Contents of this message:

1. Press Conferences Planned
2. Press Room Information
3. Updated News Media Registration Information
4. News Media Registration Form
5. Who's Coming

Note: This advisory does not repeat important information from Media Advisory 2: http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/prrl/prrl0542.html

1. Press Conferences Planned

We are currently organizing press conferences on some of the newsworthy scientific research being presented at Ocean Sciences. This list is, of course, subject to change. Press conferences may be dropped or changed in emphasis, and others may be added. The "final" schedule, including a more detailed synopsis of each press conference and list of participants, will be issued in advance of the meeting. Any changes after that date will be announced in the Press Room.

Coastal Impacts of Hurricane Katrina
(Katrina has provided lessons that must be heeded by coastal communities worldwide. How do big storms or tsunamis affect the ocean itself, in terms of physics and biology, and how do they impact coasts, in terms of their winds and storm surges? We present the latest learned from Katrina.)

Enlisting Top Marine Predators to Describe Their Environments
(Whales, seals, and even birds are being equipped with devices not simply to track their own movements, but to report on ocean currents, temperatures, and other parameters.)

The Impact of Oceans on Human Health
(Current research on how oceans affect human health in various ways, positive and negative, e.g., as a source of pathogens as well as pharmaceuticals. Algal blooms, or red tides, can adversely affect human health.)

Deep-Sea Fish Diversity and Ecology
(The ocean's mid-waters, or pelagic zone, and its benthic, or seafloor, zone constitute the largest ecosystems on Earth, but they are poorly understood. A recent expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to study marine life at great depths brought back more samples, including newly discovered species, than any scientific project since the Challenger Expedition of 1872-1876.)

Studying Oceans With Tethered and Free-Floating Devices
(Guided and free-floating robots are revealing an ocean of astonishing complexity that cannot be described by satellites, ships, or radars, with material being transported and transformed. This complexity must be unraveled to understand the potential impact of humans on oceans. Examples will be provided of new revelations from robots about the physical ocean and the creatures that inhabit it.)

Varied Threats to the Survival of Coral Reefs
(Coral reefs are under various types of threat. Scientists will present the latest on the effects of increased nutrients in southern Florida, sugar farming near Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and sea-level rise in Hawaii.)

Cruise Ships as Scientific Research Vessels
(Cruise ships make repeated voyages on the same itineraries, making them an ideal platform from which to study certain changes over time in specific parts of the ocean. They also offer more elaborate midnight buffets than most oceanographic vessels.)

Manmade Acoustic Impacts on Marine Wildlife
(Soundwaves generated by human activities affect fish and marine mammals in ways that are only beginning to be understood. Some recent research is presented, following a variety of investigative approaches.)

2. Press Room Information

The Press Room is Room 325A, on Level 3 of the Hawaii Convention Center, at 1801 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815.

The phone number of the Press Room is +1 808-792-6624. Please give this number to persons who may need to reach you in the Press Room. Messages for reporters and PIOs will be taken daily, 20-24 February, between 0730h and 1730h, Hawaiian Standard Time.

News Media badges will be available in the Press Room, both for those who preregistered and for those who register onsite.

The Press Room will be equipped with phone lines for use by reporters (no charge for business calls), a computer with Internet access and printer, and wi-fi for use with your own laptop.

Press conferences will take place in the Press Room.

Complimentary continental breakfast will be provided daily at 0730h, and lunch will be served around 1130h. Hawaiian Kona coffee, tea, and soft drinks will be available all day.

3. Updated News Media Registration Information

This paragraph revises information provided in Media Advisory 2. News Media registrants who have preregistered will pick up their badges in the Press Room (Room 325A), as in the past. Be prepared to show identification (see below). If you have not preregistered, you may fill out a News Media Registration Form, available Press Room, presenting appropriate identification. Your badge will be made on site.

International reporters: If you are neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of the United States, you need a visa to cover meetings in the U.S. This applies also to reporters from countries in the Visa Waiver Program, who do not need visas to visit the U.S. as tourists. For current information, see the official State Department web site: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1276.html. Please apply for your visa early.

News Media registrants receive a badge that provides access to any of the scientific sessions of the meeting, as well as to the Press Room. No one will be admitted without a valid badge.

Eligibility for News Media registration is limited to the following persons:

• Working Press employed by bona fide news media: must present a press card, business card, or letter of introduction from an editor of a recognized publication.
• Freelance science writers: must present a current membership card from NASW, a regional affiliate of NASW, CSWA, ISWA, or SEJ; or evidence of by-lined work pertaining to science intended for the general public and published in 2005 or 2006; or a letter from the editor of a recognized publication assigning you to cover 2006 Ocean Sciences Meeting.
• Public information officers of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies: must present a business card.

4. News Media Registration Form

The News Media Registration Form is set up for online submission, but includes a link to a version that can be printed out and faxed or mailed. Go to: http://www.agu.org/meetings/os06/?content=media&show=pressReg_online

The last day for advance News Media registration, assuring that your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive, is Friday, 10 February 2006. You may also register onsite in the Press Room (Room 325A).

5. Who's Coming

The following reporters and public information officers have registered for the meeting, as of the date of this message. An updated list will be published in the next advisory.

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