call for proposals
Submit your proposal to present during Soc 2025.
• Present cutting-edge information about Gulf Coast communities, environments and economies.
• Connect with over 1,200 coastal stakeholders, including scientists, landowners, officials, business leaders and students.
• Advance the movement to create a thriving, sustainable coast for all.
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• Proposal Types & Requirements
conference overview
State of the Coast (SOC) is the largest statewide conference of its kind, providing an interdisciplinary forum to exchange timely and relevant information on the dynamic conditions of Gulf Coast communities, environments and economies. This year’s conference is hosted by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana in partnership with The Water Institute and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
The theme for SOC 2025 is Our Changing Coast. For the people who attend SOC, change is a big part of their work, their research and their lives. Some conference-goers are focused on slowing change. Others may look at ways to adapt to it. All are aware that it is inevitable. We look forward to seeing how this theme is reflected in your proposals.
program topics
The deadline to submit proposals is September 23, 2024. Proposals for sessions, oral presentations or poster presentations should fit into at least one of the following topics*:
1. Coastal Law, Policy and Funding
Legal matters critical for the future of our coast; land ownership; water rights access; groundwater policy; Water Code updates; public trust; flood insurance; Community Rating System; Deepwater Horizon disaster (15 years later); GOMESA; green and gray infrastructure funding; royalties from energy production in the Gulf; building codes (flood vs wind); funding and investments; Breaux Act implementation (35 years later); recent Supreme Court decisions; environmental justice; NEPA
2. Human Dimensions
Peoples of our coast; traditional ecological knowledge; Indigenous perspectives in coastal restoration; workforce opportunities; student and training opportunities; change in coastal livelihoods; diversity, equity and inclusion; social vulnerability and solastalgia; demographics and population trends; community-driven relocation; adaptation strategies; lost or endangered crafts or skills; oral history and storytelling; meaningful public engagement, communication and outreach; intersection of art and coastal issues
3. Ecosystem Restoration
Project performance; project life cycles; new approaches; marsh creation; ridge restoration; barrier island restoration; hydrologic restoration; river diversions; monitoring and adaptive management; oyster reef restoration; redefining restoration in the delta; oyster shell recycling; river diversions (big and small); avian habitat restoration; canal backfilling; programmatic restoration; large-scale drainage in the Chenier Plain
4. Renewable Energy
Energy diversification; wind energy production (on/off shore); solar energy; ecosystem impacts; workforce development/transition; infrastructure implications; bioenergy, policy development and permitting; economics of; leveraging inflation reduction tax credits; energy and coastal innovation and technologies
5. Preparing for Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation
Future climate; sea level rise; climate modeling; floods and droughts; climate action plan; urban resilience (water, heat, etc.); blue carbon; coastal carbon capture; greenhouse gas monitoring; extreme weather events; tipping points
6. Predicting and Planning for the Future of the Coast
Coastal Master Plan; advances in modeling; hindcasting; AI and machine learning; short- and long-term priority setting; alternative oyster culture; adaptive governance; land use planning; smart growth; baseline for restoring natural or novel ecosystems; technological advancements for data collection; architecture and landscape architecture
7. Flood Risk Management: Coastal and Inland
Nature-based solutions; natural infrastructure; surge modeling; hurricane impacts; Louisiana Watershed Initiative; watershed modeling; urban water management; compound flooding; real-time flood forecasting; non-structural solutions; levees; mitigation; multiple lines of defense; living with water; resilient solutions; benefits of restoration projects
8. Hydrology, Geomorphology and Ecology of the Coast
Changing and dynamic conditions; habitats: birds, wildlife and fisheries; hypoxia and harmful algal blooms; nutrient pollution; ecological monitoring and trends; subsidence; sediment dynamics; carbon sequestration; estuarine mixing; saltwater wedge; saltwater intrusion; endangered species; invasive species; marine mammals; marine debris; impacts of offshore activities; lessons learned from long-term monitoring programs; impacts of climate extremes
9. Managing Our Rivers for Multiple Uses
Navigation; flooding and droughts; hydrological modeling; natural crevasses; sediment budgets; river shoaling; dredging strategy and costs; Mississippi Sound impacts; freshwater and sediment diversions; levee systems; drinking water; beneficial use; engineering with nature
10. Disaster Impacts, Mitigation and Recovery
Impacts of hurricanes on communities; emergency preparedness; oil spill impacts and recovery; lessons learned; disaster resilience hubs; Katrina and Rita anniversaries; demographic changes; extreme heat
11. Economic Opportunities
Workforce development; educational and training programs; recreational and tourism opportunities; economic diversification; public or private investment; public private partnerships; demographics of the coast; federal infrastructure funding opportunities
*These topics are meant to inspire, not limit. If your proposal doesn’t fit into one of these topics but you feel it meets the spirit of the conference, we encourage you to submit a proposal and select “other” from the topic list.
Proposal Types & Requirements
Standard Session
A standard session is 90 minutes long. This includes:
• 10 minutes for introductions by a moderator
• Four oral presentations of 15 minutes each
• 20 minutes for audience Q&A
When submitting a proposal for a standard session, please include:
• A session title and description of no more than 250 words
• Details of the moderator and all presenters
• Presentation titles and abstracts for the 15-minute oral presentations
Note: The session organizer (who submits the proposal) may serve as the moderator or a 15-minute presenter, but not both. If the organizer will not be the moderator, a moderator must be identified as part of the proposal.
Note: The session organizer should contact all participants and confirm their participation before including them in the proposal.
Panel Session
A panel session is 90 minutes long. This includes:
• 10 minutes for introductions by a moderator
• Three to five panelists in conversation with a moderator for 60 minutes
• 20 minutes for audience Q&A
When submitting a proposal for a panel session, please include:
• A session title and description of no more than 250 words
• Details of the moderator and all panelists
Note: The session organizer (who submits the session proposal) may serve as a moderator or a panelist, but not both. If the organizer will not be the moderator, a moderator must be identified as part of the proposal.
Note: The session organizer should contact all participants and confirm their participation before including them in the proposal.
Lightning Session
A lightning session is 90 minutes long. This includes:
• 10 minutes for introductions by a moderator
• 10 oral presentations of six minutes each
• 20 minutes for audience Q&A
When submitting a proposal for a complete session, please include:
• A session title and description of no more than 250 words
• Details of the moderator and at least four presenters
• Abstracts for the four lightning presentations
Note: The session organizer (who submits the session proposal) may serve as a moderator or a lightning presenter, but not both. If the organizer will not be the moderator, a moderator must be identified as part of the proposal.
Note: The session organizer should contact at least four presenters and confirm their participation before including them in the proposal. If the proposal is accepted, the session organizer will be provided additional time in early 2025 to confirm the remaining presenters.
Oral Presentation
Submissions for a 15-minute oral presentation must include a title and abstract of no more than 250 words. Please note that if you submit a 15-minute oral presentation, the program committee will organize you within a standard session of related presentations.
Poster Presentation
Submissions for a poster presentation must include a title and abstract of no more than 250 words. If the poster is presented in conjunction with an oral presentation, please indicate this in the box marked “Posters Only” on the submission form. Posters will be presented during a poster reception on Wednesday, May 21, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Details about poster size and set-up procedures to come.
Important dates
• July 23, 2024: Proposal submissions open
• September 23, 2024: Deadline for proposals
• October 15, 2024: Deadline for posters
• January 2025: Presenters notified of decisions
• February 2025: Agenda announced
• May 20–22, 2025: State of the Coast
Click here for other key conference dates.
Frequently asked questions
⇨ Can I submit multiple proposals or give multiple presentations?
Yes. Conference participants can present up to one 15-minute oral presentation, one six-minute lightning presentation, one poster and sit on one panel.
⇨ How are proposals selected?
The program committee considers the proposal’s relevance to the topic, timeliness of the subject matter, diversity of perspectives within a session and the engagement of students.
⇨ What is a lightning presentation?
This is an exciting new format for SOC including ten short presentations, each no more than six minutes, with slides set to a timer. Detailed instructions will be provided to presenters selected for the program.
⇨ Is there an option to present or observe sessions virtually?
State of the Coast 2025 will be an in-person event. There will be no option for virtual participation in the conference.
⇨ Will program participants have registration fees waived?
All program participants will be required to register for the conference. Some community and student scholarships and opportunities for registration fee waivers will be available. Details to come.
⇨ Are students eligible to present?
Yes. Students are encouraged to submit proposals. Students whose proposals are accepted will be invited to participate in a student competition and will be given preference for student scholarships. Details of the competition to come.
⇨ Will sessions be filmed and made available online?
Sessions will not be filmed during the conference. However, presenters may opt in to share their presentation slide decks on the conference website after the event. These slides will be free for all to view.
⇨ Will posters be uploaded and made available online?
Yes. Poster presenters may opt in to share their posters on the conference website after the event. These posters will be free for all to view.
For further questions, please email stateofthecoast@crcl.org.