The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1971. At that time, the members of two regionally based organizations, the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (AERS) and the New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) recognized the need for a third estuarine organization that would address national (now worldwide) estuarine and coastal issues. Today, CERF is a multidisciplinary federation of members and seven regionally-based Affiliate Societies dedicated to the understanding and wise stewardship of estuaries and coasts worldwide.[1][2]
Support education of scientists, decision-makers and the public
Facilitate communication among these groups
Membership in CERF is open to all who support these goals. The Federation has approximately 1,400 members, and approximately 1,000 more who are members of the Affiliate Societies.
CERF addresses the purposes listed above by convening conferences in odd-numbered years (see Meetings); through the more frequent meetings of its Affiliate Societies in their regions; and through regular publication of the scholarly journal Estuaries and Coasts, the management-focused e-newsletter Coastal and Estuarine Science News (CESN), and the CERF's Up quarterly bulletin. The Federation serves as a source of advice on estuarine and coastal matters by providing policy statements and responding to requests for information from legislative and management organizations.[2] The Federation serves its members and the community through a variety of additional programming, including webinars, online communities of practice, and scholarships and awards.
In the mid-1960s estuarine scientists around the globe were beginning to recognize that wide dissemination of information concerning estuarine water circulation patterns, rates of exchange of materials within coastal and marine waters and the ecology of estuarine organisms was essential to the realistic management of estuaries in the future. This wide recognition of the intertwined interest between knowledge of estuarine systems and eutrophication characterizes the task oriented nature of the study of estuaries.
In the Fall of 1969, a special committee was assembled to explore the formation of a new society not dedicated to any particular geographic region in order to accommodate a larger domestic and international membership. The new group known as the Estuarine Research Federation (ERF) was created.
In an effort to identify the true scope of ERF interests to ALL people who may be interested in participating in the Federation's activities, ERF members voted by mail, in the summer of 2007, to approve a name change to Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF).[2]
CERF has endured and evolved during its short history under the leadership of the individuals listed below. Those who have led the society are important members of the estuarine and coastal science communities. The list provide below includes the name of each president and the most significant scientific contribution made by each individual prior to their Presidencies.[1]
L. Eugene Cronin, 1971–1973
"Anatomy and histology of the male reproductive system of Callinectes sapidus rathbun." Journal of Morphology 1947
H. Perry Jeffries, 1973–1975
"Stress syndrome in hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria." Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 1972
F. John Vernberg, 1975–1977
"Studies on the physiological variation between tropical and temperate zone fiddler crabs of the genus UCA.2. Oxygen Consumption of whole organisms." Biological Bulletin 1959
"Biogeochemical diversity along a riverside toposequence in ArcticAlaska." Ecological Monographs. 1991
Dennis M. Allen, 2001–2003
"Interannual variation in larval fish recruitment to estuarine epibenthic habitats." Marine Ecology Progress Series 1990
Linda C. Schaffner, 2003–2005
"Small-scale organism distributions and patterns of species diversity – Evidence for positive interactions in an estuarine benthic community." Marine Ecology Progress Series 1990
Robert R. Christian, 2005–2007
"Multiyear distribution patterns of nutrients within the Neuse River estuary, North Carolina." Marine Ecology Progress Series 1991
CERF publishes the journal Estuaries and Coasts. Prior to 2006 Estuaries and Coasts was known as Estuaries. Prior to the formation of CERF, the journal Estuaries was known as Chesapeake Science (1960–1978).
