from: http://www.nova.edu/ncri/11icrs/:

The 11th International Coral Reef Symposium will be held at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County (Florida) Convention Center, July 7-11, 2008.

Every four years the International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) convenes as a major scientific conference to provide the latest knowledge about coral reefs worldwide. Natural scientists, resource managers and users, conservationists, economists, and educators meet together to advance coral reef science, management, and conservation. The International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS), the largest society focused on coral reefs worldwide, officially sanctions ICRS meetings.

The United States and Florida will co-host the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium in July 2008 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. (It has been over 30 years since the ICRS was held on the U.S. mainland.) Stakeholders, including reef scientists, managers, conservationists, fishers, and divers, will find an opportunity at the 11th ICRS in 2008 to assimilate the most recent and best scientific information available about these precious and irreplaceable natural resources. The Symposium’s goal is better understanding of coral reef ecosystems and consequently effective conservation and management strategies. The Symposium will promote the dissemination of knowledge about reef sustainability and resilience, particularly important to many nations who depend upon coral reefs for their economy and food supply. The U.S. and South Florida venue will also provide convenient access for experts and policymakers to mutually visit and study reef systems in the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Meso-America, and Eastern Pacific. Over 2,500 attendees are expected from the U.S. and international marine science, management, and conservationist communities.

read more at: http://www.nova.edu/ncri/11icrs/