor of the Oregon Convention Center. Please sign up to reserve this room at the front desk of the Press Room. Reservations are given in 30-minute increments for up to one hour at a time, and are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Public information officers can disseminate paper press releases and related documentation at the 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting. We recommend bringing around 20 copies of printed materials and three to five copies of broadcast-quality video.

The easiest way to get these materials to the Press Room is to take them yourself or to give them to one of your scientists with instructions to deliver them to the Ocean Sciences Press Room (Room D129) from Monday, Feb. 12 onward.

If you prefer to ship materials to the Fall Meeting, contact [email protected] for more information.

Materials remaining in the Press Room on Friday, Feb. 16 at 1:00 p.m. will be collected and recycled.

6. Virtual Press Room

During the Ocean Sciences Meeting, journalists can find press releases and many resources online in the Virtual Press Room in the Ocean Sciences Meeting Media Center. Public information officers (PIOs) can now post releases and other materials on the site.

For journalists: In the Virtual Press Room, journalists can find press releases, press conference materials (including PowerPoint presentations, images, videos, scientific papers, and more, as available) and other information. Videos of press conferences will be added to the Virtual Press Room during the meeting for easy online access.

For public information officers: PIOs are now able to share press releases and other materials in the Virtual Press Room by directly uploading them via the Press Item Uploader. PIOs can upload press releases, tip sheets and press conference materials to the Virtual Press Room at any time before or during the meeting, including uploading items in advance and scheduling them to post during the meeting.

Please note: PIOs do not need to register to upload press materials to the Virtual Press Room. However, only public information and press officers of recognized scientific societies, educational institutions, government agencies and non-profit Earth and space science research organizations are eligible to upload press releases. The AGU press office may remove any press releases posted by press officers who do not meet these criteria.

7. Press happy hour (Feb. 13)

Join your press room colleagues for an informal happy hour hosted by AGU from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at Spirit of 77, 500 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, directly across from the Oregon Convention Center.

8. Ocean Sciences Meeting App

The 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting Mobile App is now available for download for iOS and Android.

Download the mobile app to browse, search, and schedule sessions from the scientific program to your itinerary planner. Explore events and workshops, search the Exhibit Hall, and receive notifications on late-breaking meeting news and events.

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The American Geophysical Union is dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity through its scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach programs. AGU is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization representing more than 60,000 members in 139 countries. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and our other social media channels.