Grand Challenges in Coastal and Estuarine Science

The CERF 2015 scientific program offers four days of timely, exciting and diverse information on a vast array of estuarine and coastal subjects. Presentations will examine new findings within CERF’s traditional scientific, education and management disciplines and encourage interaction among coastal and estuarine scientists and managers. Additionally, the Scientific Program Committee plans to convene special sessions and workshops that promote intellectually stimulating discussions of the Grand Challenges in Coastal and Estuarine Science:

	Managing and mitigating the risks of climate change Shifts in precipitation and hydrologic patterns; wetland and species migrations; sea level rise; drought and water scarcity; severe storms, etc.
	Synergistic effects of ocean acidification with hypoxia, eutrophication or other conditions Synthesis of information (e.g., from 2013 CERF) with new research results and methods for mitigating effects
	Polar estuaries and coasts Physical oceanography, ice cover, biogeochemical interactions and impacts to coastal ecosystems
	Making data work Advancement, management and integration of modern datasets (observing, genomics, bioinformatics) and capabilities to yield predictive models and tools
	Cities by the sea Scientific exploration of dense and growing populations, economies and the built environment on coastal ecosystems; success stories from green infrastructure
	Estuaries under threat Environmental change and variability associated with population growth, resource acquisition and scarcity, war/conflict, biodiversity loss and interactions in the next 50 years
	Multiple uses Managing multiple, conflicting uses of coastal resources across the natural and sociological continuum; integration, quantification and valuation of ecosystem goods and services