EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REMOTE SENSING FOR MARINE & COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS, 17-19 MAY 2005, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

Halifax, Nova Scotia’s multi-cultural flair and proximity to unique aquatic resources made it an ideal setting for the Eighth International Conference on Remote Sensing of Marine and Coastal Environments, held 17-19 May 2005 at the Casino Nova Scotia Hotel.

One hundred fifty plenary and poster presentations representing the work of professional and student experts from 25 countries on five continents provided 215 registrants with the opportunity to discuss the latest work on the application of remote sensing and geospatial information technologies to address science and ecological issues, with the goal of improving decision-making capabilities related to marine, inland water, and coastal environments.

The conference was organized by Altarum Institute’s Environmental and Emerging Technologies Division (EETD, which is now MTRI) and the Alliance for Marine Remote Sensing (AMRS), in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Office of Naval Research Global (ONR-G), the conference's primary sponsors. Additional support was provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Prior to the conference, attendees were able to enhance their skills during Monday’s workshops covering Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Sensing of Marine Coastal Waters, Water Color of Inland and Marine Coastal Waters: A Methodology of its interpretation and Application for Studying In-water Processes from Space, and Adoption and Implementation of Remote Sensing Technology for Coastal Wetlands Resource Management. Satlantic, Inc., which is located in Halifax, sponsored a field trip on Friday, which took place in the Halifax Harbour and included a product demonstration.

The conference program began with the Master of Ceremonies, Robert S. Winokur, Oceanographer of the Navy. Plenary speaker Robert Christian from East Carolina University presented “Present Status and Future Directions for Remote Sensing Contributions to Integrated Coastal Observing Strategies.” Carl Hoffman from National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) presented a NPOESS Program Overview. Dr. Jack Kaye, the director of Research and Analysis Program from NASA presented “Remote Sensing in Marine and Coastal Environments: A NASA Perspective.” Brett Smith from NOAA Satellite and Information Service presented “International and National Integrated Earth Observations.” Following the plenary presentations, the keynote presentation was made by Rolf Mamen, the Director General of Space Operations gave a presentation about the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Throughout the three-day program, 19 plenary and 15 poster sessions were staggered to allow participants the greatest opportunity to hear important presentations. A special panel session on “The Role of Remote Sensing in Providing Inputs for Operational Coastal Management Needs” brought together experts to identify and discuss key issues.

A joint exhibition of products and services featuring the latest technology of 12 organizations was open to attendees of the Eighth Marine Conference. The following Exhibitors were highlighted during an opening day reception:

Participants were also able to meet with colleagues in a more informal atmosphere during an off-site historical Halifax social event, which took place at Pier 21.