Titanic Discoverer Speaks at International Summit

Filed under Press Releases, eNews Newsletter on Thursday, October 16, 2008 by Author: Melanie Marquez.

Ocean explorer Robert Ballard, PhD, known most recently for his discovery of the HMS Titanic, will speak at the Coastal Cities Summit banquet on Nov. 20. Ballard discovered deep sea hydrothermal vents on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, one of the most significant ocean discoveries of the last 50 years.

The Coastal Cities Summit, from Nov. 17-20 in St. Petersburg, Fla., will explore environmental, social, economic and public policy challenges for waterfront cities through discussions that will address disasters, climate change, population growth, economic impacts, port security, public infrastructure, water and sanitation, sustainable growth and policy.

This international summit of world leaders and scholars will address universal vulnerabilities coastal cities face, such as climate change and sea level rise, and seek solutions for city leaders facing unprecedented challenges.

Featured speakers include Martin Parry, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group II, the United Nations panel that jointly won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former vice president Al Gore; Alex Sink, State of Florida Chief Financial Officer; Paul Holthus, World Ocean Council executive director; Jeremy Harris, former mayor of Honolulu; Wayne Joseph, chair of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean;  Saskia Sassen, the Helen and Robert Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University; Rick Baker, Mayor of St. Petersburg; and Pam Iorio, Mayor of Tampa.

The summit, organized by the International Ocean Institute-USA, USF St. Petersburg and the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions, is the first major event for IOI-USA, the newest of 25 operational centers of the global organization headquartered in Malta. Chris D'Elia, associate vice chancellor for research and graduate studies at USF St. Petersburg is the director of IOI-USA. Mayor Rick Baker and the city of St. Petersburg are co-hosts to the event.

“Almost 2.8 billion people live in coastal cities and more move there every day,” said Rebecca Harris, PhD, assistant academic director for the Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions and the summit’s managing chair. “That’s more than 40 percent of the world’s population. The strain created on public resources means coastal city managers face challenges today they have never had to face before.”

For more information, visit www.coastalcities.orgor call  (727) 873-4745  (727) 873-4745 . The International Ocean Institute is an international non-governmental body with consultative status at the United Nations. Founded in 1972 as a knowledge-based, non-profit organization, it offers training programs and capacity building programs for coastal communities. Through education, information dissemination, research programs and community initiatives, IOI’s network promotes sustainable use of the ocean and coastal resources.

The banquet featuring Ballard is open to the public, and tickets are available through the USF Foundation. Tickets cost $125 and can be purchased by sending a check to:

USF Foundation
Coastal Cities Summit Banquet
4202 E. Fowler Ave