Specific Conference Themes

SeventIMCO will be held in Évora, Portugal, in 7-12 July 2019. The Organizing & Scientific Committees are pleased to welcome your abstract submissions for oral presentations and scientific posters targeting the following broad themes:

1. Advances in taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography

This topic covers significant developments of taxonomy, phylogeny and evolutionary biology of meiofauna taxa, including phylogenetic systematics and ecological connectivity and biogeography.

2. Meiofauna biodiversity patterns and ecosystem interactions (including Freshwater, Estuarine Coastal and Ocean, Deep sea and Frontiers ecosystems).

Biodiversity ecosystem function are intricately linked. This session includes studies of spatial and temporal patterns of meiofauna across ecosystems, discuss drivers of these patterns, and how they affect organism interactions and important ecosystems processes.

3. Meiofauna in a changing world: meiofauna’s response to natural and anthropogenic pressures.

Human use aquatic resources are increasing as is the need to comply with international agreements on the protection of biodiversity. This topic covers meiofauna studies assessing the response of meiofauna to natural and anthropogenic disturbances in aquatic ecosystems, and their use as monitoring tools to inform the management.

4. Methodologic advances in meiofaunal studies: new tools and analytical and experimental approaches

Novel tools and approaches have been developed to establish the positions and roles of meiofauna in aquatic ecosystems. This session covers innovative molecular, experimental and modelling approaches and demonstrates how they are used to enhance understanding of meiofaunal biology and ecology.

5. Meiofauna and Science communication to Society

Some ecologists and decision-makers remain sceptical about what meiofauna can tell them about ecosystem state. This session includes studies that apply and communicate findings from hypothesis-driven research to support the conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems.