Oceania Sharks

Welcome

The OCS Conference Organising Committee would like to extend an invitation to attend the

3rd Oceania Chondrichthyan Society Conference

to be held at

Sea World Resort and Water Park
Gold Coast, Australia

from

13th-15th September 2011
 
The aim of this conference is to provide a forum for this region’s leading shark and ray experts, along with students and up and coming early career researchers, to come together to share ideas, update information and report on the progress of the most recent scientific studies in the field of shark and ray research.
 

This year’s conference will consist of a workshop on the 13th followed by two days of presentations. The workshop is entitled ‘Assessing the conservation status of a species’ and will focus on taking delegates, most importantly students, through the assessment process. This includes aspects such as taxonomy, life history, analysis of abundance trends and translating assessment into conservation and management. A poster session, accompanied by drinks and canapés, will take place on the evening of the 14th. The Annual General Meeting will also be held during the conference period, exact time TBA. Social events at Sea World will include Welcome Drinks at Shark Bay on the 13th and a conference dinner, with pre-drinks at Ray Reef, following the conclusion of the event on the 15th. We are pleased to host W/Prof Shaun Collin as a keynote speaker for the conference.

With their expansive displays of marine life and focus on marine animal conservation and research, Sea World Resort and Water Park is an ideal venue to host the OCS Conference. In particular, Shark Bay is the world’s largest man-made lagoon system for sharks and is home to several impressive elasmobranch species such as dusky sharks, bull sharks and large shovelnose rays and guitarfish. The newly-opened Ray Reef offers hands-on encounters with a variety of small and large rays in an intimate setting. Sea World is located in the heart of the Gold Coast in sunny south-east Queensland, which is famous for its expansive beaches, exciting theme parks and subtropical rainforests. The nightlife on the Gold Coast is not to be missed; whether you choose from one of the many spectacular restaurants, a stage show or dinner theatre, there are always plenty of activities to keep you entertained during your stay. Weather on the Gold Coast in September is typically sunny with pleasant temperatures (15 - 25C) both during the day and in the evenings.

This year’s OCS Conference is sure to be an exciting and productive one at a fabulous location, and we hope that you will be able to join us!

Conference Organising Committee
Chair: Dr Susan Theiss (The University of Queensland)
Committee members: Dr Pete Kyne (Charles Darwin University), Ms Lindsay Marshall (CSIRO/University of Tasmania), Dr Michelle Heupel (James Cook University) and Dr Carley Bansemer (The University of Queensland)

For questions regarding the conference, or if you would like to volunteer to help out, please contact conference@oceaniasharks.org.au.

Registration Information
In order to present at the OCS conference, all presenters must register for the meeting; abstract submission does not automatically register you for the conference. Registration for the conference will close after 31 August 2011. Delegates are invited to take advantage of Early Bird registration rates. All registration information and fees must be received prior to the closing date. Registration at the event (walk-ons) will not be accepted. All registration fees are in Australian Dollars and are payable by PayPal. The registration form and instructions for payment can be found here.

Conference Dinner
We are pleased to announce that the Conference Dinner will be held at Sea World Theme Park on Thursday September 15th.
This is sure to be a fun-filled night where delegates can relax and mingle after the conference and enjoy the social highlights that Sea World has to offer!! The event will commence with pre-drinks from 7pm at Ray Reef, where delegates can get up close with a number of different ray species, followed by a buffet-style dinner and dancing in the Broadwater Room until 11pm. Presentation of the student awards for best talk, best poster and travel will also take place during the event.

Prices for the dinner are as follows:
Student delegate: $75
Non-student delegate: $90
Guest of delegate: $100

The preferred method of payment is via PayPal following the same instructions as the registration fees. Please include with your payment your name, dinner type, and guest’s name if applicable. Dietary requirements indicated on registration forms have been noted, but if your guest has dietary requirements, please let Susan know at conference@oceaniasharks.org.au. Registration and payment for the dinner must be received by September 7, 2011.

Sign up now to be sure you don’t miss out on a fabulous evening!!

Registration Fees
 

Workshop only***       $175

*After 30-06-2011.
**Non-members that are full-time students need to supply proof of enrolment (e.g., student card) to the registration desk at the workshop/conference.
***Attendance of the workshop only includes the Welcome drinks social function on Sept 13th.

Conference registration fee includes:
• Conference satchel.
• Access to all scientific sessions.
• Copy of the program and abstract book.
• Entrance to social functions and reduced cost for the conference dinner.
• Morning/afternoon refreshments and lunch on each meeting day.

Abstract Submission
Each presenter is allowed to submit abstracts for one oral and one poster presentation. Oral presentation submissions may be requested to be presented as a poster depending on the number of delegates and the number of available oral presentations. Abstracts should not exceed 250 words and be submitted using the template provided here. Abstracts should be submitted via email to conference@oceaniasharks.org.au. File name should include the author’s last name, initials and presentation type. For example: theiss_sm.doc.

Abstracts are due by 30 June 2011. Late submissions will not be considered.

Student Awards
Passions of Paradise will be sponsoring student awards for best oral presentation ($350 for two presentations) and poster presentation ($150 for two posters), so be sure to indicate on your registration form whether you would like to be considered for these awards. $1,500 will also be available for student travel awards. 

Accommodation
Sea World Resort (http://seaworldresort.myfun.com.au/default.aspx) has kindly allocated a limited number of rooms for conference delegates from 12th-16th September with prices starting at $165/night for a standard double room. Please note that these rooms are only being held until August 5th, at which point any unallocated rooms will be released to the general public. If you would like to book your accommodation with Sea World, please fill out this form and email it to group@seaworldresort.com.au

A broad range of other accommodation options are available in Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and more widely on the Gold Coast. See the following website for options:

http://www.goldcoastinformation.com.au/accommodation-search.html

For students, the Surfers Paradise YHA @ Main Beach backpacker hostel offers a cheaper alternative, with shared rooms, twin rooms and double rooms available from $27 to $90 per night. This hostel is approximately 1.8 km from the conference venue. See:

http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/qld/gold-coast/surfers-paradise-backpackers-hostel/

Local bus number 750 runs through Surfers Paradise and Main Beach to Sea World, connecting many accommodation options. A timetable and route map is available at:

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/services-and-timetables/buses/route-750

Transportation
There are two options for flying into the Gold Coast – either arriving at Brisbane Airport (situated in Brisbane, about one hour and ten minutes drive time to the Sea World Resort) or the Gold Coast Airport (situated in Coolangatta on the southern Gold Coast, about forty minutes drive time to the Sea World Resort).

Brisbane is a significantly larger hub, with more services available from both within and outside of Australia. The Brisbane Airport is serviced by all major Australian airlines, and many overseas carriers.

Increased services to the Gold Coast Airport by budget airlines offer some reasonably priced alternatives. The Gold Coast Airport is serviced by Jetstar, Virgin Blue, Airnorth, Tiger Airways, Air Asia, Pacific Blue and Air New Zealand.

Door to door shuttle bus services are available from both airports to the Sea World Resort or near-by accommodation (see shuttle bus service desks upon arrival).

Alternatively, the Airtrain (http://www.airtrain.com.au/) runs from Brisbane Airport to the Gold Coast with a connection at Helensvale train station to a local bus service running to Sea World (Surfside Buslines bus number 715; see below).

The local Gold Coast bus provider is Surfside Buslines, with an extensive network of bus services throughout the Gold Coast, including bus number 750 running from Mudgeeraba, Robina train station, Broadbeach, Surfer Paradise and Main Beach to Sea World, and bus number 715 running from Helensvale train station, Harbour Town, Labrador, Southport and Main Beach to Sea World. A surfside network map is available at:

http://www.surfside.com.au/sit_network_map.htm

A timetable and route map for bus number 750 is available at:

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/services-and-timetables/buses/route-750

A timetable and route map for bus number 715 is available at:

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/services-and-timetables/buses/route-715

For other local bus services see:

http://www.surfside.com.au/sit_bus_services.htm

Car hire is available from both the Gold Coast and Brisbane Airports.

Refund/Cancellation Policy
For cancellation prior to 31 August 2011, a full refund minus an AU$100 cancellation fee will be given on receipt of written notification of cancellation. After 31 August 2011, no refunds will be given but substitute delegates are welcome. Registrants who do not cancel their registration through the conference organisers are responsible for the total meeting registration fee even if they do not attend the meeting.

Liability/Insurance
Conference organisers cannot accept responsibility for any financial losses incurred by the delegates in the event of industrial disruptions or natural disasters. Nor can the conference organisers take responsibility for injury or damage to persons or property occurring during the conference. Personal insurance is the responsibility of the individual delegates. If you have concerns we recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover your needs.

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