Ocean water quality along area beaches is one issue that will be addressed at the upcoming Southeastern Estuarine Research Society (SEERS) conference, set for March 20 and 21 at Coastal Carolina University's Wall Auditorium.

The keynote speaker for the meeting is the acclaimed water quality/hypoxia expert Robert Diaz of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary, who will be discussing global hypoxia trends. Hypoxia is an aquatic condition that occurs when there is a low concentration of dissolved oxygen.

A panel discussion involving Diaz and other conference presenters will take place Saturday, March 21 at 12:15 p.m. The meeting will also feature a thematic session on hypoxia in the Southeast, showcasing research conducted by Coastal Carolina University professors, state collaborators and graduate students through grants funded by the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium.

SEERS is a nonprofit educational organization with some 250 members dedicated to the informal exchange of interdisciplinary information related to estuaries and coastal environments of the Southeastern United States. SEERS membership is largely from the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. SEERS is an affiliate society of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF).

For more information, contact Eric Koepfler, professor of marine science at Coastal Carolina University and current president of SEERS, at 843-349-2222, or at eric@coastal.edu.