The fresh and brackish water fish fauna of Africa is highly diversified and comprises over 3000 species belonging to about 90 families. These fishes inhabit a wide variety of habitats ranging from small temporary streams to large and permanently flowing rivers, from shallow marshlands to large deep lakes, in dry and wet climatic zones. In many African countries, fishes are a major source of protein and income generation. While in many regions capture fisheries are fully exploited, the development of aquaculture in Africa continues to lag behind its predicted potential. Despite its economic and social importance, the African fish fauna is exposed to many threats, most of which are of anthropogenic origin. The major causes of the loss of fish diversity are the fragmentation or destruction of habitats resulting from stream regulation, the introduction of alien species, the overexploitation of fish resources, and pollution. Much research has been, or is being, conducted on the fish and fisheries of the African continent. In order to access and share this growing body of scientific knowledge it was recognized that an international gathering bringing together scientists from all over the world was required. The first of such meetings took place in 1993 in Dakar, Senegal; the second in Grahamstown, South Africa in 1998; the third in Cotonou, Benin in 2003, the fourth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2008. The fifth is due to take place on 16-20 September 2013 in Bujumbura, Burundi. This meeting will provide an opportunity for scientists from throughout Africa and around the world to come together, to get to know one another, exchange information and ideas, and to initiate collaborative studies. Several renowned scientists, young researchers and other stakeholders are expected to attend this important meeting. Representatives of the International Organizing Committee (see members above) met on 4-5 June 2012 in Bujumbura and set up the themes and the necessary dates and requirements for the organization of the meeting. The International Organizing Committee now seeks contributions to the Conference. Please enclose the title of your paper/poster and suggestions for workshop with your registration form. Abstracts should be sent before 30 April 2013. All abstracts will be refereed before final acceptance. The abstracts need to be in line with the following main themes of the conference. ... [Information of the supplier]
The proposed theme of the Conference will be “Bears and humans in the 21st century: challenges and solutions for a peaceful coexistence”. With this theme we aim to draw attention to the problems bears are facing in Greece, and hopefully garner public interest and support for their effective solution. The Conference theme is also representative of one of the major challenges for bears around the world: in midst of an enduring global financial crisis, national economies are reshaping and restructuring themselves in order to become more competitive and resilient in the new world of the 21st century. These structural changes have significant effects on the conservation of global biodiversity, including bears. From the effects of global warming on polar bears to the problems arising from bears living in the proximity of humans in Europe and North America, all bear species are affected by the new realities of the 21st century. Identifying these conflicts in a world that is changing rapidly will be the major step towards finding the solutions that will ultimately secure the survival of these species on a world-wide scale. The 23rd International Conference on Bear Research and Management aims to be a forerunner in this process by providing a meeting point and becoming the public outlet for the most experienced specialists in the field of bear research, conservation and management. ... [Information of the supplier]
The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) cordially invites you to participate in the Open Science Days 2016. The event will take place at the Harnack House in Berlin and is going to extend over one and a half days (February 17/18). Having no specific focus topic at the first Open Science Days in 2014, we dealt with the various aspects of openness in the different areas of Open Science. At our next event we would like to put an emphasis on one of these areas: Citizen Science. Citizen Science refers to the growing involvement of amateur or non-professional scientists in the research process. In some research fields, like e.g. environmental research, this involvement already has become a common practice. Other research disciplines seem to be more reluctant and yet it is unclear, whether Citizen Science will be an important factor in all areas of the entire research process in the future. SETI@home, an early approach to internet-based Citizen Science, already started in 1999. Being focused on distributed computing, this project depends on a rather passive contribution by citizens. Today, we see a broad range of projects that require a more active role: Citizens are asked to collect water samples or to describe ancient texts. Interested people can decide to analyze pictures or video recordings of tiny worms, far galaxies or prowling groups of apes. More complex projects involve citizens that are willing to build up their own technical equipment for rather demanding and precise measurements and observations. Some discussions even concern the involvement of citizens in the establishment of hypotheses and the planning of research. Which are the most important perspectives and opportunities deriving from this opening of research processes for a broader public? Are there different motivating factors for the researchers or research organizations that already have taken action in the field of Citizen Science? What have been their experiences so far? Are there any serious risks, those who promote the advancement of Citizen Science should bear in mind? Participants will have the opportunity to present their own ideas, experiences, initiatives or activities and to discuss current topics related to Citizen Science. Aside from the mentioned thematic priority, there will also be talks and room for discussion on current developments concerning further areas of Open Science. The conference language will be English. The participation fee is 100 € and the number of participants is limited to 80 persons. ... [Information of the supplier]
The 1st Joint Meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) and the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) also known as the Taxonomic Databases Working Group, will take place from August 25th to September 2nd 2018 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The theme of the conference is: Collections and Data in an Uncertain World. The destructive forces of nature were never more evident than with the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami in Japan or the earthquakes that struck Christchurch in 2010 and 2011. The damage to museums and collections, and data loss were staggering. As reconstruction is now well underway, what have we learned from these catastrophes and how can we mitigate damage to our "libraries of life" in the future? ... [Information of the supplier, modified]
