Sea Lice 2010 Final Report

The 8^th International Sea Lice Conference was held at the Inn at Laurel Point on May 9-12, 2010 and was a resounding success. The Final Report may be viewed here.

Marine Harvest joins the Sea Lice 2010 Team of Sponsors

Sea Lice 2010 gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Marine Harvest International who has joined our team as a conference sponsor.

Onsite Registration Fees Commence April 10^th

Registration fees increase to $435 for students and $575 for general delegates on April 10^th.

Accommodation

Limited number of rooms at the special conference rate are available until April 8th only. Call Inn at Laurel Point for reservations 1.800.663.7667.

Program

The response to the Sea Lice 2010 Call for Papers was overwhelming. 103 abstract submissions were received and far more requests for oral presentations than could be accommodated. Each abstract was sent to at least 3 representatives of the conference Scientific Review Committee for evaluation on scientific merit, originality of the research, and whether the topic was in line with the goals of Sea Lice 2010. The Committee selected 47 abstracts for oral presentations and 35 for poster presentations.

To accommodate as many high calibre presentations as possible, the Organizing Committee has added an evening session on May 11^th. A dedicated Poster Session has also been organized during the day on May 11^th to ensure delegates have the opportunity to meet the authors and discuss their research.

See Program

Student Poster Awards

The Organizing Committee is pleased to announce a Student Poster Contest.

• 1st place award of $500
• 3 runner-up awards of $100 each

To be eligible, the first or presenting author must be a student currently enrolled at an academic institute. For more information contact Dr. Simon Jones.

May 11^th Reception

To include as many oral presentations as possible, the Sea Lice 2010 program has been expanded and an evening session on May 11^th added. Refreshments and snacks will be provided to delegates immediately after the conclusion of the afternoon session and before the evening session. The Reception will be held in the Terrace Room adjacent to the conference and the posters.

Inn at Laurel Point is BC's first and only Carbon Neutral Hotel

The Inn at Laurel Point is very proud to announce their new Carbon Neutral status. That makes them the only hotel in British Columbia to be able to wave that flag. This means that when you stay at the Inn at Laurel Point, they will cover the carbon emissions generated by your stay on your behalf. And the best part is that there is no additional cost to you!

New Conference Partner – Novartis Animal Health

The Organizing Committee is very pleased to announce that Novartis Animal Health has become a conference partner. Novartis Animal Health has provided significant financial support to deliver an exceptional 8th International Sea Lice Conference.

New Conference Sponsor – New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture

Sea Lice 2010 gratefully acknowledges the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture as a conference sponsor.

Sea Lice 2010 is pleased to welcome Genome BC as a sponsor. In addition, Watershed Watch is welcomed as a sponsor for the modelling workshop.

Abstract Deadline January 8, 2010

Conference Proceedings to be published in Aquaculture Journal

Conference Proceedings from Sea Lice 2010, the 8th International Sea Lice Conference will be published in a Special Issue of the journal AQUACULTURE. Deadline for manuscript submission is Friday, May 21, 2010. See Conference Proceedings for more information.

Dr. Robert Poulin, Plenary Speaker, Sea Lice Ecology and Evolution

A Sea Lice Ecology and Evolution session has been organized with Dr. Robert Poulin, University of Otago, New Zealand confirmed as the plenary speaker. Dr. Poulin is an internationally recognized expert in ecological and evolutionary aspects of the host-parasite interaction, see Program for more details.

Tours

Three interesting local tours have been organized to provide a west coast experience:

• Tour 1 - World Renown Butchart Gardens
• Tour 2 - Jack Brooks Salmon Hatchery and Tugwell Creek Honey Farm and Meadery in Sooke, BC
• Tour 3 - Pacific Coast Whale Watching

Dr. Peter Smith, Scientific Review Committee

Sea Lice 2010 Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that Dr. Peter Smith, National University of Ireland, Galway has agreed to be a member of the Scientific Review Committee. Dr. Smith will participate in the review of abstracts submitted to the conference and will provide assistance for the published proceedings.

Introducing the Sea Lice 2010 Partners and Sponsors who have generously supported the conference activities.

Partners

Sponsors

The Sea Lice 2010 Conference website is officially launched.

Sea Lice 2010 is pleased to welcome the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada as a sponsor.

The official Sea Lice Conference Logo has been received and prints are available for purchase through the registration page.

"Salmon Louse"
Commission by Doug LaFortune for the "Sea Lice 2010" 8th International Sea Lice Conference. The concept behind the "Sea Lice Conference Logo" was to create a design that speaks to the interaction and interrelationships between sea lice, fish and people. The focus of the conference is sea lice - small parasitic copepods that inhabit aquatic environments - and in the logo design the sea lice body forms the boundary of the image. In their natural life cycle, sea lice infect many different fish; salmon were chosen because of their importance to British Columbia. The Sea Lice 2010 conference is about knowledge, understanding, collaboration and sharing and people have the third position in this three-way relationship and are central in the design.

The Logo
The conference logo has been commissioned from a local West Coast native artist, Doug LaFortune Sr. From this logo, a limited number of prints have been prepared specifically for purchase by Sea Lice 2010 delegates. Each print is numbered, signed by the artist, and includes information about the artist and the concept behind the design. This limited edition print run is specially priced at $65. See registration form for ordering.

The Artist
Doug LaFortune is one of the most widely known names in west coast Indian art. Born in Bellingham, Washington USA, he was raised in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. Doug's family is of Coast Salish ancestry. He started his career as a professional artisan in 1973 and became the apprentice of Simon Charlie, a world renowned artist. Doug is among the first of a new generation of artists to revive Salish art. He has been commissioned to carve numerous totem poles that have been sent around the world including the welcome piece presented to the Queen at the opening ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games in 1994. He has a keen eye for precise detail and an impeccable sense of symmetry. His carving ranges from small sculptures to masks to large totem poles and the smaller work can be viewed at the Eagle Feather First Nation's Gallery in Victoria, www.eaglefeathergallery.com.

Sea Lice 2010 welcomes the University of Victoria and Intervet as partners, as well as BC Pacific Salmon Forum, BC Salmon Farmers Association, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, and Pharmaq as sponsors.