CERF 2025 Call for Abstracts

Sessions eligible for second abstract
The sessions that fall under the eligibility for a second abstract include education sessions that highlight the role that many attendees play as educators at all levels, including K-12, university, and informal science education; sessions that highlight cultural stewardship and human dimensions of coastal ecosystems and communities, including working with Indigenous communities and incorporating traditional and local ecological knowledge; and sessions that highlight projects and programs that build on or leverage inclusive culture practices or showcase the multifaceted relevance of incorporating DEIJA into science and management. 

• Natural history of coastal Delmarva Peninsula: integrating research and monitoring

• New developments in coastal blue carbon science for management

• Marshes for Maine's future: the ways restoration should be

• Moving restoration science forward through interagency coordination, co-production, and cooperation

• Habitat restoration on islands: unique challenges and opportunities.

• The next wave: NOAA scholars advancing innovative coastal science

• Restoring fish habitat with traditional and local ecological knowledge

• Resilient estuaries and communities: bridging knowledge systems and co-designing solutions

• Mud, macrofauna and microbes: an ode to benthos VI

• Stories from the braided river II

Policies and Procedures for Submitting Abstracts

The abstract submission deadline is 28 April 2025 at 11:59 PM EDT.

Please review the following guidelines before submitting your abstract. If the guidelines are not followed, your abstract may not be accepted.  

1. SESSION: Choose your first and second choice of sessions that best align with the subject of your abstract. In addition to the submitted sessions, there are general sessions on broad estuarine science and management topics; these sessions begin with the words "General session." If your abstract does not fit within any of these topics, please select "General session - other,” and we will work to find or create a suitable session for your work.

2. TITLE: The title has a limit of 15 words. The title should be entered in sentence case (i.e., only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized). 

3. PREFERRED PRESENTATION TYPES: Descriptions of each format are provided below: traditional oral is 15 minutes (12 minute talk, 3 minutes for questions), and lightning is 7 minutes (5-minute talk, 2 minutes for questions). Abstracts not selected for the preferred format will be considered for other formats. Select one: 

1. Traditional oral preferred, lightning or poster are acceptable 

2. Lightning preferred, traditional oral or poster are acceptable 

3. Traditional oral preferred, poster is acceptable (no lightning) 

4. Lightning preferred, poster is acceptable (no traditional oral) 

5. Poster only 

4.  STUDENT PRESENTATION AWARDS: If you are a student, you can choose to have your presentation judged for the Student Presentation Awards. If so, please designate if you are a K12, undergraduate, or graduate student. Recent graduates (i.e., within one year of graduation and without a permanent job) are eligible for awards. 
5. RELEASE OF ABSTRACT: You must agree to the publication of your abstract in conference-related materials where it will be publicly available. 
6. AUTHOR INFORMATION: Enter authors in the order they should appear in the abstract. Provide institutional affiliations and contact information. There is a 12-author limit per abstract. 
7. KEYWORDS: Select up to five keywords from the drop-down menu. 
8. ABSTRACT: All abstracts must be in English, and the use of metric units is strongly encouraged. There is a limit of 300 words for the text of your abstract. 
9. ABSTRACT FEE: Abstracts will not be accepted into the scientific program without payment. The CERF 2025 fee is $75 USD. Secure online payment is available at the end of the submission process. Please note that abstract fees are non-refundable. If the abstract fee presents a financial barrier to submitting an abstract, please contact Susan Park at [email protected] to inquire about a waiver. 

Presentation Formats 

There are three presentation formats: 

• Traditional oral: Each presentation will be assigned a total of 15 minutes encompassing a 12-minute  talk and a 3-minute discussion period. Given the number of abstracts the SPC expects to be submitted, some participants who request an oral presentation may be assigned a poster or lightning talk; please consider selecting these options during your abstract submission process.

• Lightning: Lightning talks are 5-minute presentations requiring the presenter to focus on the essence of what they want to communicate (see the Presenter Resource Page for additional guidance). To keep with the timing of other sessions, two lightning talks will occur within a 15-minute time block, with 2 minutes for questions following each lightning talk. 

• Poster presentations: Posters will be displayed in the exhibit hall, with poster sessions on Monday and Wednesday from 4:30 pm to 7 pm to allow plenty of time for interaction. Poster presenters are expected to attend their assigned poster session to meet with attendees and discuss their posters.  

Oral sessions may consist of all traditional oral presentations, all lightning presentations, or a mix. The SPC reserves the right to assign abstracts to either poster or oral sessions. The assignment to a traditional oral or lightning presentation will occur only if the applicant indicates their willingness on the abstract submission form. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated.  

Presenter Confirmation/Cancellation Policy

The presenting author of accepted abstracts must confirm their participation and register for the conference by 5 September 2025. For details, please see the Conference Presenter Cancellation Policy.  Thank you in advance for your submission.  

Questions/Support 

Technical questions or concerns about your submission should be directed to Tricia Fry at [email protected]. Questions or concerns related to the scientific program should be directed to the Scientific Program Committee chairs, Pedro Morais and Marcus Beck, at [email protected].