The University of South Florida and the organizers of the 2005 Joint Meeting invite you to the 85th annual meeting in Tampa, Florida. The meeting will be held at the Marriott Waterside Hotel in downtown Tampa, July 6 -11, 2005. The Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists includes the annual meetings of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the Herpetologists’ League, the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, and the American Elasmobranch Society.

The Marriott Waterside Hotel and conference center is located directly on Tampa Bay near the heart of downtown Tampa and the adjacent Ybor City and Channelside recreational areas. This five-star hotel offers spacious and well-equipped conference facilities, poolside and waterside restaurants and bars, a roof-top pool with a stunning view of the harbor and downtown, a large sports bar, spa and exercise facilities, and easy access to the downtown recreation areas. A ten-minute ride on the new electric trolley car system (which picks up directly in front of the hotel) gets you to the Channelside district and Ybor City. These entertainment districts, similar to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, are home to numerous restaurants, micro-breweries, night clubs, cigar bars, movie theaters, comedy clubs, piano bars, and unique stores. On weekend nights when the central avenue is closed to vehicles, it teems with visitors and locals alike. The Florida Aquarium, the site of the general reception, is on the trolley route and open all week.

Tampa and the Gulf Coast offer exciting and diverse sights, entertainment, and ecosystems to explore. Within a short car or taxi ride are Busch Gardens, an African theme park with a full zoo and rides; Adventure Island, a water theme park; the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center; the Tampa Art Museum; and Lowry Park Zoo, the site of this year’s picnic. Within a 1-1.5 hour drive is the Holocaust Museum, The Salvador Dali Museum, The Ringling Museum, Mote Marine Laboratory, historic Tarpon Springs (a true Greek community on the Gulf), and, of course, St. Petersburg and Clearwater beaches, as well as a multitude of other beach parks, including Fort DeSoto Beach park, rated one of the top-ten beaches in the United States. Near the University of South Florida you can rent kayaks and observe alligators and birds as you ascend the Hillsborough River. The many state marine parks are bordered by extensive seagrass beds, and charter boat services offer offshore or inshore saltwater fishing. Further away, Everglades National Park offers unlimited exploration and camping, and the tourist capital of Florida, Orlando, is approximately two hours by car. Combining the meeting with the 4th of July holiday weekend will allow you and your family an extended Florida vacation.

We expect the 2005 Joint Meetings to be among the best attended in decades, allowing unparalleled scientific and social interactions. Together with the organizational committees and the University of South Florida, we invite you to Tampa and Florida.

Henry Mushinsky and Phil Motta

Henry Mushinsky
Professor of Biology, University of South Florida
mushinsk@chuma1.cas.usf.edu

Philip Motta
Professor of Biology, University of South Florida
motta@cas.usf.edu

Earl McCoy
Professor of Biology, University of South Florida
mccoy@chuma.cas.usf.edu

Brandon Casper
Graduate Student, Ichthyology
bcasper@seas.marine.usf.edu

Katie Basiotis
Graduate Student, Herpetology
kbasioti@mail.usf.edu

Andre Castro
Graduate Student, Ichthyology
alcastr2@helios.acomp.usf.edu

Brian Halstead
Graduate Student, Herpetology
bhalstea@helios.acomp.usf.edu

Neal Halstead
Graduate Student, Herpetology
nhalstea@mail.usf.edu

Daniel Huber
Graduate Student, Ichthyology
drhuber@mail.usf.edu

Sofia Hussain
Graduate Student, Herpetology
smhussai@helios.acomp.usf.edu

Joel Johnson
Graduate Student, Herpetology
joeljohn@mail.usf.edu

Dayv Lowry
Graduate Student, Ichthyology
dlowry@helios.acomp.usf.edu

Kyle Mara
Graduate Student, Ichthyology
kmara@mail.usf.edu

Robin Moore
Post Doctoral Scientist, Herpetology
rmoore@mail.cas.usf.edu

Samantha Mulvany
Graduate Student, Ichthyology

Travis Robbins
Graduate Student, Herpetology
trrobbin@helios.acomp.usf.edu

Lisa Whitenack
Graduate Student, Ichthyology
whitenac@helios.acomp.usf.edu