Former Division of Aquatic Resources Administrator to discuss "The things that keep me awake at night: Hawaii's looming aquatic resource challenges"

On Tuesday, September 6, 2011, the Natural Resources Section (NRS) will hold its monthly brown bag lunch meeting from 12:00 to 1:00 pm at the HSBA conference room.

NRS will host Dr. Dan Polhemus, formerly the Administrator for the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), and currently the Coastal Conservation Program Manager for the Pacific Islands Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dr. Polhemus will reflect on his time as DAR Administrator, and will present: "The things that keep me awake at night: Hawaii's looming aquatic resource challenges."

Aquatic Resources is charged with managing freshwater and marine resources, including 410,000 acres of coral reef. More than 80 percent of the coral reefs located within the United States are found in Hawaii.  Its three main program areas include: commercial fisheries management; the protection of native and indigenous aquatic species and their habitats; and providing facilities and opportunities for recreational fishing.

Dr. Polhemus received his B.S. (1980) in Entomology from Colorado State University and Ph.D. (1984) in Biology from the University of Utah.  Since 1983, he has conducted research on aquatic ecosystems in countries throughout the Pacific region, including Indonesia, Australia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and French Polynesia. He has received particular recognition for his work on the evolution and conservation of native Hawaiian damselflies.  After working as a consultant to the Smithsonian Institution on an ecosystem modeling project in the Everglades, he joined the staff of the Bishop Museum in 1990, where he served as manager of externally-funded biological science programs, with a strong emphasis on Hawaiian limnology. In 1996 he accepted a research position with the Smithsonian Institution, where he worked for 10 years, including a term as Chairman of the Department of Entomology.  Dr. Polhemus has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles in scientific books and journals, and has been the recipient of more than 25 research grant and contract awards totaling over $4 million.  In the course of his research he has described and named over 400 new species, including 63 from Hawaii.

Non-NRS members welcome on a space available basis.