International Conference

The International Conference "Wetlands: functioning, management and restoration", organised by the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research and the WETLANET Project, was held on 16th to 19th October 2011, at Albena Resort, Varna.

In total 74 scientists from Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Romania, Czech Republic, Turkey and Greece attended the event. Among them, 16 participants were PhD students. The Advisory Board of the Conference included leading experts in various fields of the wetlands research:

• Andy J. Green - Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
• Aleksandr Protasov - Institute of Hydrobiology of Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Bul. Geroev Stalingrada 12, Kiev, Ukraine
• José Duarte - Bioenergy Unit, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar 28, 1649-038 Lisbon, Portugal
• Jose Matos - Group of Molecular Biology, Instituto Nacional de Recursos Biológicos – Instituto Nacional de Investigaçao Agrária, Edifício S, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, 22, 1649-038 Lisbon, Portugal
• Staffan Bensch - Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, 22362 Lund, Sölvegatan 37 Sweden
• Yordan Uzunov - Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
  

The aim of the WETLANET International Conference was to get together scientists and specialists working on various topics of wetlands research. We discussed the recent developments of the wetland studies and the opportunities for further joint research efforts in wetland functioning, management and restoration. The scope of the conference included the following main topics, combined in five thematic sessions:

1. Wetlands biodiversity: populations, communities, iterspecific interactions
2. Wetland ecosystems: structure and functioning
3. Wetland conservation
4. Coastal marine zones: functioning and restoration
5. Wetland monitoring, management, restoration and sustainable use

Special emphasis was put on types of wetlands of major importance for the region, i.e. those in South-East Europe, Danubian floodplain, coastal marine zones of the Black Sea. During the last day of the event a Round table on the long-term research of wetland ecosystems was organised. In total, six plenary lectures, 23 oral reports and 21 posters were presented.

Among the main goals of the International Conference were mentioned:

• The event presented a survey of recent developments in the broad scope of wetland science, in both results and methodology;
  
• It gave the opportunity to demonstrate the WETLANET Project achievements in basic and applied research;
• Getting together scientists from wider scope of the fundamental and applied research gave the possibility to discuss further directions in wetland studies

The discussions during the Conference were a successful brainstorming, giving the possibilities to combine our ideas for further joint efforts in applying for collaborative projects funded by EC and other sources.

The book with the programme and abstracts of the Conference could be download here

Some of the photos from the event could be seen at the photogallery.

Official agent

Company for International Meetings (CIM) Ltd.
18, Christo Belchev Str., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
http://www.cim.bg
tel. + 356 2 980 69 94; fax: + 359 2 980 60 74
е-mail: cim@cim.bg
Contact: Mrs. Elena Vladimirova