2012

The 44th Annual meeting of the DESERT FISHES COUNCIL (DFC) will be held 14 TO 18 NOVEMBER 2012 (Wednesday to Sunday).  The meeting is being hosted by the U.S. National Park Service at Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley National Park.

The local committee is chaired by Phil Pister. Onsite registration will begin on Wednesday afternoon 14 November and an informal cash bar mixer will be held in the hotel pub (The Corkscrew) that evening. Oral and poster technical sessions will be Thursday through Saturday (15-17th), with the DFC Business Meeting on Friday afternoon and a barbecue in Date Grove on Friday evening. A special symposium as well as continuing technical papers are planned for Thursday, November 15th. The local field trip is planned for Sunday (18) and will include a visit to Ash Meadows newly constructed Fish Conservation Facility and Devils Hole to see the habitat and the fish. All events except the barbecue will be in the  Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Furnace Creek Ranch is holding a block of rooms for us until 14 October at the special rate of $120 (single or double occupancy; motel or cabin), plus tax and $2.50 surcharge (total 143.40). To receive the above discounted room rate you must make your reservation by phone (760 786-2345 voice; 786-2307 FAX) and provide the DFC booking number – 221200. Reservations must be made at least 30 days in advance and, to insure refund, cancellations must be within 48 hours of anticipated arrival. Although the Ranch has an online reservation system, and you might use it to get more information, you will not be able to get DFC’s discounted rate if you use it to make your reservation.

Camping is also available.  Please visit the NPS camping web page for additional information.

TRANSPORTATION

Las Vegas, Nevada is the nearest major airport, from which rental cars are the most practical way to get to Death Valley. Another option is to fly into Ontario, California and rent a car there, however that drive is 100 miles longer than from Vegas. Click here for driving directions from various regional cities.

Car-pooling – The DFC-L email list is being used for communications by those interested in ride sharing. Ride-offerers and ride-seekers should reply to the original email “About carpooling to Death Valley” (but to DFC-L@utlists.utexas.edu) or send your own original email to the list (remember you must first be subscribed) using that same subject. Following these instructions will assure that all car-pool-related information will be included in the same thread in the DFC-L archive for easy discovery by others with the same interests.

REGISTRATION

Register, pay dues, and purchase DFC products online at the DFC Online store, available in the DFC website: desertfishes.org

[iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ src=”http://www.desertfishes.org/registration_table.php”]

Meeting registration rates increase 50% after the 1 October pre-registration deadline. Cancellations will be accepted until 31 October, but a $5.00 USD fee will be charged. Email your online store receipt to Phil Pister for a credit to your credit card if you have to cancel.

BARBECUE

All registration categories include a ticket to the barbecue on Friday night. Choose the “Accompanying person social event attendance” item ($38) in the DFC Online store to buy tickets for accompanying persons who are not registered for the meeting. “Accompanying person” tickets will not be available after October 20 since the caterer requires advance notice of the number to be served. The regular menu will be half a rack of ribs and a quarter chicken. A vegetarian option may be requested by simply emailing Phil Pister (phildesfish@verizon.net).

PRESENTATIONS

Abstract Submission

As in the past, presentation abstracts are submitted via an online web form – See below.

Whether oral or poster, presentations must fall within the scope of the DFC’s mission. No abstract will be accepted or scheduled unless submitted in compliance with the instructions to authors.

The deadline for abstract submission is September 30, no new abstracts will be accepted after this date. As always, DFC membership and meeting pre-registration paid by the abstract deadline are pre-requisites for abstract acceptance; you will not be able to submit an abstract online unless you have paid your dues first. Plan ahead and purchase your membership at least three days before submitting your abstract to give time for your dues to be processed.

Oral presentations are allotted 15 minutes (including questions and responses). Each presenter is limited to a single oral presentation, but poster presentations are not limited and are encouraged. Program space is limited and order of receipt will determine acceptance and programming of presentations.

Viewing submitted abstracts

Submitted abstracts may be viewed here, along with their presentation dates and times once that has been added by the Program Committee.

SYMPOSIUM

A special symposium, “Evolutionary Ecology of Refuge Populations of Protected Fishes” is planned for November 15. Contact organizers Craig Stockwell (craig.stockwell@ndsu.edu) and Shawn Goodchild (Shawn.Goodchild@my.ndsu.edu) for more information.

AREA REPORTS

These are special oral reports coordinated by ecoregion. Agency offices and other organizations desiring to contribute information to these reports should contact their corresponding Area Coordinator. Area coordinators will also be contacting individuals in their areas to solicit input to their reports. More information or help with this process can be obtained from the Areas Coordinator, who coordinates the work of all of the Area Coordinators.

AWARDS

Awards are presented annually for the best presentations given by students. Students competing for these awards must so indicate in the submission of their abstract.

TRAVEL GRANTS

DFC routinely helps defer expenses incurred to travel to present papers or posters, with preference given to students and citizens of Latin American countries. Special instructions detailed in the travel grants page must be followed to request travel support. Travel grant request forms must be received one month prior to the deadline for abstracts.

MEETING RESOLUTIONS

Resolutions must be submitted via the same form as for abstracts and by the same deadline. Additional information and a specific format are required, however, as detailed in the 2004 meeting minutes (see 2004 Proceedings).

FIELD TRIPS

The Ash Meadows DFC field trip is scheduled for Sunday, November 18, 2012. The fieldtrip will include a tour of Ash Meadows newly constructed Fish Conservation Facility and a tour of Devils Hole.  Additional information will be sent via the DFC-L mailing list, and will be discussed at the meeting.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE MEETING

Watch for announcements to be sent via the DFC email list (DFC-L) and for periodic updates to this web page.

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