Susan Williams, UC Davis professor of environmental science and director of Bodega Marine Laboratory, will address leaders of major environmental non-government agencies on Wednesday (Dec. 11) about unique contributions they can make to the battle against invasive species.

Williams is an expert on marine (saltwater) invasive species and policy. At this forum on "The Conservation Community and Invasive Species," she will discuss the management case history of Caulerpa taxifolia. Caulerpa, dubbed "killer algae" for its rapid spread and destruction of native plants and animals, was first discovered in the United States in Southern California in July 2000, after causing severe economic and ecological harm in the Mediterranean Sea.

Hosted by The Nature Conservancy and the Wilderness Society, the forum is intended to teach non-governmental organizations how they can fight invasive species in collaboration with federal, state and local governments.

The forum is set for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Members Room in the Main Building of the National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.

Other speakers include:

* Peter Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, on the conservation problems caused by invasive species.

* James T. Carlton, director of the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport, on solutions to the problem of invasive species.

* Robert Mangold, director of Forest Health Protection for the USDA Forest Service, on the international program to reduce entry of the Asian gypsy moth and its relatives into North America.

* Phyllis Windle, senior scientist for the Global Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, on the invasive-species policy landscape and high-priority NGO actions.