The 23rd NorthWest Algal Symposium (NWAS) will meet on the weekend of May 8^th-10th, 2009 at the Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island, Washington.  Casey Conference Center is operated by Seattle Pacific University, and has been the site of 2 prior NWAS meetings.  The site is located on the beach near the Keystone ferry terminal.   The local marine flora is diverse, as the site is more wave-exposed than the more inland waters of Puget Sound. 

The symposium will include oral and poster presentations covering any aspect of macro or microalgal research and this year we also particularly welcome talks on seagrasses.  The symposium will provide an excellent forum for the exchange of information and ideas in a relaxed and informal setting, long term algal aficionados and novices alike are encouraged to participate.  Graduate students are, in particular, most welcome!  Awards will be presented for the best student poster and best oral presentation. 

Housing will be provided on campus. The site is a former military post (Fort Casey), and accommodations will be provided in barracks or officer's quarters that have been retrofitted as dormitories.  Housing is not included with the registration fee. 

Meals will be provided from Friday evening through Sunday at noon.  On Saturday night, we will be having a banquet at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station's Officers' Club. The banquet is also included as part of the registration fee.

Field trips will primarily take place on the beach at Casey. 

Invited speakers  are to be announced.

Please spread the word, all welcome.  Future announcements will be circulated by email and announced on ALGAE-L and the NWAS listserver.  Registration & Abstracts will be due on the 1st of April.

For further information, please contact Tim Nelson (tnelson@spu.edu).

Write to Tim Nelson at Dept. of Biology, Suite 205; Seattle Pacific University; Seattle, WA 98119-1950.