Retrospective

Hosted by Anika Happe and Maren Staniek

Climate change and additional anthropogenic pressures induce a wide range of environmental changes in aquatic environments, such as gradual warming, ocean acidification, amplified extreme events, or altered light- and nutrient regimes. However, community and ecosystem level responses to these changes remain unclear as highly controlled laboratory experiments cannot reflect the full complexity of natural systems. Mesocosm experiments are an important tool to fill this knowledge gap by providing a near-natural setting for studying higher system complexity, species interactions, and by offering a wide range of possibilities to manipulate environmental conditions and to test mitigation measures. In this session, we welcome submissions on mesocosm experiments examining single or multiple stressor impacts on different aquatic systems. Studies can focus on the effects on single organisms, populations, or communities (e.g., phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish), their ecosystem functions, resistance, resilience and recovery as well as eco-evolutionary responses. We aim to include studies across a wide range of aquatic habitats (e.g., fully marine, intertidal, lakes, rivers). Overall, the session aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the possibilities and limitations of mesocosm research for assessing the impacts of global change related stressors on aquatic systems. We hope that this session will fuel the discussion on the status quo in mesocosm research and inspire future collaborations. Join us in exploring the diversity of mesocosm-based experiments used across aquatic systems!

Hosted by Eva K. Rohlfer and Anna Fiesinger

Benthic ecosystems, comprising the diverse communities of organisms inhabiting the ocean floor, play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance and sustaining the health of marine environments. Focusing on these vulnerable ecosystems, we examine the multifaceted threats faced by benthic organisms and the subsequent repercussions for ecosystem resilience. Benthic organisms are exposed to a myriad of stressors such as rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, and alterations in nutrient cycling. Benthic macrofauna plays a key role in organic matter processing and benthic-pelagic carbon cycling directly through their metabolism and indirectly through bioturbation. The on-going changes in the ocean disrupt symbiotic relationships, hamper reproductive success, and influence biodiversity elements and physiological traits of benthic communities. The environmental changes could therefore lead to a different functional role of benthic flora and fauna in key ecosystem processes. Linkages between benthic ecology and ecosystem health including local stressors and global climatic factors, need to be recognised for effective conservation and management strategies of benthic ecosystems in the face of an uncertain future. If you are studying the benthic ecosystems (no matter if fauna, flora, sediment or water) in our changing oceans, you are very welcome in our session!

Hosted by Cindy Meyer & Léa Joly     

Marine coastal environments are considered as the most diverse places on Earth. They are subjected to strong dynamic interactions both with the pelagic and the terrestrial environment, and thus more vulnerable to global change and anthropogenic pressure. There is a strong need to understand current ecological processes at different biological scales in the field (individual to ecosystems) and how climate change could modify the physiology, interactions and ecosystem structure. We are looking for researchers working on coastal ecology and/or climate change effect on coastal ecology, using different tools at any biological and taxonomic level. We would like to bring different expertise together to highlight the potential of using complementary approaches for coastal ecology research.

Hosted by S. Ali Hosseiniazad, Nastaran Sadeghi and Dorota Piechowiak

Recognising the pivotal role that coastlines, seas, and the ocean play in human existence underscore the critical need to prioritise marine environmental protection. In response to this necessity, major international organisations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have taken extensive and targeted measures to protect marine life. The current international legal regime in the field of marine environmental protection is governed by a relatively advanced treaty and customary legal system. Advancements in marine environmental law even leveraged developments in other fields of environmental law. Despite international endeavours to lawfully protect the marine environment and biodiversity against pollution, overexploitation, or the effects of climate change, the main question arises: how does international environmental law effectively protect and preserve the marine environment? Join our session to scrutinise critical aspects of marine environmental protection, exploring the international legal order consisting of instruments and organisational initiatives contributing to this paramount cause.

Hosted by Marissa Levinson & Gabriel Rivas Mena

How humans interact with the environment has a considerable influence on marine ecosystems and the associated species. The interconnectedness between human societies and marine ecosystems unravels into multifaceted dimensions, requiring multi- and transdisciplinary approaches to address complex challenges and identify sustainable solutions. Looking through a social-ecological lens, opportunities arise to apply knowledge with innovative resource management strategies that cultivate a positive relationship with nature. Moreover, there is an opportunity to explore best practices and applications across diverse dimensions such as adaptive governance, marine spatial planning, policy formulation, and economic frameworks. Moreover, a discussion on the varying interpretations of sustainable use among stakeholders and communities is essential for advancing the development and utilization of tools for biodiversity conservation. The complexity of the challenges faced requires a balance between human and ecological needs to ensure a sustainable future. In this session, we invite presentations showcasing case studies that exemplify the innovative application of interdisciplinary and participatory methodologies across different scales to address the challenges confronting marine ecosystems. By sharing experiences and insights, we aim to enrich our collective understanding and chart pathways toward a more resilient and thriving marine environment.

Hosted by Alena Sakovich and Norlaila Binti Mohd Zanuri

Plastic pollution is a significant global challenge in marine environments. It manifests in various forms, from large-scale plastic garbage patches in the open ocean to the widespread presence of microplastics permeating marine waters, organisms, and sediments. The pervasive presence of this pollutant in the seas and oceans poses a substantial threat to the sustainability and health of marine ecosystems, underscoring the urgency for comprehensive action. Addressing this problem necessitates extensive research and collaborative efforts between scientists from diverse research fields.

The main goal of this session is to encourage dialogue among early-career scientists from different disciplines within the scope of marine plastic pollution, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in addressing this issue comprehensively. We welcome work from a broad spectrum of research areas, ranging from observational and modelling studies to identify sources and pathways of plastics, to laboratory experiments assessing their impact on the environment and biota and innovative mitigation strategies to combat plastic pollution. This collective integration of diverse research methodologies and insights is a crucial step towards to provide scientific evidences to support target strategy to mitigate and combating this pressing environmental issue.

This session will also create the space for researchers to emphasize the importance of bridging the gap between plastic pollution research and policy implementation, fostering collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and the public to translate scientific findings into actionable strategies.

Hosted by Waranya Wataniyakun and Kristine Cerbule

Marine plastic pollution is a considerable challenge faced across the globe, irrespective of locations and climates. Considerable sources of marine plastic pollution include several industries, such as fisheries and aquaculture. Both fishing and aquaculture industries and other maritime operations are highly reliant on use of plastic materials in various equipment which can result in production in marine plastic litter. Such plastic materials often used by fisheries and aquaculture industries could remain in the ocean for a long time and create macro- and microplastic pollution with associated negative effects on the marine environment. Furthermore, in fisheries, one of the large challenges is pollution caused by abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gears (ALDFG). Such gear can result in prolonged continuous capture and mortality of marine animals, so-called “ghost fishing” due to use of persistent plastic material in fishing gear construction. This session aims to bring together ideas and previous and ongoing research on marine plastic pollution resulting from fisheries and aquaculture industries or marine operations as well including, but not limited to, pollution rates, ghost fishing, impact of plastic pollution on the marine environment. The session could include a broad range of topics from fishing gear technology related fields up to toxicity caused by microplastics that are resulted from fisheries and aquaculture.

Hosted by Louisa Karl and Victoria Wegner

The marine environment stands as a testament to the impact of anthropogenic activities with pollutants infiltrating every corner of its vast expanse. From plastic debris littering coastlines to chemical contaminants permeating the depths of the ocean trenches the influence of human actions is pervasive. In this context marine ecotoxicology emerges as a crucial discipline offering insights into the intricate processes shaping the health of our oceans and the many life forms they harbour. This session delves into the multifaceted realm of marine ecotoxicology shedding light on the pathways through which contaminants enter and move through marine ecosystems and the diverse effects they exert on their organisms. From elucidating uptake mechanisms in marine organisms to unravelling the molecular and behavioural consequences of exposure our discussions aim to deepen our understanding of the intricate interplay between contaminants and the marine environment. Join us as we investigate the challenges posed by pollutants in marine ecosystems and connect with fellow ecotoxicologists and scientists from other fields to create a better understanding of our oceans!

Hosted by Leonard Günzel, Michele Grimaldi and Sebastian Realpe Rua

The vastness of our ocean is still largely unexplored, and it is becoming clearer that to unravel its mysteries, scientists need to be able to generate and handle an expansive amount of data. The tools that have become standard in the field in recent years are plentiful. With autonomous technology, we can overcome singular high-cost measurement campaigns and move towards recurring autonomous monitoring of the oceans. Using novel high-accuracy sonars, we are able to monitor swarm characteristics better. Back on shore, we can find correlations in large datasets that would take humans centuries to process. Technology, once an enabling tool to support scientists in their venture into the ocean realm, has transformed into an independent discipline. It now facilitates every aspect from data acquisition to finding correlations in huge datasets. Thus, the scope of this session is supposed to be broad and wide arching. Join us in this broad-ranging session where ocean technologists meet to share innovative solutions from their respective fields. This session aims to be a hub for young researchers, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and novel ideas. We welcome proposals in ocean technology, ranging from new adhesives to cutting-edge machine learning models, to contribute to a vibrant and constructive community.

Hosted by Alice Fabbretto, Erika Piaser and Nicola Ghirardi

Over the past few decades, Remote Sensing (RS) technologies have emerged as pivotal tools for monitoring and assessing health of aquatic ecosystems, estimating water quality and aquatic vegetation parameters by analysing the spectral characteristics of the water bodies and their key components. These technologies offer extensive spatial coverage and frequent monitoring, furnishing near real-time data at a large scale, thereby complementing traditional in-situ measurements. Beyond assessing optically active water quality parameters, RS technologies offer unparalleled capabilities for the retrieval of lake bottom characteristics, turbidity, chlorophyll concentration, dissolved organic matter, and detection of harmful algal blooms. In recent years, spaceborne and airborne hyperspectral imaging, joint with LiDAR and radar sensors, along with the well-established multispectral RS technology, enable mapping and monitoring of aquatic vegetation distribution, abundance, and health, as well as the impacts of human activities on aquatic plant communities. Additionally, the integration of RS data with in-situ measurements are useful to investigate vegetation ecological functions and plant functional traits at different levels. Who should attend: This session is aimed at young researchers interested in advanced remote sensing technologies, real case studies and applications in aquatic environments. If you are involved in environmental activities aimed at preserving precious aquatic ecosystems, this session offers valuable insights, networking opportunities and knowledge exchange in the field of aquatic remote sensing. Join us for an immersive session that explores the potential of Remote Sensing technologies for application in freshwater ecosystems and coastal habitats by crossing a diverse range of aquatic environments, each playing a critical role in supporting life on Earth. This session aims to show innovative approaches and applications in a real-world scenario to address key challenges in water resource management and conservation strategies.

Hosted by Fedor Lishchenko and Roman Petrochenko

Sclerochronology is known as a discipline that provides baseline data for a variety of life history, ecology, and management studies. Nowadays it’s hard to imagine a comprehensive study on species biology that does not provide a piece of information on its maximum age or growth rates. In paleoclimatic studies, it allows the reconstruction of past environmental conditions. Many stock assessment protocols presume collecting data on the age composition of the stock units. But sclerochronology is much more than a convenient tool! The discipline provides a great variety of insights per se. Analysis of recording or hard structures trace element or isotope composition, modelling of morphological responses in these structures to different environments, and global variation in growth rates of animals, all are just the tip of the iceberg of the variety of sclerochronological studies. Moreover, the field of research has been rapidly developing in the past years, and the dream technologies of the past, like 3D image analysis or modelling of hydrodynamic properties of molluscan shells, become true and even routine. In our eyes, this theme session provides a platform for a broad discussion on the recent advances in all the fields of sclerochronology, from studies on micro- and macrostructure of recording structures to the practical application of the age and growth data in stock assessment. Are there fields of sclerochronological research we didn’t mention here or ones we even can’t imagine? We are excited to hear about it! At the “Sclerochronology – providing insights for life history, ecology, and management studies” theme session we warmly welcome paleontologists, biologists, ecologists, fishery scientists, and everyone who shares our passion for sclerochronological research.

Hosted by Wiktoria Chudzik and L. Kappas

Join our distinguished panel of experts as they delve into the fascinating realm of marine phycoflora – an incredibly diverse group encompassing cyanobacteria, algae, and vascular plants, including the vital seagrasses. This panel sheds light on the pivotal role these photosynthetic organisms play in sea and ocean ecosystems, serving as the foundation of intricate food chains. Our discussions will highlight the significance of phytoplankton, the primary producer of oxygen in oceans, contributing not only to global oxygen production but also ensuring the oxygenation of marine waters. Beyond their role in oxygen production and as a food source, these organisms perform multifaceted functions, offering valuable marine resources for human utilisation. Delve into the panel’s insights on how seagrasses and macroalgae provide essential habitats and refuge for various species, influencing physiological processes that regulate the circulation of biogenic elements and mineral compounds. Discover the contribution of these organisms to sediment stabilisation, along with the versatile compounds derived from them, such as agar and carrageenan, showcasing their application in biotechnological processes like biofuels. Our esteemed panellists will explore the adaptability of marine phycoflora across diverse ecological conditions, from polar regions to tropical areas, often inhabiting inaccessible territories. Gain insights into their pioneering role in colonising areas and discover how their processes and substances serve as prototypes for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. This conference panel, aptly titled “Marine Phycology,” invites you to join an interdisciplinary journey, addressing biology, ecology, genetics, chemistry, and biotechnology aspects. Explore technical and methodological insights that inspire and bring new knowledge to the breeding, identification, and utilisation of these remarkable marine organisms. Do not miss this opportunity to engage with the forefront of marine science and research.