How to propose a work session

The purpose of the work session is for hosts (i.e. abstract submitters) to gather the expertise of Summit attendees to discuss, strategize, and/or progress a particular marsh resilience issue in the Chesapeake Bay. This is an alternative format to the presentation-style at the afternoon concurrent sessions. Hosts will briefly present a topic then facilitate group discussion and input (e.g. collecting reactions to emerging issues, developing research questions/proposals, determining best practices, working on next steps or implementation of existing plans).

The work session will occur from 10:50-12:00 (70 minutes) on February 9, 2027 at the Summit. Participation in each session will have at least 8-10 participants (~1 table). While you may try to recruit individuals through your own methods for your sessions, participants will self-select their topic for the session during Summit sign-in, first come-first serve.

The title, hosts, their affiliations, and abstract will be published on the Summit website and in the briefing materials. We expect notes from each session to be shared with Summit organizers for distribution (i.e. inclusion in Summit proceedings) and for other interested participants who couldn’t attend the individual session to be included on email lists for any further discussions/activities.

Work session abstract submissions are welcomed beginning October 15, 2026. All abstracts must be submitted electronically via eSeaGrant on December 1. Only abstracts submitted electronically through eSeaGrant will be considered. Decisions will be made by December 15. Please read and follow the instructions for preparing abstracts found below.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

In light of our Summit tagline, “Collaborative science turning planning into practice,” we encourage abstracts that:

• Advance proposed actions and capacity issues defined in recent marsh resilience planning such as the Chesapeake Bay Tidal Wetlands Strategic Plan, Chesapeake Bay Program Wetlands Outcome, the Virginia Marsh Migration Workshop, etc.
• Consider barriers and opportunities to apply new technologies and techniques
• Strategize on how to engage new, underrepresented or challenging audiences, including how to reach the next generation of environmental professionals/stewards
• Develop research initiatives

Individuals may not submit more than one abstract as a presenting author. Review panelists will have access to all information contained in the abstract proposals. Proposals will be reviewed by Summit steering committee members. To increase the probability that your proposal will be selected for presentation, please consider the following criteria carefully:

• Relevance to the Summit themes above
• Relevance to the Chesapeake Bay or MD/VA Coastal Bays
• Novelty of the topic and/or session engagement technique
• Ability to continue the conversation or use session results post-Summit
• Distribution across geography, sector, and institutions
• Following submission protocol and abstract format Work session hosts will receive general instructions in the email notification of acceptance.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING AN ABSTRACT

Abstracts must be submitted electronically via eSeaGrant . Please follow all instructions carefully, including all requested information and formatting. After you submit your abstract, you will receive a confirmation email. Early notification of acceptance will provide ample time to register promptly. The following components will be entered into eSeaGrant. Additionally prepare a pdf that includes:

Authors: Full name, organization, and email address of person submitting the abstract, and all authors of the abstract. Indicate the presenting author in bold.

Abstract title: Type your title as it should appear in the Program (limit to 150 characters incl. spaces). Please use sentence case, i.e. your title should NOT be all capitals or all lower-case

Abstract: The abstract should not exceed 1500 characters including spaces. This description will appear on the Summit web site and abstract titles in the meeting briefing materials. Begin with a clear statement of the topic or objectives, including relevance and timeliness to Summit themes and targeted geography, then share the goals of the session and potential outcomes from the work session. For special characters and/or formatting, cut and paste your abstract and the special formatting should be kept. It is the responsibility of the author to verify the information submitted and to notify Kayle Krieg, marshsummit@chesapeakebayssc.org, before the submission deadline for corrections. No changes to any abstract will be authorized after December 1.

Submit Your Proposal