North America 2011 was a ver y productive year for SETAC North America. In addition to the Annual Meeting, two smaller but important meetings were organized:
Focused Topic Meeting on the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Pensacola, FL (27–28 April). This meeting was conducted to help us better understand the environmental and community impacts of the April 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig, to better engineer solutions that prevent such situations and to better present complex data to the public.
Focused Topic Meeting on Pollutants in the Environment: Fate and Toxicity, Mérida, Mexico (24–27 August). SETAC North America and the SETAC Mexico Regional Chapter had the vision to hold a meeting in Mexico to facilitate a closer cooperation between the groups. Two short courses were offered, and the meeting provided a great opportunity for participants to enjoy the beauty, history and culture of Mérida and the Yucatán. 18