Florida United Malacologists (FUM): Second Announcement and RSVP Form
A reservation (RSVP) form for participation in the first meeting of Florida United Malacologists (for presenters and attendees) is now available in PDF format. Seating is limited, so please return the reservation form prior to November 30, 2009. Please complete the form and return it to Dr. José H. Leal, jleal@shellmuseum.org, fax to (239)395-6706; or via snail-mail to The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, P.O. Box 1580, Sanibel, FL33957. The form has preliminary information regarding meals; more details about the choices for box lunches will be given in the third announcement to be posted later this year.
The FUM meeting will take place on Saturday, January 30, 2010, at The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum (BMSM) in Sanibel, Florida. The one-day gathering is designed to enhance communication among professional, amateur, and student malacologists, with topics including but not limited to biology, ecology, paleontology, archaeology, and conservation.
FUM follows the pattern established by similar informal gatherings such as BAM (Bay Area Malacologists), SCUM (Southern California United Malacologists), MAM (Mid-Atlantic Malacologists), and OVUM (Ohio (River) Valley United Malacologists). There is no formal membership, dues, officers, nor publications. However, submission of brief abstracts is required. Abstracts, limited to 150 words or less, will be posted on the Museum web site. The gathering will be free of charge to presenters and Museum members. Non-members will be asked to donate the Museum admission fee of $7. Participants are strongly encouraged to ask questions and discuss data, compare notes on methods and problems, and get acquainted with presenters and members of the audience. Presentations, limited to 15 min+5 min for questions, will be informal and will cover current research, collecting efforts, and collection issues. The Museum will provide projection equipment for PowerPoint programs, brief videos, and slides.
Due to staffing limitations, use of the library and research area and collection visits will be limited to two days prior to the gathering, Thursday, January 28, and Friday, January 29. Museum parking is free. Box lunches and dinner at a local restaurant will be available at cost to participants and presenters. Please send all inquiries, reservations, and submission of presentation topics to Dr. José H. Leal at jleal@shellmuseum.org. The deadline for submission of topics and abstracts will be December 15, 2009. The FUM program with abstracts, times, and sequence of presentations will be posted on the Museum web site, www.shellmuseum.org, shortly after the deadline for submission of topics.
