We are pleased to announce and encourage submission to a Special Session at the 2012 Ocean Sciences meeting, Feb. 20-24, in Salt Lake City, USA.

Session 072: Plankton phenology: Drivers, variability and impacts
Organizers: Stephanie Henson, Rubao Ji, Martin Edwards, Marie-Fanny Racault
The timing of seasonal events in plankton populations affect survival rates of their predators with knock-on effects on carbon cycling and higher trophic levels.  Characterising plankton phenology is challenging because time series of data with relatively high temporal resolution are required.  However, advances in our understanding of phenology have come from satellite ocean colour data, Continuous Plankton Recorder data and time series stations.  The environmental factors that influence the timing of events respond to climate variability and are hypothesised to change with continued global warming.  In this session, we invite contributions that examine phenology in phytoplankton or zooplankton populations, environmental controls on variability on seasonal to decadal timescales.  Contributions based on in situ datasets, satellite data or model studies are all welcome.

The abstract submission deadline is 23:59 pm Central Daylight Time on 7 October 2011. Abstract submission and registration deadlines can be found at: http://www.sgmeet.com/osm2012/