3141 Chestnut Street • Randell Hall, Suite 235 • Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875 • TEL 215.895.6372 • FAX 215.895.2142 • www.drexel.edu/international
Nina  Desianti
Graduate
Arts  and  Sciences  (COAS)  –  Biodiversity,  Earth  and  Environmental
Science  (BEES)
2015  Estuarine  and  Coastal  Sciences  Association  (ECSA)  meeting
Recently,   I   attended   2015   Estuarine   and   Coastal
Science   Association   (ECSA)   meeting   in   London,   United
Kingdom  from  5  -­‐  9  September.  The  meeting  venue  was  in  a   stunning   waterfront   location   in   the   heart   of   London’s   Royal
Docks.   Scientists   and   environmental   policy   experts   from   many   parts   of   the   world   participated   in   this   meeting;   therefore  this  was  a  great  opportunity  to  be  able  to  share  my   work  and  to  learn  from  them.
I  enjoyed  the  presentations;  much  of  the  research  presented  at  this  meeting  was  of  the   most  advanced  research  methodology  and  novel  scientific  findings.  I  presented  my  research  on   diatoms  as  environmental  indicators  in  New  Jersey  coastal  lagoons.  This  led  to  discussions  with   several  other  PhD  students  who  used  a  similar  research  approach  to  identify  the  environmental   condition   of   estuaries   using   biological   indicators.   My   research   is   unique   among   other   bioindicator  research  because  I  used  diatoms  as  tools  for  environmental  assessment  and  paleo-­‐ environmental  reconstruction.  Many  other  researchers  and  I  are  interested  in  eutrophication  in   estuaries  and  the  problems  which  it  has  dealt  us  within  the  past   decade.   The   meeting   has   allowed   us   to   learn   from   each   other   about   our   research   and   global   issues   in   estuaries   and   coastal   regions.  The  discussion  during  my  presentation  has  also  opened   possibilities   of   future   collaborations   with   other   students   and   researchers   who   are   interested   in   learning   about   abundant   diatom  species  they  find  in  their  samples.
Aside   from   academic   discourse   and   socialization,   participants   of   this   meeting   had   a   chance   to   enjoy   the   view   of
London   and   its   famous   landmarks   on   a   fabulous   dinner   cruise.
The  Conference  Dinner  was  held  on  the  third  day  aboard  the  P.S.
Elizabethan.  The  Thames  river  cruise  offered  a  beautiful  view  of
London  at  night,  including  its  famous  historical  buildings,  such  as   the   Houses   of   Parliament,   Big   Ben,   Westminster   Palace,
Westminster   Bridge,   and   Tower   Bridge.   It   was   a   wonderful   experience,  especially  because  it  was  the  first  time  I  had  visited
London.

3141 Chestnut Street • Randell Hall, Suite 235 • Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875 • TEL 215.895.6372 • FAX 215.895.2142 • www.drexel.edu/international
I  am  grateful  to  have  been  able  to   attend   this   meeting   and   I   look   forward   to   attending   the   next
ECSA  International  Conference.  It’s   been   a   remarkable   journey   and   a   great  experience  to  be  a  part  of  a   truly  multi-­‐disciplinary  and  globally   distributed   coastal   and   estuarine   research   community.   Such   a   diverse   outlook   is   essential   for   critically   discussing   and   progressively   addressing   issues   of   outstanding   scientific   importance   in  the  science  and  management  of   coastal  zones  on  a  global  scale.