The Georgia Aquarium is our gracious host and the conference hotel is the Embassy Suites Atlanta - at Centennial Olympic Park. Ilze Berzins and Tonya Clauss are working hard on an enticing schedule so it should educational, stimulating, and just plain fun! Lots of planning is going on so stay tuned.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

Registration will open the first week of January.

REGISTRATION COSTS (in US Dollars)

• FULL REGISTRATION - MEMBER - $335: includes ice breaker, all sessions, coffee breaks, business lunch, auction, banquet, proceedings in CD form unless otherwise indicated
• GUEST REGISTRATION - MEMBER - $225: includes ice breaker, all sessions, coffee breaks, business lunch, auction, banquet, proceedings in CD form unless otherwise indicated
• FULL REGISTRATION - NON-MEMBER - $385: includes ice breaker, all sessions, coffee breaks, business lunch, auction, banquet, proceedings in CD form unless otherwise indicated
• GUEST REGISTRATION - NON-MEMBER - $280: includes ice breaker, all sessions, coffee breaks, business lunch, auction, banquet, proceedings in CD form unless otherwise indicated

• STUDENT REGISTRATION - MEMBER - $150: includes ice breaker, all sessions, coffee breaks, business lunch, auction, proceedings CD. Banquet is NOT included
• STUDENT REGISTRATION - NON-MEMBER - $185: includes ice breaker, all sessions, coffee breaks, business lunch, auction, proceedings CD. Banquet is NOT included

• CHILDREN'S REGISTRATION - $150: includes ice breaker, all sessions, coffee breaks, business lunch, auction, proceedings CD. Banquet is NOT included
• PER DAY REGISTRATION FEE- $150: includes sessions, coffee breaks
  

• LATE FEE (AFTER APRIL 1, 2012) - $60

OTHER COSTS

• BANQUET TICKET - $50
• STUDENT BANQUET TICKET - $40
• CHILD BANQUET TICKET - $40
• BUSINESS LUNCH TICKET - $25
• ICEBREAKER TICKET - $30
• LIVE AUCTION/BUFFET TICKET - $35

• PROCEEDINGS (EITHER PRINTED OR CD-ROM) - $35
• CONFERENCE T-SHIRT - TBD

WORKSHOP FEES

• ELASMOBRANCH WORKSHOP - $150: includes lecture, labs, coffee breaks, buffet lunch
• LIFE SUPPORT WORKSHOP - TBD
• BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING (1/2 DAY) - $75: includes lecture, coffee break (if sign up for both behavior workshops, lunch will be included)
• IMATA MARINE MAMMAL BEHAVIOR WORKSHOP (1/2 DAY) - $75: includes lab session in the afternoon (if sign up for both behavior workshops, lunch will be included)
• MARINE MAMMAL INTRAORAL RADIOLOGY WORKSHOP (1/2 DAY) - $100:  includes lecture, lab, coffee break
• LATIN AMERICAN VETERINARIAN WORKSHOP - $100: lectures, coffee breaks, buffet lunch
• CL DAVIS HISTOPATHOLOGY WORKSHOP - $150: lectures, coffee breaks, buffet lunch

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

Embassy Suites Atlanta - at Centennial Olympic Park
267 Marietta Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30313
PH: 678.686.0705

$154 + 15% tax per night – king or 2 double bed suites w/ sleeper sofas.

http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/A/ATLESES-IAA-20120511/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

AIRPORT INFORMATION

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, 12.3 miles from the Embassy Suites and Georgia Aquarium. Transportation via taxi, shuttle or MARTA (public transit). More details to follow on rates.

CONFERENCE CANCELLATION POLICY

All cancellations and request for refunds need to be submitted in writing to Ilze Berzins (Iberzins@sheddaquarium.org) and Pam Tuomi (pamt@alaskasealife.org) by:

• 90 days prior to the start of the conference for a 100% refund
• 60 days prior to the start of the conference for a 75% refund
• 30 days prior to the start of the conference for a 50% refund
• No refunds will be granted for cancellations after 30 days prior to the start of the conference.

Requests for refunds will be processed by six weeks after the conference has ended.

1. Refund requests should contain:
2. Your name
3. The name(s) of any registered guest (s)
4. Your contact information
5. List of charges (registration, workshops, etc.)

TRAVEL INSURANCE

For those of you worried about last minute cancellations (after the 30 day no-refund deadline), consider purchasing travel insurance. One company used by one of our members (includes coverage for work-related cancellations) is Access America.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

WORKSHOP INFORMATION (Saturday, May 12)

09:00 – 16:00 Elasmobranch Husbandry and Medicine Workshop (Ruth Francis-Floyd, Aimee Berliner and Shane Boylan) - The workshop will be a combination of lecture based material complemented by demonstrations and limited wet lab clinical training. Speakers will discuss common health concerns of captive elasmobranchs. Detailed discussion of selected environmental and infectious disease problems will be covered, as well as the use of husbandry techniques (including behavioral manipulations) to improve management of elasmobranch collections. An interactive presentation of clinical findings and reports of specific cases will complete the day. Demonstrations of husbandry behaviors using animals from the Ocean Voyager exhibit will be conducted by Georgia Aquarium staff. Clinicians will demonstrate common diagnostic procedures in the hospital area and discuss application of some of these techniques to specific clinical cases they have been involved with. A box lunch will be provided. (Limited to 20 participants).

09:00 – 16:00 Design Characteristics of Effective and Healthy Marine Mammal Filtration and Life Support Systems: Past, Present and Future Issues and Needs for Veterinarians (Mike Walsh, Andy Stamper, Ed Felatson) – This workshop will consist of lectures on water quality problems, filtration challenges, monitoring, oxidizing agents, therapy, prevention, current solutions, retrofitting, and design of the ultimate life support system.

09:00 – 5:00 Behavior and Training (Two different topic areas, may be taken separately, or may be taken together)

Morning session 9-1: The Science Behind All That Training: Applied Behavior Analysis for the Aquatic Animal Veterinarian (Susan G. Friedman and Leigh Ann Clayton) - This workshop will introduce veterinarians to the science of behavior change through the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. The universal principles that govern individual learning will be presented and related to areas such as problem behavior management and positive reinforcement training. Greater understanding of how animals learn, and the science that describes this natural process, will improve the veterinarians’ ability to evaluate behavior beyond the medical or zoological paradigm, assist in developing humane behavior change programs, and liaison with other professionals such as trainers and aquarists.

Afternoon session 14:00-16:00: Husbandry Behavior at the Georgia Aquarium (Georgia Aquarium's Animal Training Management Team) - This IMATA/IAAAM Workshop will be a live demonstration of the vet/trainer co-operation needed to gather the diagnostic information and materials required for optimal animal care. Participants will be escorted to various sites at the Georgia Aquarium utilizing several of the many species of animals on display at this world renowned facility. This session will provide opportunities to interface with animal behavioral professionals and discuss specifics regarding the challenges of shaping and maintaining husbandry behaviors. Space limited to 35.

13:00 – 17:00 Marine Mammal Intraoral Radiology Workshop (Steven E. Holmstrom) – This workshop will be 25% lecture and 75% hands on. It is an opportunity to learn efficient positioning techniques to get consistent diagnostic images in a variety of marine mammals. The lecture will discuss equipment necessary to take intraoral radiographs in marine mammals, radiographic positioning and diagnosis of intraoral disease. The hands-on portion will be positioning skulls and taking radiographs using dental radiographic unites with digital sensor and/or CR digital plates and software. The Wet lab will be geared to meet the needs of the participants with multiple stations. Participants will also learn more about using the various software enhancements, image orientation and film processing troubleshooting as well as interpretation of findings and how that translates to treatment options for common dental and oral pathology.

09:00 – 17:00 6th Annual CL Davis Marine Species Histopathology Workshop (Judy St. Leger) – This workshop will include a didactic lecture and a series of case presentations. The morning starts with a lecture related to pathology in general and as applied to aquatic species. The rest of the day includes interactive presentations of clinical cases with pathology including histology. Workshop participants are encouraged to submit a case for presentation – but presentation is not required. All participants receive DVDs of the scanned histology slides and the case write up materials. Come and discuss some of the important questions in aquatic animal pathology. We welcome cases related to invertebrates, fishes, aquatic birds, and marine mammals. Workshop registration includes materials and morning and afternoon breaks. All IAAAM members are invited to attend. Registration is limited to 50 participants.

09:00 – 17:00 Second Latin American Marine Mammal and Aquatic Animal Veterinarians Workshop (hosted by Enrique Yarto)- The second Latin American Marine Mammal and Aquatic Animal Veterinarians Workshop has been organized as initiative of the Spanish-speaking IAAAM members to be held as a part of the 43rd IAAAM conference. The first Latin American Marine Mammal Veterinarians Workshop brought together several Latin American (including colleagues from Spain) veterinarians and researchers for a great event and information exchange as well as research project proposals in conjunction with professionals that have not met before. This year´s workshop intends to expand the participation of Latin American marine mammal veterinarians and others interested in the field, as well as increase the range of subjects covered in the scientific agenda with the addition of professionals working with other aquatic animals. The main focus of our program this year will be research projects developed in Mexico, Spain and other countries concerning pharmacology, nutrition topics, assisted and natural reproduction, education and training programs for students and veterinarians and conservation medicine.

Segundo Taller Latinoamericano de veterinarios de mamíferos marinos y animales acuáticos - El segundo taller latinoamericano de veterinarios de mamíferos marinos y animales acuáticos es parte de la iniciativa de los miembros hispano-parlantes de la IAAAM, el cual se llevará a cabo durante la 43ava conferencia de la IAAAM. El primer taller latinoamericano de veterinarios de mamíferos marinos conjuntó varios médicos e investigadores latinoamericanos y españoles, en un evento excepcional con un importante intercambio de información, así como propuestas de investigación de colaboración con algunos profesionales que no habían tenido contacto anteriormente. El propósito del taller de este año es expandir la participación de veterinarios latinos y otros colegas interesados; de la misma manera, se intenta incrementar la gama de temas que serán cubiertos por el programa científico, incluyendo también médicos e investigadores que trabajan con otros animales acuáticos. El enfoque de nuestro programa este año serán los proyectos de investigación desarrollados en México, España y otros países, referentes a farmacología, tópicos de nutrición, reproducción natural y asistida, programas de educación continua y entrenamiento para estudiantes y veterinarios y medicina de la conservación.

FUN FACTS ABOUT GEORGIA

(in no particular order, taken from http://www.50states.com/facts/georgia.htm)

• Okefenokee Swamp encompasses over 400,000 acres of canals; moss draped cypress trees, and lily pad prairies providing sanctuaries for hundreds of species of wildlife including several endangered species.
• Cumberland Island National Seashore contains the ruins of Dungeness, the once magnificent Carnegie estate. In addition, wild horses graze among wind swept dunes.
• The pirate Edward "Blackbeard" Teach made a home on Blackbeard Island. The United States Congress designated the Blackbeard Island Wilderness Area in 1975 and it now has a total of 3,000 acres.
• On January 19, 1861, Georgia joined the Confederacy.
• The official state fish is the largemouth bass.
• Georgia was named for King George II of England.
• Georgia is the nation’s number one producer of the three Ps--peanuts, pecans, and peaches.
• Known as the sweetest onion in the world, the Vidalia onion can only be grown in the fields around Vidalia and Glennville
• Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River.
• Georgia is often called the Empire State of the South and is also known as the Peach State and Cracker State.
• Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The name "Coca-Cola" was suggested by Dr. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. He penned the name Coca-Cola in the flowing script that is famous today. Coca-Cola was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta by Willis Venable.
• The Cherokee rose is the official state flower, the live oak the official tree; and the brown thrasher the official bird.
• The popular theme park - Six Flags Over Georgia, was actually named for six flags that flew over Georgia. England, Spain, Liberty, Georgia, Confederate States of America, and the United States.
• The name of the famous south Georgia swamp, the Okefenokee, is derived from an Indian word meaning the trembling earth.

Register for Conference

Interested in attending? Click here to register. Current attendees can review their information here.

View Conference fees

Display the current overall conference fees.

View Workshop listing

View and register for conference workshop.