The EU Horizon 2020 project MERCES (Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas) (http://www.merces-project.eu/) is holding a webinar on ‘Getting Better Value from Our Coasts’ at 15.00h Central European Time on Thursday 15 February. Further details can be found at https://news.grida.no/getting-better-value-from-our-coasts. Pre-registration is required.

Further information on the MERCES project can be obtained by contacting merces@deepseasolutions.co.uk

There are two talks of about 20 minutes each.

Valuing Multiple Eelgrass Ecosystem Services in Sweden: Fish Production and Uptake of Carbon and Nitrogen

Dr Scott Cole, EnviroEconomics Sweden Consultancy, Gothenburg and Dr Per-Olav Moksnes, University of Gothenburg

Eelgrass meadows create several important ecosystem functions, which in turn provide society with important ecosystem goods and services. Along the Swedish northwest coast, more than 60 %, approximately 12 500 ha, of the eelgrass beds have vanished since the 1980s as a result of coastal eutrophication and overfishing. How can we value the many different benefits of eelgrass beds and what have we lost? Scott Cole, an environmental economist, will discuss a three-year research project that developed an interdisciplinary framework for estimating the monetary value associated with multiple ecosystem services provided by eelgrass meadows and how the consideration of multiple benefits in the coastal zone leads to better management decisions.

Using 3D Computer graphics to convey restoration goals to decision makers and the general public.

Professor Johan van der Koppel, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)

In this session, Johan van de Koppel will outline a new technique for presenting the projected outcome of nature restoration and compensation projects using a combination of ecological models and 3D visualization techniques. Using ecological simulation models, we predict the way in which ecosystems might evolve following restoration measures. This is then used as the basis for 3D Computer Graphics techniques that can build photo-realistic representations of what ecosystems may look like following restoration. These representations, in photo, video, or virtual reality formats, can be used the convince decision makers and the general audience of the value of ecosystem restoration and how they might be used for habitat compensation planning in the coastal zone.

We hope you and your colleagues will be able to join us.

Source: MARINE-B, the MArine Research Information NEtwork on Biodiversity

Tracing human interactions with marine ecosystems through deep time: implications for policy and management

Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
& the German Maritime Museum,
Bremerhaven, Germany:
22th to 26th October 2018
More information: http://oceanspast.org/oceanspastvii.html
Official Conference Website: www.awi.de/conferences/opp7

The International Research Group on Ostracoda, together with the Society of Friends of IRGO, is happy to support the participation of two young researchers at the 5th International Palaeontological Conference (July
9-13, 2018) in Paris, France https://ipc5.sciencesconf.org/

Two travel awards of 1000 Euro each will be awarded to Master or Ph.D.
students who will present their research (oral or poster) at the IPC 5.
It is expected that Ostracoda will play a key role in their presentation. Contributions from all disciplines and geological times are welcome.

Applicants should include
a short cover letter (detailing the status of the project, and the planned format of the contribution),
a short CV, and
a scientific abstract of their talk/poster.

Applications should be submitted as a PDF before January 31, 2018, to the chair of SF*IRGO, Dr Renate Matzke-Karasz (matzke-karasz@lmu.de).
All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the members of the advisory board of SF*IRGO.

This call is also online:
www.support-irgo.net/activities/irgo-young-researchers-travel-grant/

Acknowledgements:
These grants wouldn’t have been possible without the financial support of many of you to SF*IRGO. Thank you all!
Special thanks go to the voluntary instructors of the European School on Ostracoda, as well as to Elisabeth (Lotte) Kempf and Dr. Anton Waltschew for their major donations.

Looking forward to receiving many applications!

Cheers,
Renate Matzke-Karasz

[MJC]
IRGO and SF*IRGO: www.ostracoda.net
___________________________
PD Dr. Renate Matzke-Karasz
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences GeoBio-Center LMU Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen

Source: MARINE-B, the MArine Research Information NEtwork on Biodiversity

4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity

– UPDATE –

Abstract submission deadline has been extended until 1st December 2017.
Early submissions are very welcome.
The website will be updated to reflect this soon.

–

May 13-16, 2018, Palais des Congrès, Montreal, Quebec

The World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB) has become the major focal assembly to share research outcomes, management and policy issues, and discussions on the role of biodiversity in sustaining ocean ecosystems. This meeting will bring together scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to discuss and advance our understanding of the importance and current state of biodiversity in the marine environment. Through a mix of keynote sessions and contributed talks the conference program will address marine biodiversity across a deliberately wide range of relevant sectors. Participation will be encouraged from the broadest possible range of stakeholder groups from academics to industry.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
1. Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society;
2. Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use;
3. To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity;
4. Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services and;
5. Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building.

The 4th WCMB will ‘connect’ scientists with decision and policy makers, NGOs and industry in order to:
– Review current knowledge of marine biodiversity and its role in marine ecosystem function and services;
– Assess past, present, and future critical threats to marine systems and consider management strategies;
– Encourage inter-disciplinary discussions among researchers, policy makers, NGOs and industry;
– Discuss sustainable development in the context of biodiversity;
– Identify future research and policy priorities

Within specific conferences themes broad areas of current marine biodiversity research and policy challenges will be covered, as well as the five strategic ‘Aichi’ goals described above. The Scientific Committee will build a program over the next year that will incorporate emerging issues and identify invited keynote speakers to review the state-of-the-art of some of the specific themes.

Abstract submission for the 4th WCMB is now open!

Website

MARINE-B, the MArine Research Information NEtwork on Biodiversity