Submit an Abstract:
The deadline to submit abstracts was Tuesday, April 24, 2018. The Information below is for reference only.
To submit an abstract, click on the links below. You will need to create an account on the submission site.
Submit an Oral or Poster Abstract
Submit a Special Oral Session Proposal
Submit a Poster Cluster Proposal
**Please note, if you submit a proposal for a special oral session or poster cluster, each proposed presentation in the session or cluster must have an abstract submitted through the regular submission process (the link to "Submit an Oral or Poster Abstract").
See below for more information about oral presentations, special oral sessions, posters, poster clusters, and what type of content should be included in abstracts.
All presenters (oral and poster) must submit an abstract using the online form above. There is a 300-word limit on the abstract text. Please fill in all of the blanks on the form, including selection of the appropriate theme or special session, special equipment needs, and your preference for an oral or poster presentation. Depending on the number and content of abstracts submitted, the Program Chairs may move some of the requested oral presentations into the poster session and vice versa. Incomplete or poorly written abstracts and those that are not relevant to Bay-Delta issues will not be accepted.
For questions about abstract submission, please email Karen McDowell: karen.mcdowell@sfestuary.org
Call for Abstracts:
Download Call For Abstracts PDF
The Biennial Bay-Delta Science Conference is a forum for presenting technical analyses and results relevant to the Delta Science Program’s mission to provide the best possible, unbiased, science-based information for water and environmental decision-making in the Bay-Delta system. The goal of the conference is to offer new information and syntheses to the broad community of scientists, engineers, resource managers, and stakeholders working on Bay-Delta issues. The organizers of this 10th Science Conference are seeking presentations that support this goal.
The conference program will feature oral and poster presentations that deliver scientific information and ideas relevant to the topic sessions. The conference theme this year is “Our Estuary at an Intersection.” Intersections are decision points and places where crossroads meet. The management of the Bay-Delta ecosystem sits at the crossroads of geography, ecology, economy, culture, and resource management. Navigating the intersection has direct implications for statewide water supply and efforts to improve the aquatic ecosystem for fisheries, recreation, and tourism. Achieving these goals requires science that addresses the intersection of geographical, ecological, physical, and social considerations in order to build long-term, resilient solutions.
In addition to general sessions and poster topics based on the abstracts received, conference participants may propose special oral sessions or poster clusters on topics of particular importance to the Bay-Delta, especially topics that address interdisciplinary intersections. Instructions for proposing a special session or poster cluster appear after the Conference Session Topics below. All abstracts for oral sessions (special and general) and posters (including clusters) are due by 8:59 pm on Monday, April 24rd, 2018.
Oral Presentations
Oral presentations are expected to advance our state of knowledge by focusing on new findings, models, and syntheses of past and ongoing studies that are relevant to the management or scientific understanding of the Bay-Delta rather than on project or program descriptions or summaries of planned studies. Because we anticipate that requests for oral presentations will exceed the available time slots the Program Committee will assign oral presentations based on technical merits of the abstract, including the relevance of the topic, presentation of results, and importance of the findings. For that reason, abstracts should provide a clear description of the contribution, including their relevance to Bay-Delta management, as described above. Use of phrases such as “results will be discussed” is discouraged. Speakers will be limited to one oral presentation.
Special Oral Sessions
There will be a limited number of special sessions devoted to topics of particular interest to the Bay-Delta community. Instructions for proposing a special oral session.
Poster Presentations
The poster session is a very important part of the Science Conference. Posters will be displayed throughout the conference and will be featured during social sessions on the evenings of the first and second days of the conference to encourage open discussion between the presenters and conference attendees. Posters may also include project/program summaries relevant to Bay-Delta issues, as well as reports of work planned or in progress. Presenters should indicate the theme most pertinent to the subject of the poster from the list on the abstract submittal form, as the posters will be arranged by theme. Inclusion of a statement in the text of the abstract and poster on the relevance of the study’s findings to Bay-Delta management is strongly encouraged.
Poster Clusters
Similar to special oral sessions, there is the opportunity to organize groups of posters on a particular topic and to have those posters grouped together. Instructions for proposing a poster cluster.
Student Awards
Awards will be given for the best student oral and poster presentations during the conference. Please indicate student status on the abstract form. To qualify for a student award, you must have carried out the presented work while you were a registered student, and you must make the presentation yourself.
Abstract Content
A complete abstract should include the following four components:
Problem statement: What problem are you trying to solve and why?
Approach: How did you go about solving or making progress on the problem?
Results: What are your main findings?
Conclusions/Relevance: What are the scientific and management implications of your findings, including the relevance of your findings to Bay-Delta management? What insights do your findings provide towards ecosystem sustainability in the near and long-term futures? Authors are strongly encouraged to include this relevance statement in the abstract.
Questions?
Questions about the technical program or the abstract submittal process should be directed to the Program Co-Chairs: Josh Israel (jaisrael@usbr.gov), Joe Domagalski (joed@usgs.gov), and Karen Kayfetz (karen.kayfetz@deltacouncil.ca.gov).
Questions on posters or poster clusters should be directed to the Poster Chairs: Sakura Evans (sakura.evans@wildlife.ca.gov) and Judy Drexler (jdrexler@usgs.gov).
Questions about other aspects of the conference should be directed to the Conference Co-Chairs: Ted Sommer (ted.sommer@water.ca.gov) and Alex Parker (aparker@csum.edu).
Questions about the Brown-Nichols Science Award should be directed to the Award Chair: Michelle Shouse (mkshouse@usgs.gov).