To make hotel reservations please visit http://www.thezenithgrp.com/.

Location

The City of Boca Raton, Florida USA will serve as the venue for the 7th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology. Boca Raton is located along the southeast coast of Florida just north of Fort Lauderdale and Miami and just south of Palm Beach.

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is proud to host the 7th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology. Plenary talks, the plenary sessions, poster sessions, and workshops will be held on the FAU campus. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida.

Getting There

Air Travel:

There are three international airports close to Boca Raton: Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport.

Driving:

Both FAU and the Marriott are located within easy access to the three airports. FAU and the Marriott are conveniently located near the major highway, I-95. Go on I-95 North/South. Exit Glades Road and go east; FAU will be approximately 1/2 mile on your left.

• 28 miles (~30 minutes) south of Palm Beach International Airport
• 25 miles (~30 minutes) north of Fort Lauderdale International Airport
• 46 miles (~50 minutes) north of Miami International Airport

Commercial shuttle busses and limousines are available at all airports.

Public Transportation:

Tri-Rail provides service to the area's three international airports: Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport. From the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station, FAU is easily accessible with the PalmTran bus number 94. For more information and train/bus schedules, visit the following websites:

http://www.tri-rail.com/

http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/palmtran/schedules/weekday/Rt94wkd_EB.pdf

Visa Information:

The State Department has been working with the International Visitors Office of the National Academies of Science to ensure that scientists, professional societies and science-meeting planners have access to useful information about the visa process. For its part, the NAS International Visitors Office has established a web-resource (http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/) that includes information and Internet links to federal agencies involved in the visa process. International attendees may require verification of registration for the Congress. A downloadable letter of invitation will be available on the Congress web site. If embassy personnel need a phone number to verify registration, they should call Donna Broadbent at 1-304-947-5377.

Housing

The Boca Raton Marriott has been selected as the housing headquarters hotel. The hotel is located at 5150 Town Center Circle in the heart of Boca Raton and is approximately a 7-minute drive and about a 40-minute walk from FAU. The Boca Raton Marriott has 256 well-appointed guest rooms with either 1 king size bed or two double beds. The Marriott has a health club, outdoor pool, and hot tub available for its guests. The hotel is connected to the Boca Center, which houses 30 shops and boutiques and 7 diverse restaurants.

All room reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card no later than15 June 2004. The following room rates include continental breakfast each morning of your stay.

Room rates:

Single Occupancy - $85 USD
Double Occupancy - $90 USD
Triple Occupancy - $95 USD
Quad Occupancy - $100 USD

To make reservations please visit http://www.thezenithgrp.com/. If you have questions about your reservation, please contact dmarie@thezenithgrp.com

Transportation between the Marriott and FAU will be provided daily.

Currency

The currency will be in US dollars. Please change sufficient amounts for your daily needs. Electronic bank machines are available on campus and near the Marriott. Most local restaurants accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Cards. They do not accept checks. Local banks exchange money and will cash travelers checks for a small fee. They are open Monday-Friday 10AM- 5PM.

Boca Raton and the Surrounding Areas

Local Time Zone for ICVM-7: Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

The City of Boca Raton, Florida USA will serve as the venue for the 7th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphologists. Boca Raton (26°N, 80°W) encompasses 27 square miles (70 square kilometers), has 5 miles of ocean front beaches, and a nature park system that covers approximately 1,080 acres (4.3 square km). The city is located along the southeast coast of Florida just North of Fort Lauderdale and Miami and just south of Palm Beach. Boca Raton has one of the most delightful year-round climates. Southeast Florida has relatively mild temperatures throughout the year. The average annual temperature of 75°F (22°C) is due in part to its proximity to the Gulf Stream that comes closest to shore along Palm Beach County and is particularly close at Boca Raton.

Florida's bright sunny skies are punctuated by short afternoon showers. These showers along with the refreshing breezes from the Atlantic Ocean keep the summer average temperatures in the low to mid 80's F (upper 20s C). Most Florida buildings are well air-conditioned, so bring a jacket or sweater for those times you are sitting indoors for long periods. Boca Raton has many fine parks including ocean-front beaches. Many visitors enjoy the unique shops, many golf courses, scuba diving opportunities, and sport fishing. Major museums and aquaria are within driving distance of FAU. These include Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, the Palm Beach Zoo, Lion County Safari, the Miami Metro Zoo, Butterfly World, the Marinelife Center, and the Miami SeaQuarium. The Florida

Everglades adjoin the western side of Boca Raton. Attendees will also be visiting Florida during sea turtle nesting season. A visit to the beaches to see the turtles can be arranged through one of the state-authorized nature organizations; it can be like a trip back to the Triassic. For those more interested in art and architecture, a visit to Morikami Gardens, Viscaya or The Norton Museum of Art would be rewarding. South Florida is also the gateway to the Caribbean, with short flights, many less than an hour, available through travel agents or via online reservations.

The Mizner Park grounds and downtown are beautifully landscaped with decorative walkways and fountains that entice pedestrians to stroll throughout the site. In addition to various restaurants, cinemas and entertainment opportunities, Mizner Park provides an amphitheater, which is located on the north end of the grounds. This outdoor venue is the scene of many free concerts and other family recreational events throughout the year.

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) was founded in 1964 in Boca Raton on an 850-acre (344 Hectares) site located near the Atlantic Ocean. The main campus is conveniently located half way between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. FAU offers a broad range of academic programs, activities, and services. In addition to the many research projects and other creative endeavors being conducted by individual faculty, more than 30 centers and institutes dedicated to specific disciplines and areas of investigation are in operation. Some examples in the fields of science and technology are the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, the Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, the Florida Center for Electronic Communication and the Institute for Ocean Systems Engineering. The FAU Research Park, a thriving complex of nine buildings occupied by twenty five tenants on 60 acres (24 Hectares) of the Boca Raton campus, provides additional opportunities for research. A number of faculty and graduate student projects are ongoing in cooperation with various concerns located there. The Research Corporation, FAU's technology transfer organization, has its headquarters in the Park.

The five-story S.E. Wimberly Library houses a large collection of monographs, serials, and other academic resources. Computer labs, study lounges, a media center, and tutoring services also provide valuable academic support for students. The Boca Raton Campus hosts art exhibits, theatre productions, and concerts in its two galleries and theatre. Visiting performers and speakers add to the artistic and intellectual vibrancy of the campus.

With its graduate and professional programs, Florida Atlantic University offers advanced education responsive to evolving societal needs. These program promote original scholarship and basic and applied research. Students work closely with faculty in the classroom, laboratory, studio, and field, to gain first-hand experience in the processes of research and the application of knowledge.

For more information on FAU visit the website http://www.FAU.edu