2013 Catchment Science GRC/GRS, June 16-21, 2013 at Proctor Academy, Andover, New Hampshire

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Catchments are fundamental landscape units that contain interpretable physical, chemical andbiological signals in their soils, drainage waters and ecosystems and record the effects ofclimate warming, atmospheric deposition, land use shifts, catastrophic events and other globalchange drivers. Catchment Science, the focus of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) andGordon Research Seminar (GRS) for which we seek financial support, is a truly interdisciplinaryand international endeavor conducted by hydrologists, ecologists and biogeochemists whosegoal is to explore and understand catchment response signals in order to better anticipate futurechallenges facing water and ecosystem managers. The purpose of this conference is to bringtogether established and developing experts in the field of Catchment Science to share theresults of cutting-edge research, develop new collaborations, and assess where we are andwhere we need to go in order to understand the future of catchments in an era of global change.Intelletual Merit. The theme of this GRC/GRS is "Catchments Through the Looking Glass:From Microscopes to Telescopes". There is compelling evidence that global change is affectingthe physical, chemical, and biological resources of catchments in many parts of the world, andCatchment Science is increasingly at the forefront of driving our understanding of the manyimplications of global change. As catchment scientists, we each have our own uniqueperspectives and vantage points from which we view our scientific approach and interpret ourdata. This GRC/GRS will bring together leading experts in the field who will explain how theirparticular vision and research environment have shaped the direction of their cutting-edgeresearch and how their approaches can be useful and applicable to other scientists and endusersworking in the field. The GRC/GRS will focus on four sub-themes that span a broad rangeof Catchment Science perspectives: 1) "Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes", where wewill assess the similarities and differences of conducting catchment science in polar, boreal,temperate, arid and tropical settings as well as the societal implication and application; "Doorsof perception", which will consider how the scale of our scientific lens, from microscopic totelescopic and with different levels of stakeholder involvement, shapes our understanding ofcatchments; "Animal, vegetable, mineral", where we will explore the inextricable linkagesbetween biota and the Earth's surface that help to determine catchment function andsustainability, particularly under climate change concerns; and "Tools you can use", which willshowcase novel analytical techniques and conceptual approaches that have revolutionized thefield. The GRC provides the ideal format for promoting better communication and understandingof the various research approaches comprising Catchment Science, allowing a more focusedattack on identified issues and improved international collaboration in the future.Broader Impacts. Our ability to successfully conduct Catchment Science in the future inresponse to global change rests largely in our ability to nurture the next generation of catchmentscientists. This GRC will be immediately preceded by our second two-day Gordon ResearchSeminar (GRS), the participants of which will be mainly graduate students and recent advanceddegree recipients from the various fields of Catchment Science, as well as senior scientists whowill serve as mentors and discussion leaders. We expect all GRS participants will attend theGRC conference the following week, with the result of greatly increased participation of youngscientists in the Catchment Sciences GRC series. We anticipate that the GRS is likely toincrease the ethnic diversity of the GRC, attesting to the continually changing demographics inCatchment Science. In addition, our invited speakers and discussion leaders are nearly halffemale, reflecting our efforts to promote gender diversity in our program. The products of theseefforts include increased communication among all levels and fields of catchment scientists, aswell as the dispersal of new ideas throughout the broader scientific community.