**Guidelines for the Development of RA Posters for**

**Estuarine Research Federation Conference**

**Nov 4-8, 2007 Providence RI**

This year's ERF conference will feature a two-day RA poster forum. The
purpose of the forum is to build awareness of IOOS, in particular how
IOOS and the regions can support coastal and estuarine research. In
order to convey that IOOS is a "system of systems" that when taken
together form a whole, we are encouraging RAs to follow some basic
guidelines in developing their posters. Since this is an ERF Conference,
the posters should emphasize coastal and estuarine assets and projects.

None of the information should be hard to develop since most RAs have
already developed the information for one purpose or other (with the
possible exception of coastal and estuarine products). We hope that all
RAs will follow the general format for the posters, particularly the
placement of the RA and IOOS logos, the RA name and contextual
identifier. If you are not planning to attend the conference but would
still like to have your poster displayed, or if you are unable to print
a poster and would like CSC to print your poster for the conference,
please see the directions below. If you can not attend yourself, please
make arrangements with someone from your region to represent your RA at
the Poster Forum.

Thanks. If you have any questions, please contact Krista Kamer at
<kkamer@mlml.calstate.edu> or Josie Quintrell at
<jquintrell@suscom-maine.net>.

**Guidelines:**

**1. Name:** Name of RA

**2. Logos:** RA logo on left upper corner and IOOS Logo on right upper
corner. The IOOS Logo is available on the ERF RA poster forum web page
and below: *<http://www.csc.noaa.gov/ras/erf.html>.*

**TIF (high res):**

![](media/image1.png){width="5.995833333333334in"
height="1.1611111111111112in"}

**PNG:**

![](media/image2.png){width="5.9840277777777775in"
height="1.1583333333333334in"}

**3. Contextual Identifier:** Please add the following language near the
heading of the poster: "The Regional Association of IOOS serving the ...
(Pacific Northwest, Central California, Great Lakes, etc)

**4. Example data product that is applicable to estuaries and/or coastal
nearshore!!**

Provide examples of data products useful to the coastal and estuarine
issues. This can include planned projects. This is critical to make the
poster relevant to the ERF conference.

**5. RA Mission/Vision statement:** Include a concise statement that
encapsulates the purpose and goals of the RA. Many RAs have this on
their website or in their governance documents.

**6. Regional Characteristics:** Briefly describe the major features of
your area that affect estuarine/coastal processes-land forms, currents,
atmospheric forcing, development and human impacts, etc. RAs should have
this information from their March presentations to NOAA IOOS Office.

**7. RA regional map that shows geographic extent of region and key
observing assets:** Illustrate with a map or with a list/accompanying
text what data are available. [Be sure that key coastal and estuarine
assets are visible and emphasized]{.underline}, ok to use inserts if
needed. In deciding what to include on the map, priority should be given
to data sets designed to be long term and sustained. Do not need to
include short term data sets that may have been part of a research
project that is now over. Data included in IOOS National Registry would
be appropriate. RAs may or may not want to include federal assets based
on other RCOOS infrastructure in the region and how busy the map would
be. Individual RAs will have to decide what level of detail is
appropriate.

**8. User Needs/ Regional priorities:** This helps to show the reason
behind the regional approach....e.g., surfers in S Cal and lobsters in
NE and salmon in PNW...

Important to stress estuarine examples and how the RA is addressing
them.

**9. Members:** The purpose is to show support for the RAs and thus,
IOOS, from a wide diversity of interests. It will be up to each RA on
how best to depict this, but in deciding who to include consider
people/groups/institutions that are major players in the RA, that
participate in a material way, and not just anyone in the region who
might be interested. A list of those who signed an MOA or official
members would be a good list. These could be categorized by Federal,
State, Academic, Industry, Not-for-Profit, etc, to make the list more
understandable to people outside the region. Avoid acronyms if possible
as they will mean to people outside the region.

**10. Contact information:** List main point(s) of contact with title,
institution/organization, email and phone number; URL for RA website.
Please have business cards available.

**10. Poster Size:** Each RA will have a 4 foot high by 8 foot long
poster board for poster display. Poster size is restricted only by these
dimensions.

The Coastal Services Center has set up a FTP site for uploading posters
for RAs that are unable to attend the conference but would still like to
have their poster displayed and for those that may need some assistance
with printing. You can access this site at
<ftp://ftp.csc.noaa.gov/tmp/ERF07-posters>. Posters to be printed by CSC
must be received by **October 31**.

To upload your poster:

-   Open the FTP site in Internet Explorer.

-   Near the upper right corner of the browser, select \"Page\" and
    click \"Open FTP Site in Windows Explorer\"

-   To upload your poster you will need to click \"File\" then select
    \"Login As\...\" with \"anonymous\" as the user name and your email
    address as the password.

Please contact Dave Easter ahead of time if you would like CSC to assist
with printing your poster \-- Dave Easter at <dave.easter@noaa.gov> or
Rebecca Love at rebecca.love@noaa.gov.