Day One

Organizers: Bat Conservation International, Boston University, Cornell University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and U.S. Geological Survey

Clarion Hotel, Albany, New York
June 9, 2008

The meeting started at 9 A.M on Monday. with almost all invited participants in their seats and ready to go. There were more than 80 people in early sessions. Agency representatives from 14 states (PA, NY, MD, MA, KY, WV, CT, WI, NH, NJ, MO IN, VT, IL), 6 universities (Fordham, Bucknell, Cornell, Boston University, U-C Santa Cruise and Saint Paul's School), at least 5 federal agencies (USFWS, USGS, National Park Service, USDA, and the US Army Corp of Engineers), and 5 private conservation organizations (Bat World NOVA, Bat Conservation International, Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc, The NSS, and the National Cave and Karst Symposium Steering Committee. The Ontario Minestry of Natural Resources is also represented.

Overarching Goal
The primary goals of the White-nose Syndrome (WNS) Science Strategy Meeting are to identify relevant questions and recommend appropriate research directions that can be used by investigators and management agencies to help determine the cause or causes of WNS-related bat mortality in the northeastern United States. Any recommended research priorities and protocols that result from the meeting are intended to advance our understanding of bat mortality associated with WNS, and ensure the viability of surviving bat populations in the affected region and beyond.

Purpose of this meeting:
- Discuss and brainstorm on the existing evidence and causes of the syndrome
- Identify several theories of causation
- Begin to scope out the range of knowledge gaps and potential future research areas to build the evidence base

9:10-9:20 Facilitator Overview and Introductions, Bonnie Ram, Energetics Incorporated

9:20-9:40 Bat Ecology: Tom Kunz, Boston University, Merlin Tuttle, Bat Conservation International, and Paul Cryan, US Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center

9:50-10:40 Syndrome History and Overview: Al Hicks, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Scott Darling, Vermont Fish and Wildlife

11:50-12:05 Pathology, Virology, Mycology, and Epidemiology: Beth Buckles, Cornell University and Kimberli Miller, and David Blehert, USGS National Wildlife Health Center,

12:05-12:25 Physiology: Tom Tomasi, Missouri State University, Craig Willis, University of Winnipeg, Justin Boyles, Indiana State University, Craig Frank, Fordham University, Jonathan Reichard, Boston University

1:45-2:05 Contaminants and Toxicology: Barnett Rattner, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Anne Secord, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

2:15-2:35 Immunology: DeeAnn Reeder, Bucknell University, Marianne Moore, Boston University

2:45-3:05 Crisis Response: Jeff Pettis, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Pennsylvania State University

3:15-3:35 Public Heath: Robert Rudd, New York State Department of Health (invited)

Nearly 75 people gathered here in Albany to present their work to date on White Nose Syndrome, and to try to figure out a strategy for attacking the problem.

Listening to all the presenters, and participating in the Q & A periods following each presentation, one could not help but be impressed with the wealth of knowledge and commitment from such a wide variety of people from across the country.

While I will be preparing more detailed reports on the sessions (in the days following the conference), some things are clear:��

There is really a lack of sufficient base line data on some of the leads and on the bats themselves, including population numbers.

While the typical news story boilerplate language says something to the effect that the scientists don��t believe the white nose fungus is killing the bats, which has definitely not been ruled out.�� In fact, a new strain of fungus (of the many different varieties that have been found on the bats) has been isolated in the past two weeks, and many of the scientists are clearly concerned that the fungus/fungi are playing a role in either directly or indirectly weakening the bats.

Bats out of hibernation now are being seen in maternity colonies, and from emergence surveys, and they are not healthy. Most prevalent are wing damage signs, including tears, holes, dryness, and white blotches.

Listening to the detailed presentations on the lab work that is being done, you learn about how long it takes to do the different experiments, isolating various bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, etc. Results must then be verified by second laboratories before conclusions can be drawn and published.�� The protocols need to be tight and consistent in order to have validity. The field samples (live or dead bats or tissues) must be consistently collected in statistically valid numbers.

It is interesting having the scientists and the agency personnel (called managers at this conference) and the cavers, in the same room, mixing and learning from each other.

One highlight of the day was the presentation by two of the lead researchers working on the bee Colony Collapse Disorder. Many have noted similarities between CCD and WNS, and they, too, made that observation. CCD is about a year and a half into its scientific inquiry, so we are not that far behind with WNS. They spoke not only of the phenomenon, but mostly on how the field people, beekeepers, scientists, and agency bureaucrats have organized to work on the issue, including their interface with Congress, which ultimately provides the bulk of the money for research, along with professional trade organizations (honey producers and users and those in the agricultural community who depend on the bees economically.

Bottom line of day one was a feeling of energy and collective commitment to solving the mystery of White Nose Syndrome.