Annual Meetings

Each year, typically in mid to late September, OBFS holds an annual meeting for its membership. The meetings are held at a field station or marine lab that can accommodate approximately 100+ attendees in its housing and conference facilities. The meetings rotate around the US and to various FSML global locations.

If you want to be a host station for 2025 or 2026, please contact the 2023-2024 OBFS Vice President, Skip Van Bloem to obtain an application form.

The majority of business for the organization is conducted at these meetings including a quorum vote on the next year’s budget and updates on the strategic plan and OBFS’ fiscal sustainability. Go to the membership document page for access to the minutes from past meetings. Meetings include field site visits, workshops, concurrent sessions on topics of interest to all members, an auction, poster session, speed talks, and many opportunities for networking and collaboration. The primary benefit of OBFS membership is attendance at these meetings where you will not only meet lifelong friends, you will also learn ways to improve your station’s fundraising, education, outreach, and research while finding new collaborators and colleagues. 

 

Annual Meeting Info

The 2024 annual meeting will be held November 11-15 in South Carolina by the Baruch Institutes of Hobcaw Barony (co-hosted by Clemson Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science and University of South Carolina Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences as well as our illustrious OBFS Vice President, Skip Van Bloem). The dates selected are later than usual to avoid hurricanes that would disrupt travel and the meeting itself. Last day to register is October 11th!

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Listed below are the host member stations for OBFS’ yearly annual meeting with links to their websites and some agendas.

  • 2022 Central Michigan University Biological Station
  • 2021 Virtual Meeting Host (Flathead Lake Biological Station)
  • 2020 Virtual Meeting (Agenda & Presentations)
  • 2019 Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2018 Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Maine
  • 2017 Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories in Lake Itasca, Minnesota
  • 2016 Sitka Sound Science Center in Sitka, Alaska
  • 2015 Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado
  • 2014 Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, MA (Joint Meeting with NAML, the National Association of Marine Laboratories.)
  • 2013 Southwestern Research Station in Portal, Arizona
  • 2012 Archbold Biological Station
  • 2011 Bodega Marine Lab, UC-Davis
  • 2010 University of Michigan Biological Station in Pellston, Michigan
  • 2009 La Selva Biological Station, OTS, Costa Rica
  • 2008 Black Rock Forest, NY, Black Rock Forest Consortium.
  • 2007 Llano River Field Station, Texas Tech
  • 2006 Flathead Lake Biological Station, Univ of Montana 
  • 2005 Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, USFS & Highlands Biological Station, Univ. North Carolina
  • 2004 Shoals Marine Lab, Cornell Univ and Univ of New Hampshire 
  • 2003 Kananaskis Field Station, Calgary Univ
  • 2002 Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State Univ 
  • 2001 Univ of Oklahoma Biological Station, Univ of Oklahoma 
  • 2000 HJ Andrews Experimental Forest, USFS and Oregon State Univ.
  • 1999 Mountain Lake Biological Station, Univ of Virginia
  • 1998 Archbold Biological Station, FL,
  • 1997 Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Univ of Oregon
  • 1996 White Mountain Research Station, UC-Riverside
  • 1995 Treehaven, Univ of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
  • 1994 Flathead Lake Biological Station, Univ of Montana
  • 1993 Adirondack Ecological Center, SUNY-ESF, Syracuse, NY
  • 1992 Malheur Field Station, OR, Malheur Station Consortium
  • 1991 La Selva Biological Station, OTS, Costa Rica
  • 1990 Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories, Univ of Minnesota
  • 1989 Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, CO 
  • 1988 Hog Island, Maine, Audubon Soc 
  • 1987 Bodega Marine Laboratory, UC-Davis
  • 1986 Cedar Point Biological Station, Univ of Nebraska
  • 1985 Hancock Biological Station, KY, Murray State Univ 
  • 1984 Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Vancouver Is, BC 
  • 1983 Mountain Research Station, Univ of Colorado
  • 1982 Univ of Michigan Biological Station, Univ of Michigan
  • 1981 EN Hyuck Preserve and Biological Research Station, Rensselaerville, NY, Private
  • 1980 Southwestern Research Station, American Museum of Natural History, NY, NY
  • 1979 Archbold Biological Station, FL
  • 1978 Eagle Lake Biological Field Station, Chico State Univ, CA (now UC-Davis)
  • 1977 Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology, Univ of Pittsburgh
  • 1976 Delta Marsh Field Station, Univ of Manitoba
  • 1975 Iowa Lakeside Lake, University of Iowa
  • 1974 Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State Univ
  • 1974 Univ of the Pacific Marine Station, Dillon Beach, CA (Feb 74)
  • 1973 EN Hyuck Preserve and Biological Research Station, Rensselaerville, NY, Private
  • 1972 Lake Itasca Biological Station (now Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories), University of Minnesota
  • 1971 Pingree Park, Colorado State University
  • 1970 Indiana University
  • 1969 Flathead Lake Biological Station, Univ of Montana
  • 1968 Stone Laboratory, Ohio State Univ 
  • 1967 Lake Texoma Biological Station (now Univ of OK Bio Sta), Univ of Oklahoma
  • 1966 Cedar Creek Natural History Area (now C.C. Ecosystem Science Reserve), Univ of Minnesota Program