Delaware Estuary Focus of Science and Environmental Summit CAPE MAY, New Jersey,

January 18, 2007 (ENS) - From January 22 to 24, several hundred scientists, resource managers and environmentalists from throughout the tristate region will assemble in Cape May for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary's second Delaware Estuary Science Conference, a biennial event.

For three days, these experts will consider the current issues and future needs of the Delaware Estuary, one of the most industrialized ecosystems in the world.

In addition, the Delaware Estuary Environmental Summit, a new event occurring simultaneously with the science conference, will bring together environmental organizations to showcase and discuss activities that have resulted in environmental improvements.

The theme of this year's conference is "Linking Science, Management and Policy to Set Achievable Environmental Goals in the Delaware Estuary."

Salt water from the Atlantic ocean and fresh water from the Delaware River and its tributaries mix in the estuary. This mixture of water types creates a unique environment that is critical for the survival of many species of fish, birds, and other wildlife.

Marshes and other wetlands, which fringe the estuary, protect marine life and water quality by filtering sediment and pollution from upstream sources. The estuary creates natural protection from damaging storm waves and floods. The region includes portions of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania from the mouth of the Delaware Bay upriver to Trenton.

One of the largest tidal estuaries in the world, the Delaware Estuary faces many environmental challenges. The overharvest of fish and shellfish, contaminants in fish, and the loss of important wildlife habitat and vital wetlands are issues currently being studied by regional scientists.

"In 2005 we brought together representatives from agencies, nonprofits, and academia, groups which rarely interact directly with one another, and this resulted in fertile discussions about science and management needs for the region," said Dr. Danielle Kreeger, science director at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. "This time, the focus is on how to address those needs and chart meaningful environmental targets."

Environmentalists at the conference will be celebrating Dupont's announcement earlier this month that the company is pulling out of the Army's plan to ship VX nerve agent waste from Indiana to Dupont's Chambers Works plant in Salem County for treatment and dumping into the Delaware River.

After three years of fighting the dumping, Delaware Riverkeeper Network said its lawsuit, filed December 21, 2006, played a big part in Dupont's backing out.

The suit challenged the transport of VX hydrolysate from Indiana to New Jersey based on a federal statute that bans the transportation of chemical weapons across state lines and complained that federal environmental regulations were not being followed by the Army.

The two concurrent events are sponsored by 19 regional and national organizations and businesses, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, DNREC's Delaware Coastal Programs, and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.