In June 2013, the Coastal Ocean Circulation Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and an associated Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will be held at the University of New England to advance our understanding of coastal ocean circulation, and to enhance the development of junior scholars. The Gordon Research Conference brings together a diverse set of scholars working in coastal and estuarine oceanography to share the latest discoveries and theories in both formal presentation and informal settings. The Gordon Research Seminar, which will be held the weekend prior to the GRC and is a new addition for 2013, is a one day workshop organized and administered by graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to provide them with an opportunity to share their work and to develop connections with peers. Discussions with other GRC chairs have indicated that the inclusion of a GRS has facilitated the interaction of graduate students with senior scientists during the GRC itself. The Coastal Ocean Circulation GRC is widely held to be the most important meeting in the community scientifically, and it is almost certainly the most valuable conference for scholars early in their careers due to the opportunities for interaction with colleagues spanning a wide range of career stages.
Intellectual Merit The program for the 2013 Coastal Ocean Circulation GRC will highlight the latest developments in the field, both scientifically and technologically, and will synthesize recent advances in the understanding of the physical processes determining circulation and mixing in the coastal ocean. Invited speakers have been drawn from international leaders and emerging stars in the field, and lectures will address diverse range of topics, including a range of physical processes, the dynamics of specific environments, interdisciplinary applications, and technological development. The steering committee members will also serve as discussion leaders and will work to ensure provocative discussion that is inspired by the lectures. This free exchange of ideas is a hallmark of the Gordon Research Conferences in general, and is one of the characteristics that make this meeting so important in the field of coastal and estuarine physical oceanography. Almost half of the conference time is allocated to informal interactions among participants, which is extremely effective at aiding the development of junior scientists, and reinforces the free and open discussion culture of the GRC.
Broader Impacts Over the last decade, the coastal ocean circulation GRC has made a concerted effort to ensure participation by women and under-represented minorities, as well as scientists with disabilities. This year, the GRS offers a new opportunity to engage these groups in the GRC, and we will take explicit steps to reach out and ensure their participation, most notably through travel and registration grants to students and postdoctoral scholars from these groups. For 2013, the scientific steering committee, which is itself diverse in its members, has ensured that the invited speakers include members of groups that are traditionally under-represented in the field. This is particularly valuable at the GRC, where the informal interactions of the week provide an opportunity for members of under-represented groups that are established in their careers to provide mentoring to and to become role models for more junior scientists. Past GRC's have led to new collaborations that cut across disciplines and career stages, and have provided opportunities for junior scientists to build their careers. The addition of the GRS in 2013 will reinforce this attribute of the meeting, and will provide the students in attendance an opportunity to develop confidence in their work, and to establish connections with both their peers and senior scientists that are much deeper than those that are possible at other scientific meetings.
The Gordon Research Conference on COASTAL OCEAN CIRCULATION was held at the University of New England, Biddeford Maine, June 9 – 14, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 140 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 140 attendees, 83 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 83 respondents, 11% were Minorities – 4% Hispanic,7% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 32% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women. The Gordon Research Seminar on COASTAL OCEAN CIRCULATION was held at the University of New England, Biddeford Maine, June 8 –9, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 59 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 59 attendees, 36 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 36 respondents, 14% were Minorities – 0% Hispanic, 14% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 46% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women. In designing the formal speakers program, emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate lively discussion about the key issues in the field today. Time for formal presentations was limited in the interest of group discussions. In order that more scientists could communicate their most recent results, poster presentation time was scheduled. Attached is a copy of the formal schedule and speaker program and the poster program. In addition to these formal interactions, "free time" was scheduled to allow informal discussions. Such discussions are fostering new collaborations and joint efforts in the field.
