October 9

8:00 – 8:45 Registry and breakfast

8:45 – 9:00 Welcome messages

9:00 – 10: 30

Edie Widder PhD - Applications of bioluminescence in coastal and deep-sea monitoring

10:30 10:45 Coffee Break

The History

10:45 – 11:50

Carmelo Rosa, Mark Martin – Puerto Mosquito: then and now

11:55 – 12:55 Lunch

The Science

1:00 – 2:00

Michael Latz PhD – The bioluminescence of Pyrodinium bahamense and other dinoflagellates

2:00 – 3:00

Juan González Lagoa PhD - Research on bioluminescence in Puerto Rico – historical until the present/

3:00 – 3:15 Coffee Break

3:15 – 4:15

Miguel Sastre-Wirshing PhD – Population dynamics of Pyrodinium bahamense and Ceratium furca in Laguna Grande, Fajardo, Puerto Rico

6:30 Puerto Mosquito Tour (suggested – you have to make reservations and contract directly with a tour provider; for a list of tour operators check this website)

October/Octubre 10

8:15 – 8:55 Breakfast

The Science/La Ciencia

9:00 – 10:00

Fernando Gilbes-Santaella PhD - Comparative study of the conditions in La Parguera and Puerto Mosquito: the dangers of sedimentation and development pressure

10:00 – 10:15 Coffee Break

Management

10:20 – 11:20

Gary Machlis PhD - The Social Ecology of Bioluminescent Bays

11:20 – 12:20

Dr Fernando Abruña FAIA -Light Pollution and Natural Night Lighting/

12:25 – 1:25  Lunch

1: 25 – 2:25

Biologist Elizabeth Padilla – Puerto Rico brilla naturalmente: reduce el impacto de la contaminación lumínica/Puerto Rico shines naturally: reducing the impact of light pollution

2: 15  - 3:15

Biologist Edgardo Belardo - Management in the Vieques bioluminescent reserve

3:15 – 4:45

Discussion – The future: how do we conserve our resource?

4:45 – 5:00

Closing Brendymar Cruz, Barbara Hyland (VCHT)

5:00 – 7:00

Cocktails at the Trust – There will be vans to take you to the VCHT in Esperanza

October 11

From 11:00 am on

Open house at the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust, La Esperanza

Demonstration of projects for various programs and age groups.

Optional activities – Vieques tour operators will have special tours for symposium participants. You have to reserve and contract your preferred tour directly with the operador. For more information, please check this website for updates. As an example, here are some of the ideas mentioned by the tour operators during a recent meeting:

• Tour: Central Playa Grande and lagoons on western Vieques
• Tour: Cayo de Tierra trails
• Snorkeling and kayaking in Esperanza
• Tour: Fuerte Conde de Mirasol and Isabel II
• Kayaking Puerto Mosquito mangrove canals