Looking for a mix of the traditional conference experience and something new? The OCEANS ’09 MTS/IEEE Biloxi conference is coming soon. OCEANS ’09 will be held at the Mississippi
Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center October 26–29, 2009. The conference, hosted by the Marine Technology Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineer’s Oceanic Engineering Society, will feature the traditional topics presented at all OCEANS conferences, as well as topics of local interest selected by the organizing committee. In addition, new programs and events have been added to enhance the attendees’ experience.
    For the professional, the traditional OCEANS topics have been augmented with four topics of local interest: Coastal Restoration, Ocean Observing Systems, Operational Oceanography, and Lessons Learned from Gulf of Mexico Storms. Special sessions submitted for consideration include Nutrient Sensors, Ocean Renewable Energy, Ocean Data Visualization, Integrated Ocean Observing Systems Regional Associations, and the Role of Information Technology in Oceanography. The plenary session, as well as keynote speakers in each local topic area, will present new directions for marine science and technology on national and local levels.
    Conference events have been augmented as well. In addition to OCEANS luncheons, receptions, and gala, a Thursday lunch in the exhibit hall has been added. OCEANS ’09 teamed with the Gulf of Mexico Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency for the Gulf Guardian Awards Ceremony. The Gulf Guardian Awards were established in 2000 to allow the Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program Partnership to ­recognize environmental stewardship in the five Gulf States. The ceremony features project awards in seven categories with video summaries of each stewardship project. OCEANS ’09 attendees can attend the ceremony for a discounted rate available through OCEANS registration. The event will be held Thursday, October 29th beginning
at 6:00 pm.
    For students in a marine field, OCEANS ’09 created a new patron opportunity to allow more posters in the conference competition. The “Sponsor-A-Student” patron opportunity allows organizations able to donate $2500 to bring a student selected to participate in the Student Poster Competition to the conference. Traditionally, a grant from the Office of Naval Research covers expenses for between 20 and 25 students; the OCEANS ’09 goal is to increase that number to at least 30. Interested organizations can obtain information on “Sponsor-A-Student” and other
patron opportunities at www.oceans09mtsieeebiloxi.org.
    For exhibitors, OCEANS ’09 Biloxi promises heavier traffic as all attendees must enter the conference through the exhibit hall. Extra events and scattered lounge areas will bring attendees to various areas of the exhibit hall more frequently. The Biloxi venue is located within driving distance of numerous Federal and State agencies, large marine technology companies, innovative small businesses, and business development organizations. A VIP tour of the exhibit hall featuring our conference patrons is planned.

The Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center is our host for the technical portion of the conference, the exhibition hall, and selected conference events. Located on the shores of the coast, the Convention Center has been recently renovated.

    For sight seers, there are a number of tours to help show off southern hospitality and history. Tours begin the Saturday prior to the conference (October 24) with a cooking demonstration and lunch from Chef Emeril Lagasse’s Island View Kitchen. One tour option includes lunch at Chef John Besh’s La Provence Restaurant. Other tours include a shrimping excursion, and visits to museums, quaint shopping areas, and local gardens. The final tour on Friday, October 30, is a full-day tour of New Orleans.
    OCEANS ’09 will host new programs as well. The first is a High School Outreach Program. Students from area schools will be treated to an e-mission created by NASA’s Challenger Centers. The selected e-mission, Operation Montserrat, features an erupting volcano and a category 3 hurricane plaguing the small Caribbean island. Students use simulated satellite data to create information that is used to evacuate all island residents to safety. During the second half of the day, students will help create an artificial reef that will be deployed in the Gulf of Mexico and named after the conference. As such, the reef will be marked on navigation charts and students will be able to fish the reef in the future. Other activities are planned and include a demonstration by the Marine Advanced Technology Center of their Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)-in-a-bag.
    Another new program is a career fair. Any exhibitor at the OCEANS ’09 conference will be able to have a second table-top booth at the career fair at no cost. The idea is to attract as many companies, local agencies, and other entities interested in expanding their employee base of marine technology professionals. Available and/or upcoming positions will be posted. Individuals seeking employment with these organizations will be able to submit resumes. The fair is being advertised to a number of local universities to help inform students in marine science programs along the coast what opportunities are available in our area and across the nation. Additionally, other students attending the conference from other U.S. and foreign universities will also be invited to submit their resumes for consideration. Finally, seasoned professionals looking for a change may also find what they are looking for at the fair.

OCEANS ’09 Local Organizing Committee

    MTS will match job postings with potential candidates and point candidates to organizational booths at the fair. Additional space will be available for private interviews. The fair will be held the Monday prior to the conference (October 26) at the host hotel, the Beau Rivage.
    Another new program, the Educators’ Professional Development Program, will bring local teachers to Stennis Space Center to inform them about local issues in the Gulf of Mexico and train them in the use of tools they can use in the classroom. Teachers will receive Continuing Education Credits for their participation and may even win an ROV-in-a-bag to bring back to their classroom. The ROVs are one of the in-classroom tools to be demonstrated during the program, as will online tools created by the American Meteorological Society. Finally, teachers will tour the Center for Higher Learning Visualization Center and experience 3D models of a storm inundation model and the new Infinity Science and Technology Center opening in 2010. The Educators’ Professional Development Program will be held on Saturday, October 24th beginning at 8:00 am and ending at 4:00 pm.
    The conference is also looking for ways to serve as a good steward of our environment. If enough conference bag patrons are identified, the conference bag will be made of recycled materials and made in the US. The Organizing Committee is working with the Mississippi Coast Convention Center to use recyclable materials whenever possible for meals and breaks. Information on patron opportunities, registration, exhibiting, and conference events can be found on the conference website.
    OCEANS ’09 Biloxi will be hosted by two honorary chairmen. From industry, Charles Zang of Science Applications International Corporation will serve as the Honorary Co-Chair. From the government, Rear Admiral David Titley of the Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command will serve as Co-Chair. With these prominent organizations leading the way, OCEANS ’09 promises to be a conference
to remember.