The 6th NAEC will be held at the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory (“Rosario”), a campus of Walla Walla University. Rosario is located about halfway between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC (two hour drive to either), and about halfway between Anacortes, WA and Oak Harbor, WA (15 minute drive to either). Rosario property includes 45 acres (18 hectares) of timberland, hills, wetlands, and 300 feet (91 m) of beachfront. It is located adjacent to the Rosario Beach area of Deception Pass State Park, and provides easy access to miles of trails within the park.

Intertidal habitats are just a few minutes’ walk down the beach in either direction. Feel free to look at the organisms but do not collect, as the area is a Marine Protected Area. Each evening we will have a fire on the beach for conversation, contemplation, and partaking of S’mores. Please do not build fires or gather wood outside of the designated fire area.

Firearms, fireworks, illegal drugs, tobacco, and alcohol are not permitted on Rosario property. The Rosario Beach area of Deception Pass State Park is about a 30 second walk away for your tobacco- and alcohol-consuming enjoyment (firearms, fireworks, and illegal drugs are not allowed in the state park either).

Attire/Weather
The dress code for all events (including the Wednesday evening banquet) will be “marine biologist casual.” Daily normal high temperature in mid-August is 72°F (22°C) and daily normal low temperature is 52°F (11°C). The record high for August is 95°F (35°C) and the record low is 37°F (3°C). Early mornings and late evenings can be chilly with the onshore breeze, so bring a jacket and sweatshirt. August is the sunniest month in Anacortes, with a mean of 25.2 sunny days and 5.8 cloudy/overcast days. Sunrise will be about 6:00 a.m. and sunset about 8:20 p.m. Water temperature off Rosario Beach in August typically is about 52°F (11°C).

Registration
Online registration will open on December 1, 2010, and will close on July 15, 2011. All participants must register, even if they are not presenting. The registration fee ($195 for professors & professionals, $145 for students) includes the six days of the meetings, Sunday evening welcome reception, Wednesday evening banquet (“Cuisine of the Pacific Northwest”), meeting program, coffee/snacks, and more.

Special Events
Welcome Reception: Sunday, August 14, 6:00-8:00 p.m. This outdoors event will be in
      the State Park, just a 30 second walk from Rosario. Enjoy local appetizers and
      beer/wine (cash bar) while catching up with old friends and making new ones. No
      cost for registered participants.
      Speaker: Philip Lambert, Invertebrate Biology Curator Emeritus, Royal BC Museum,
      Canada

Banquet: Wednesday, August 14, 6:00-9:00 p.m. Prepare to feast on “Cuisine of the
      Pacific Northwest”. Cash bar. No cost for registered participants. Location: Port of
      Anacortes Transit Shed. Speaker: Richard Mooi, Curator and Chairman, Department
      of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, California Academy of Sciences.

Field Trips
Wednesday is set aside for field trips. Some of the field trips will be organized and will have an additional cost. Other suggestions are not organized, and you can go on your own. Box lunches will be available for purchase.

Presentations
Oral: Oral presentations will be 20 minutes (15 minute talk, 5 minute Q&A). A PC,
      projector, microphone, laser pointer, and remote control will be provided. Each
      presenter should provide their PowerPoint file (flash drive, CD, external hard drive) at
      the beginning of the day of the presentation. Presenters will not be able to use their
      personal laptops for their presentation, but will transfer PowerPoint files to the onsite
      PC. If you have any special requests/needs, please provide that information on the
      Abstract Submission form or to naec[at]wallawalla.edu).

Poster: Poster sessions will be on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Posters should be
      a maximum of 6 ft wide and 4 ft tall. Push-pins will be provided.
      Some key points:
            - Each poster should contain a panel on the top listing the title, author name(s)
                and affiliations, and contact information.
            - Use a large font size, and bullet your major points. Regular text should be about
                3/8" (1 cm) in height for ease of reading from a distance of 6 feet (2 m).
            - Keep the text to a minimum - most posters contain far too much text.
            - Attractive but simple tables and figures will greatly increase the effectiveness of
                any poster. Keep symbols, lines, and text large enough to be easily readable
                from a distance of 6 feet (2 m).
            - A poster is easier to read if the information is arranged in vertical columns rather
                than horizontal strips.
            - If you have any special requests/needs, please provide that information on the
                Abstract Submission form or to naec[at]wallawalla.edu).

Abstracts
Abstracts can be submitted online beginning December 1, 2010. The abstract submission deadline will be June 1, 2011.

For abstract submission guidelines, please click here.