October 16, 2008
Gateway Hotel and Conference Center at Iowa State University

About the Conference

The Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency completed a review of the science relevant to hypoxic conditions in the Gulf of Mexico in December of 2007. That review generated substantial interest and input from the research community at Iowa State and elsewhere.

One outcome was a realization that many important research questions remain unanswered and that the research needs are often heavily interdisciplinary and require engagement with a broad array of stakeholders.

Purposes

This conference is meant to support an anticipatory approach to the research and outreach needs that the issue of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico creates. Specific purposes are

• To inform the research community about pressing research needs related to the issue of Gulf Hypoxia, particularly new and evolving research findings relevant to nutrient loadings, fate and transport, and effective control options in local and regional waters.
• To inform Iowa State's many stakeholder groups of new and emerging research findings.
• To provide an opportunity for stakeholder groups to inform the research community of the issues they see most in need of consideration related to Gulf hypoxia.
• To provide a venue for linkages among stakeholder groups and researchers from a broad background of disciplines to form research teams/communication channels so that future work can most effectively address the problems.