North American Native Fishes Association 2003 Convention, Huntsville, Alabama

I would like to invite you to attend this year’s NANFA Convention in Huntsville, Alabama, from Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8. The annual convention is a great place to meet other NANFA members, hear interesting presentations about fishes and the aquatic environment in general, and spend a day or two visiting streams and collecting fishes you may never have seen before. The Tennessee River Valley of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama contains the most diverse freshwater fish fauna in North America so we have a lot of options! Collecting nongame fishes is legal in Alabama with a valid fishing license so anyone who wants to should be able to find some interesting new fishes. The weather in early June should be warm but not oppressive, and many fish will still be in breeding coloration.

The central site for this year’s meeting will be on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, with your host Bruce Stallsmith. The format for the meeting will be a full day on Friday of presentations of interest to NANFA members by NANFA members and invited guests, followed by collecting trips around north Alabama on Saturday and Sunday. The annual banquet will be held on Saturday night, with an auction and announcement of raffle contest winners (watch for raffle tickets and buy some!). This year’s banquet will be a cook-out with BBQ chicken and fried fish.

Alabama fishing licenses can be purchased by phone as described in the link below:

A 7-day out-of-state license costs $11.

Or, the two most convenient stores to buy licenses near the UAH campus are:
Walmart, 6140 University Drive NW (Highway 72) (256) 837-7272, which is about 3 miles west of the UAH campus.
Buster’s Bait & Tackle, 2902 Governors Drive SW, (256) 536-1564. Close to campus but more of an adventure to find.

Feel free to bring whatever gear with you you’re comfortable with for field collecting. This includes snorkeling gear, we hope to be able to find reasonably clear waters.

Order your 2003 Convention T-shirt today!  Even if you can't attend the convention, you'll want to wear this shirt and pretend you did.

Designed by Casper Cox, the front of the shirt features a Joseph R. Tomelleri illustration of the extinct whiteline topminnow (Fundulus albolineatus) on top of a map of the Tennessee River Valley, which in turn is on top of a map of North America. The back of the shirt features an x-ray of this Huntsville endemic and text about its extinction. The shirt is full color on the front and two-color on the back, silk-screened on a light gray, heavyweight, 100% cotton Beefy-T. Casper says: The shirts will sell for $20. each ($22 for 2XL & 3XL) of which NANFA will recieve $10 from each shirt for their treasury, grants and ongoing projects.  (The shirts cost $10.25 or $12.25 each to produce.) Shipping & handling is $5 per package no matter how many shirts are requested... within reason! I guess I will have to go to UPS if someone wants a half dozen or more! This project is my contribution to NANFA and has been a pleasant labor of love. I do enjoy NANFA, the fellowship and all these little fishes. It's a great joy for me. You may send your check, made out to NANFA, directly to me and I will immediately ship your shirt and forward the check(s) to NANFA. Casper Cox / Prizam 1200 Dodds Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37404 (423) 624-0721

Illustration of the threatened Barrens Topminnow, Fundulus julisia, courtesy of Joe Tomelleri. For a larger front image, click here For a larger rear image, click here

Here’s a tentative list of speakers and topics for Friday’s presentations:

• Brian Jones, Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium, on spawning the Sargassum fish
  
• B.G. Granier, coastal fishes of Louisiana
  
• Jeff Garner, Alabama Conservation Department, freshwater mussels of Alabama
  
• Joe Scanlon, keeping and breeding the stippled studfish, Fundulus bifax
  
• Dave Neely, St. Louis University, diversity of North American sculpins
  
• Brady Porter, University of Georgia, molecular phylogeny of the snubnose darters
  
• Ned Mudd, attorney and Alabama environmental activist
  
• J.R. Shute, Conservation Fisheries Inc., Knoxville, Tennessee
  

CONVENTION LODGING: The Bevill Conference Center and Hotel on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville has special offers for NANFA Convention participants. Rooms with 2 double beds (Doubles) are $54.00/night, and rooms with 1 King bed (Kings) are $59.00/night, plus applicable taxes. Reservations can be made by calling (256) 721-9428 or toll free (888) 721-9428. The deadline for reserving rooms at these rates is May 21.

AIR TRAVEL: Huntsville International Airport is served by major air carriers with direct connections to 9 North American cities. The airport is about 12 miles west of the meeting site, connected by Interstate highway 565.

TRAVEL BY CAR: Huntsville is about 20 miles east of Interstate highway 65, connected by Interstate highway 565. We’re in the heart of the mid-south, 100 miles south of Nashville, TN, and 100 miles north of Birmingham, AL.

CONVENTION REGISTRATION: The registration fee for the convention is $50 if paid by May 16, $60 at the door. A "spousal" registration fee of $20 will cover attendance at the Saturday evening banquet and admission to other convention events.

Bruce Stallsmith
Convention host
President, NANFA