Q: What is techie, informative, and fun?
A: The Coastal GeoTools Conference
Coastal GeoTools is the primary technology conference for those working to protect the nation’s coastal resources. Held every two years, this NOAA-sponsored conference represents the best opportunity available for trading ideas and experiences about coastal management and technology.
Local planners, state regulators, private sector data and technology companies, universities, nonprofits—these are the groups that often impact coastal decision-making, and these are the people who attend Coastal GeoTools. Attendance usually numbers around 350 people, and as a testimony to the relevance of the material, a high percentage of attendees come back time after time. Many report that even though shrinking travel budgets are limiting their educational opportunities, this is always the conference at the top of their priority list.
The Digital Coast (www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast) is an overlying theme for the conference, for the data and tools most often used in coastal management are delivered through this NOAA-sponsored platform. The conference showcases how this information is used to address current coastal management issues. Topics include
- Dunes and coastal morphology
- Sea level rise
- Shoreline mapping
- Partnerships for coastal planning
- Geospatial applications
- Socioeconomic data applications
A new feature from the last conference was popular enough to bring back this year—the Tools Showcase. This special event gives participants the chance to ask questions and get one-on-one demonstrations. The presenters also benefit from this exchange, since many product improvements are made in response to feedback obtained from this session.
Check the website for more information at http://geotools.csc.noaa.gov
