IPY 2007-2008

What are the key spatial patterns in macro-and megabenthos and what drives them?”

This workshop will be held at the German Centre of Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB) in Wilhelmshaven (Germany) from March 21st to March 25th 2010. For more information, see http://www.eba.aq/images/pdfs/soworkshop.pdf.

The aim of this workshop is to compare Southern Ocean biodiversity and distribution patterns across space, depth and taxonomic groups and to assess some of the ecological and  evolutionary processes determining these. This includes the identification of the most  appropriate model groups to examine patterns by assessment of expertise, capacity and  funding for work. The workshop will bring together scientists (biologists as well as geophysicists and oceanographers) using similar sampling devices(with particular focus on the epibenthicsledge) to both present cutting edge findings and discuss what to see as the current key strengths and gaps in associated benthic biodiversity and biogeography research. The workshop will be strongly discussion driven.

This workshop is funded by the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML), the German Science Foundation (DFG) and the Census of Abyssal Marine Life (CeDAMar).