4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity

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Conference Overview

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. Arranged on a 3 – 4 year cycle, prior WCMB meetings (Valencia, Spain; Aberdeen, Scotland; Qingdao, China) have each attracted more than 1000 participants, including leading specialists from around the world, and catalyzed numerous sidebar sessions on marine biodiversity issues.

The 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity will be held in Montréal, Québec, Canada, from May 20-23, 2018. 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, contributed talks and posters, and bookable venues for focused meetings, 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.

Aim of the Conference

The World Conference on Marine Biodiversity has the overall aim of bringing together scientists, practitioners and the public to discuss and advance our understanding of the issues surrounding the importance of biodiversity in the marine environment. The conference will address issues of marine biodiversity across a deliberately wide range of relevant spheres and interacting topics.

More specifically the conference aims 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
  • The conference will be aimed at the widest possible groups of participants stakeholders from academics to industry and include elements specifically targeted at the public and school children.

Conference Themes

  • Climate change impacts on marine biodiversity
  • Cumulative impacts of human activities on marine biodiversity
  • Marine ecosystem safety
  • Role of systematics in understanding ocean change
  • Bioinformatics and data delivery
  • Analytical approaches in marine biodiversity science
  • Integrative frameworks for linking environmental and biological drivers of biodiversity
  • Linking biodiversity to ecosystem function and services
  • Blue biotechnology and marine genetic resources
  • Marine policy and law
  • Marine biodiversity and human health
  • Marine biodiversity education and outreach
  • Strategies for conservation of marine biodiversity
Early Registration Deadline
Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline
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