2012 Meeting Home Page

2012 Annual Meeting of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

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 The 2012 TCAFS annual meeting will be held at Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center in Galveston on February 9-11, 2012.

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The theme of the Plenary Session is “Invasive Species and their Impact on Freshwater & Marine Ecosystems.” The meeting will consist of two continuing education courses, an evening social on Thursday, plenary and contributed sessions, our banquet/auction on Friday evening, and the TCAFS business meeting on Saturday.  For additional information, contact George Guillen (guillen@uhcl.edu). For those who are unable to attend, a podcast of meeting proceedings will be made available. See information below on program overview, registration, and lodging to help plan your trip.

Preliminary Program Overview:

Registration (Thursday, 1:00 – 5:30 PM and Friday 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM)

Continuing Education Workshops (Thursday, 2:00 – 5:00 PM)

1) Identification of freshwater mussels; with special focus on rare Texas unionids

Robert Howells
2:00 – 3:25 PM

2) Texas invasive freshwater and marine species; with focus on new and potential introductions

Luci Cook-Hildreth  3:35 – 5:00 PM

To sign up for the workshop, check the appropriate spot on the meeting registration form or contact Dan Bennett (dan.bennett@tpwd.state.tx.us; 903-566-2161) and/or  George Guillen (guillen@uhcl.edu; 281-283-3949).

Student/Professional Mixer (Thursday, 5:30 – 7:30 PM) Come explore the Moody Gardens Aquarium and Rain Garden/Freshwater Exhibit. There will be plenty of fun, networking opportunities for students. Beverages will be provided.

Plenary Session (Friday, 8:00 – 10:40 AM) Invasive Species and their Impact on Freshwater & Marine Ecosystems. Presentations by a host of invited speakers will address a comprehensive list of invasive species topics.

Lunch (Friday, time period TBD) Friday’s lunch will be on your own, including the Student-Mentor Lunch.  To sign up for the student-mentor lunch, check the appropriate spot on the meeting registration form or contact Mandy Scott (mandy.scott@tpwd.state.tx.us; 325-651-5556).

Contributed Papers and Presentations (Friday, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Saturday, 8:00 – 10:00 AM)

Banquet and Auction (Friday, 6:30 – 10:00 PM) Supper and beverages will be provided as part of the registration price along with the famously entertaining TCAFS auction and raffle.

Past-presidents Breakfast (Saturday, 7:00 am) Past Presidents and current Chapter Officers will meet for a complimentary breakfast in the Moody Garden Hotel’s Terrace Restaurant (Monarch Dining room)

TCAFS Business Meeting (Saturday, 10:20 AM – 12:00 PM)

Registration

Early registration fee will be $90 and $45 for professionals and students, respectively, and includes access to continuing education workshops, Thursday night Student/Professional Mixer, all plenary and technical sessions, the Friday night banquet and admission to the Moody Garden Aquarium.  Important – The deadline for early registration is January 21, 2012. Late registration will increase by $15 for professionals and $10 for students. Fees for extra guest banquet tickets will be $35.

 Hotel Information 

The Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center is located on Galveston Island.  It can be reached by taking IH 45 South to Galveston.  When entering Galveston, take the 61st Street exit and turn right on 61st Street.  Drive to Steward Road and turn right. Take Steward Road to Seven Hope Boulevard and turn right and follow to hotel.  More information on the hotel and convention center can be found at: http://www.moodygardenshotel.com/.  Check-in time: 4:00 pm; Check-out time: 12:00 Noon

Room rates are $85 (or current approved State of Texas Rates) for single king and $139 for double queen rooms. Please identify yourselves as being with the “Texas Chapter, American Fisheries Society” in order to secure the group rate.  I encourage all those needing commercial lodging to stay at the conference hotel to ensure we meet our room block obligations.  The number to call to make your reservation is 888-388-8484.  Important – the cutoff date for making your reservation is January 18, 2012.

Call for Papers

Information for individuals interested in presenting a paper or poster is provided below.

Click here to view Guidelines for Oral Presentations

Click here to view Guidelines for Poster Presentations

Exhibitors

Exhibitors interested in obtaining space for their product should contact:

Brad Littrell
213 Hyltin St.
Hutto, TX 78634
512-557-0752
blittrell@bio-west.com

and

Greg Conley
11810 FM 848
Tyler, TX 75707
903-566-2581
greg.conley@tpwd.state.tx.us