Wednesday, June 23, 2010

49th Annual Meeting. Society of Nematologists. Boise, Idaho

Abstracts

Abstract Submission Deadline has passed.

VIEW ABSTRACTS - pdf file

ABSTRACT INFORMATION

Time for oral presentations = 12 minutes, plus 3 minutes for discussion.
Posters must be 46 inches (height) x 36 inches (width)
More information here

Friday, June 18, 2010

Workshop on meiofauna from chemosynthetic deep-sea environments

The Census of Marine Life project ChEss (Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems) is organizing a workshop on ‘Meiofauna from chemosynthetic deep-sea environments’ in conjunction with the 14^th International Meiofauna Conference at Ghent University July, 17 2010. This workshop is organized by Monika Bright and Ann Vanreusel and we would like to invite you to attend for free.

The aim of this workshop is to bring together meiofauna researchers who are interested in any biological aspect concerning deep- sea reducing environments, such as hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, whale falls, sunken wood, and areas of low oxygen that intersect with continental margins and seamounts.

We will have sessions in which we will discuss the current state of knowledge of biogeography, biodiversity and abundance, ecology, origin and evolution, morphological and molecular phylogeny, and taxonomy, and future plans. Further we will discuss the possiblities of multidisciplinary and integrative research, building a platform of researchers to combine our efforts in databases, field programmes, and outreach activities.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

12th Deep Sea Biology Symposium (Event recently finalized)

Reykjavík, Iceland, 7-11 June 2010

The 12th Deep-sea Biology Symposium is going to be held in Reykjavík, Iceland from June 7-11 (with a time-saving early sign-in on June 6th for those who wish to come the day before and sign in rather that doing it early on Monday morning). The University of Iceland will be hosting the event and there will be at least two excursions: one full day and one evening (we are still working out details of the rest of the social aspect of the week). The convener is Professor Jörundur Svavarsson.

We welcome you to the symposium home page and look forward to seeing you in June.

Photo top left - Organisms on bottom: Copyright, Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen.

Program Book as a .pdf

June 8th, 2010

No comments

Well, the symposium is half finished, but it was brought to our atention that we needed to post the final copy of the book of abstracts here. Because of its size and the fact that it had to be sent in e-mail to me for upload, it is in three parts.
Program Book-part 1
Program Book-part 2
Program Book-part 3

More information here

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Recent Publications On Meiofauna

Use of colloidal iron as a tracer to measure the ingestion rates of free-living marine nematodes

Fascículo/ejemplar/númeroVolume 66, Number 2 / abril de 2010

Dongsung Kim¹ and Yoshihisa Shirayama²

(1)	Marine Living Resources Research Division, Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute, Ansan P.O. Box 29, Seoul, 425-600, Korea

(2)	Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Shirahama-cho, Wakayama 649-2211, Japan

Received: 10 September 2009 Revised: 24 November 2009 Accepted: 24 November 2009 Published online: 25 March 2010

Abstract

Ingestion rates of free-living marine nematodes were measured using colloidal iron as a tracer. Detritus labeled with colloidal iron was fed to the dominant nematode species and cultured. The iron ingested by the animals was quantified using a scanning electron microscope equipped with differential X-ray energy analyzer (EDX). Average ingestion rates (µgC ind.⁻¹day⁻¹) measured were 0.28 for Symplocostoma sp., 0.29 for Polygastrophora sp., 0.73 for Mesacanthion sp. and 0.15 for Metachromadora sp. These values were higher than the values determined using radioactive organic materials as tracers, though the present method is considered to provide conservative values. This result thus strongly suggests that the ingestion rates of nematodes measured so far were underestimated, and the use of colloidal iron has advantages over the use of radioactive organic matter as a tracer.

Keywords Ingestion rates - nematodes - colloidal iron - EDX - subtidal

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Diuronotus aspetos (Gastrotricha): new morphological data and description of the spermatozoon

Fascículo/ejemplar/númeroVolume 64, Number 1 / marzo de 2010

Maria Balsamo¹, L. Guidi¹, M. Ferraguti², L. Pierboni¹ and R. M. Kristensen³

(1)	Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Uomo, dell’Ambiente e della Natura, Università di Urbino, Urbino, Italy

(2)	Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy

(3)	Zoological Museum, Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen OE, Denmark

Received: 4 February 2009 Revised: 30 April 2009 Accepted: 11 May 2009 Published online: 30 June 2009

Communicated by H.-D. Franke.

Abstract The genus Diuronotus (Gastrotricha Chaetonotida) includes two species, D. aspetos and D. rupperti; its morphological affinity with the genus Musellifer has been pointed out. Here, new morphological data from light and electron microscopy and the description of the spermatozoon of D. aspetos are reported, with the aim of clarifying the phylogenetic position of the genus. The mouth cavity has a wreath of stout, protrusible processes. The two secondary furcal tubes are inserted ventrally and are covered with elongate scales. All the caudal tubes contain a duo-gland adhesive system. Three kinds of ciliated sensory receptors are described for the first time in Diuronotus. The filiform spermatozoon consists of an acrosome, a nuclear-mitochondrial complex, and a flagellum. The acrosome including two long and different cones, the single, giant mitochondrion surrounding the nuclear base, and the axoneme arising from a deep nuclear ‘fossa’ appear as autapomorphic characters. The keeled, solid cuticular body scales and the spermatozoon with a supernumerary membrane are features shared with Musellifer delamarei. The structure of the accessory fibres is a strong spermatological similarity between the families Muselliferidae and Xenotrichulidae. Thus morphological and spermatological characters support the inclusion of D. aspetos and M. delamarei into the family Muselliferidae recently described. The comparative spermatology also suggests that Xenotrichulidae may be the sister group of Muselliferidae.

Keywords Diuronotus aspetos - Gastrotricha - Chaetonotida - Ultrastructure - Spermatozoon

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Reflections on distribution and origin of the halacarid genus Isobactrus (Acari: Halacaridae)

Fascículo/ejemplar/númeroVolume 40, Number 1 / marzo de 2010

Ilse Bartsch¹

(1)	Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, DZMB, c/o DESY, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany

Received: 9 April 2009 Revised: 14 October 2009 Accepted: 2 November 2009 Published online: 24 November 2009

Abstract

Isobactrus is a worldwide-spread genus. Most species live in the upper and middle area of a more or less regularly emerged zone. The species diversity is distinctly higher in the northern than in the southern hemisphere. At present, the genus consists of 29 species. An analysis of the geographical distribution of 36 external morphological characters revealed a uniformity in the combination of states of northern Pacific species, but a heterogeneity in the characters of northern Atlantic species. Several character states demonstrate a distinct north/south or north/tropics/south distribution. A parsimony analysis revealed basal northern Atlantic clades, a northern Pacific clade that also includes Northern Atlantic species and an Indo-Pacific clade with a tropical area cluster. The present data suggest that the genus Isobactrus evolved in the Palaearctic Ocean and might represent a basal lineage within the family Halacaridae.

Keywords Halacaroidea - Characters - Distribution - Phylogeny - Palaearctic Ocean

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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Paper: Molecular ecology

Ultrasequencing of the meiofaunal biosphere: practice, pitfalls and promises

ABSTRACT

Biodiversity assessment is the key to understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but there is a well-acknowledged biodiversity identification gap related to eukaryotic meiofaunal organisms. Meiofaunal identification is confounded by the small size of taxa, morphological convergence and intraspecific variation. However, the most important restricting factor in meiofaunal ecological research is the mismatch between diversity and the number of taxonomists that are able to simultaneously identify and catalogue meiofaunal diversity. Accordingly, a molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTU)-based approach has been advocated for en mass meiofaunal biodiversity assessment, but it has been restricted by the lack of throughput afforded by chain termination sequencing. Contemporary pyrosequencing offers a solution to this problem in the form of environmental metagenetic analyses, but this represents a novel field of biodiversity assessment. Here, we provide an overview of meiofaunal metagenetic analyses, ranging from sample preservation and DNA extraction to PCR, sequencing and the bioinformatic interrogation of multiple, independent samples using 454 Roche sequencing platforms. We report two examples of environmental metagenetic nuclear small subunit 18S (nSSU) analyses of marine and tropical rainforest habitats and provide critical appraisals of the level of putative recombinant DNA molecules (chimeras) in metagenetic data sets. Following stringent quality control measures, environmental metagenetic analyses achieve MOTU formation across the eukaryote domain of life at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional approaches. The effectiveness of Roche 454 sequencing brings substantial advantages to studies aiming to elucidate the molecular genetic richness of not only meiofaunal, but also all complex eukaryotic communities.

Molecular Ecology

Volume 19 Issue s1, Pages 4 - 20

Special Issue: Next Generation Molecular Ecology

Published Online: 10 Feb 2010

Further information HERE

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

30th International Symposium in Vienna (European Society of Nematologists)

The European Society of Nematologists will hold its 30th International Symposium in Vienna, Austria from September 19th - 23rd 2010.
The Symposium will be hosted by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna. This venue provides excellent facilities on a campus in a charming green environment and with a blend of traditional and modern architecture.
General information about Austria and Vienna can be found here.
Conference contacts:

Contact: esn2010@boku.ac.at

Location: Information on the location and how to get there:

http://www.boku.ac.at/boku-tuerkenschanze.html?&L=1

Local Organizers:

Florian Grundler

Monika Pribil

Julia Hofmann

Krzysztof Wieczorek

Holger Bohlmann

Scientific Board:

Silvia Bulgheresi

Keith Davies

Ralph Udo Ehlers

Carolina Escobar

Johannes Hallmann

John Jones

Marie-Noelle Rosso

Patricia Timper

Miroslav Sobczak

Loes de Nijs

Further information: here

7th European Ostracodologists’ Meeting

7th European Ostracodologists’ Meeting!
EOM has been taken place for the first time at Frankfurt/Main in 1989. Now, it has become a very important and traditional convention in this field of science. Although it is called a “European Meeting”, usually people from all over the world join this conference and are highly welcomed.
EOM 7 is open for any contribution dealing with ostracods. Deep time or Recent ostracods, freshwater or marine mussel shrimps, pure taxonomy, (palaeo-)environmental, (palaeo-)biogeographical or biostratigraphical studies, genetical and morphometrical analyses or even new methodical approaches are greatly appreciated.
EOM 7 takes place in Graz, located in south-eastern Austria. Parts of this medieval city are not only a UNESCO World Heritage, but Graz is also well known as a city of universities (founded in 1585), famous museums (Joanneum, founded 1811) and modern arts (cultural capital of Europe in 2003). All together: a stimulating place for our – hopefully – successful meeting! If you are interested, please see the following fact sheets.

Date and location
25. – 28. July, 2011
Karl-Franzens-University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 26, A-8010 Graz

Time schedule
● Now: Invitation
● 1. December, 2010 2nd circular: further informations, possibility for registration
● 30. April, 2011 Deadline for abstract submission and payment of the reduced fee● 15. June, 2011 3rd circular (send to participants only; final programme, last information)
● 24. July, 2011 Arrival, possibility for registration
● 25. – 28. July, 2011 Programme of EOM 7
● 29. July, 2011 Departure

Inscription fee
The reduced conference fee is 165,- Euro (paid until 30.4.2011!). The fee for later payment is 200,- Euro. Detailed information for payment follows in the 2nd circular or on request.

The inscription fee includes:
– coffee breaks
– three evening events
– one field trip (incl. bus transfer)
– conference utilities
– publication of the abstract volume

Abstracts
All contributions to EOM 7 are published in the “Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie”, which is a peer reviewed, open access journal of the Universalmuseum Joanneum. Abstracts must be processed according the “instructions to authors” and must be submitted until 30. April, 2011. Abstracts are treated like “short communications” and should not exceed 5 pages in length (including figures, font: times new roman 12 pt.). Colour figures are free of charge.

Talks – Posters
The conference language is English. Speaker’s time is 15 min (regular talks) respectively 30 min for key lectures (incl. discussion).
Posters must be prepared in upright A0 format (height 1189 mm, width 841 mm).
Contact
Martin Gross, martin.gross@museum-joanneum.at
Universalmuseum Joanneum, Geology & Palaeontology, Weinzöttlstrasse 16, A-8045 Graz
Organisation committee
Martin Gross (UM Joanneum)
Frank Gitter (UM Joanneum)
Marco Caporaletti (Univ. Graz)
Werner E. Piller (Univ. Graz)
Ingomar Fritz (UM Joanneum)
Scientific committee
Ian Boomer (Univ. Birmingham)
Sylvie Crasquin-Soleau (Univ. Paris)
Dan L. Danielopol (c/o Austrian Acad. Sci.)
Peter Frenzel (Univ. Jena)
Elsa Gliozzi (Univ. Roma)
Alan R. Lord (Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg)
Koen Martens (Royal Belgian Inst. Nat. Sci.)
Renate Matzke-Karasz (Univ. Munich)

Accommodation and transport
Please contact the homepage of the city of Graz.

SCIENTIFIC EVENTS

International Colloquium on Amphipoda
Sep. 13-18, 2010.
The XIVth International Colloquium on Amphipoda will be held in the Faculty of Biology (green building) at Campus Reina Mercedes of the University of Sevilla, Spain, 13-18 September 2010

...

Further information: website

The International Association of Meiobenthologists is pleased to invite you to participate in its

14^th International Meiofauna Conference
FourtIMCo
Ghent - Belgium
July 11-16, 2010

The conference will be hosted by Ghent University, in the province of Eastern Flanders. The city of Ghent is located at the cultural and economic heart of Europe. It is one of the leading institutions of higher education and research in the Low Countries. The Aula academica, situated in the beautiful historic city center, will be the conference venue.

The FourtIMCo aims to bring high-quality scientific presentations and discussions in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, allowing optimal interaction between scientists from different levels, disciplines, etc… The organizers will therefore endeavour to provide a forum both to established experienced scientists and to young researchers in an early stage of their career.

....
More information: website

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Congreso Peruano de Ciencias del Mar II (fecha límite para envío de resúmenes)

ENVÍO DE RESÚMENES AMPLIADOS

La participación en el II CONCIMAR PERU puede realizarse mediante la presentación de trabajos de investigación, en forma de exposición oral y paneles, o como asistente. Los investigadores deberán enviar un resumen ampliado con un máximo de dos (2) páginas (incluyendo 1 figura o 1 tabla) al Dr. Manuel Gálvez P. (e-mail: mgalvezp20@hotmail.com) que será incluido en el Libro de Resúmenes del 2do Congreso de Ciencias del Mar del Perú. El resumen ampliado será sometido a revisión por el Comité Científico, quien determinará los trabajos que serán aceptados para su presentación en el Congreso, ya sea en la categoría de exposición oral o panel. La fecha límite de entrega de los resúmenes será el 26 de abril del 2010. Más información en la página web

International Polychaete Conference (Lecce-Italy, from June 20th to 26th, 2010)

(www.polychaeta.it). The International Polychaete Conference (IPC) is a congress organized every 3 years by the International Polychaetological Association (IPA) to allow the exchanges of experiences among people working on different biological and ecological aspects, focused on polychaetes.

From the first edition at Sydney (Australia) in 1983, to the last one at Portland (Maine, USA) organized by James Blake e Kevin Eckelbarger, polychaete research is changed, following the main trends characterizing the modern biology, also with the affirmation of new disciplines such as the EVO-DEVO, and with the contribution to the evolution of others such as marine biology, ecology and physiology.

During the last edition we decided to candidate Italy to host the 2010 Conference. And we wish to thank all the collegues which have chosen our country. Therefore the 10th IPC will be in Lecce from June 20th – 26th 2010.
The organizer committee is formed by Adriana Giangrande, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Maria Cristina Gambi, Stazione Zoologica “Anton Dohrn” of Naples Margherita Licciano, Luigi Musco, Cataldo Pierri, Roberto Schirosi (University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce), Loredana Stabili (CNR, IAMC, Taranto), Luisa Nicoletti (ISPRA, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Rome).
The guide-line of the Conference will be: “Polychaetes as Biological and Ecological Models: from taxonomy to applied research”, which was the theme of a successful international polychaete course organized in 2002 at the University of Salento. The proceedings of the conference will be published in The Italian Journal of Zoology, a well-known international journal, published by Taylor and Francis on behalf of the Italian Society of Zoologists (Unione Zoologica Italiana)

We hope that this appointment can represent an occasion to encourage research in our country and will be a growing opportunity of the entire scientific community.

International Conference on Invertebrate Reproduction and Development in the Age of Genetic Modifications

Congress Centre Krystal, Hotel Krystal Prague, Czech republic
J. Martího 2/407, 162 00 Prague 6 - Veleslavín

August 16 - 20, 2010

Organized by the Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice,
and
the Crop Research Institute, Prague,
with support of the 7FP EU project MOBITAG

Important dates

Registration and Abstract submission begins: August 1, 2009

Early Registration Deadline: May 31, 2010

Abstract Deadline: June 15, 2010

Late Registration Deadline: July 15, 2010

More information: http://icird.bc.cas.cz/

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

SON 49th Annual Meeting (deadline for abstracts)

Abstracts

Abstract Submission Deadline: April 30, 2010

SUBMITTING YOUR ABSTRACT

There is a $35.00 fee per abstract. Payment must accompany your abstract submission.

Abstracts can be submitted online or mailed.

Abstracts are limited to 500 words.

Abstract must be received no later then April 30, 2010

Time for oral presentations = 12 minutes, plus 3 minutes for discussion.

Posters must be 46 inches (height) x 36 inches (width)

Submit your abstract online: SUBMIT NOW

Download complete instructions and examples HERE

Mail in your abstract: Download form

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

REUNIÓN ANUAL DE NEMATÓLOGOS

http://www.ontaweb.org/

3 - 8 Octubre 2010 Quito - Ecuador
Congreso anual ONTA 2010
del 3 al 8 de Octubre en Quito - Ecuador
Fechas Importantes:

Apertura Registros online: 8 de Marzo 2010
Fecha límite envío resúmenes: 18 de Junio 2010
Fecha límite Registros y pagos: 30 de Junio 2010
Notificación de aceptación de resúmenes 23 de Julio 2010
Inicio de la Reunión: 3 de Octubre de 2010

EUMAINE - European Master of Science in Nematology, MSc

Ghent University, Faculty of Sciences

Country:	Belgium	Duration:	24 Months
City:	Ghent	Start Date:	September
Educational Form:	Taught	Languages:	English
Education Variants:	Full Time
Special:	Erasmus Mundus Joint
Annual Tuition Fee:	€ 525

Programme Description

The Postgraduate International Nematology Course (P.I.N.C.) is a Master course at Ghent University, Belgium . It is a 2-year programme taught in English. The nematology section at Ghent University is an internationally renowned centre for education and research on nematodes of different groups.

We aim to train people from all over the world into high qualified nematologists taking leading jobs in plant protection, sustainable management of natural resources, biocontrol of crops, biomonitoring and conservation of aquatic and terrestrial environments, and estimating biodiversity.

The Master of Science in Nematology programme includes training and research on the morphology, systematics and biology of plant parasitic, insect parasitic and free-living nematodes. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of microscopy techniques and accurate identification skills, aided by the availability of a virtually complete taxonomic library. The main purpose is to provide each student with the expertise required for conducting independent research in his or her home country.

Major attention is given to crop protection and topics including environmental issues such as soil management (residues, groundwater), use of nematodes as bio-indicators for pollution of e.g. industrialised coastal areas, and development of tropical ecosystems (e.g. mangroves). A third aspect covered in particular is the latest techniques being developed for control of nematode pests, such as genetic manipulation.

BMSC Summer 2010 Courses

www.bms.bc.ca

A Summer 2009 student writes:

"After finishing my summer courses at Bamfield last year, I knew I wanted to come back. It was one of the most enriching and amazing experiences I have ever had. As soon as this year’s courses were up, I was on it. Then I was conflicted: I wanted to take them all. "

Applications are still being accepted. See below for courses which are fully enrolled.

On-Line application form

Pleasure Craft Operator Card - required for most courses

Block I, May 3 - June 11, 2010

Block II, June 14 - July 23, 2010

Block III, July 26 - Sept. 3, 2010

Summer 2010 Schedule (PDF)

Contact

University Programs Coordinator:
Beth Rogers
(250) 728-3301 ext. 216

Monday, March 15, 2010

International School on Foraminifera

April 7-16, 2010. Urbino, Italy

The 3rd Course on Foraminifera is designed to provide an overview of the Taxonomy, Ecology, Biodiversity and Geological History of Benthic and Planktonic Foraminifera. This intensive course is intended for students interested in Micropalaeontology, Palaeoceanography, Palaecology, and Climate History. The aim is to provide a primer on the study foraminifera and examples of how foraminifera can be used as palaeoenvironmental and palaeoceanographical proxies. We review the current classification schemes of the foraminifera, discuss Ecology and Life History, review their usefulness for Biostratigraphical applications, and use case studies to investigate the geological history of the group with lab sessions.

Two distinct courses are planned: Benthic Foraminiferal Course (7-11 April) and Planktonic Foraminiferal Course (12-16 April).

For complete meeting details, please see the course announcement

CAML Workshop on Southern Ocean benthic biodiversity and distribution patterns

21 - 25 March 2010, German Centre of Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven, Germany
A workshop on Southern Ocean benthic biodiversity and distribution patterns will be held at the German Centre of Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB) in Wilhelmshaven (Northern Germany). This meeting will be supported by the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML), the German Science Foundation (DFG) and the Census of the Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life (CeDAMar). More information on the key questions and application details are available in the first circular

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

49th Annual Meeting. Society of Nematology

Abstracts

Abstract Submission Deadline: April 30, 2010

SUBMITTING YOUR ABSTRACT

There is a $35.00 fee per abstract. Payment must accompany your abstract submission.

Abstracts can be submitted online or mailed.
Abstracts are limited to 500 words.
Abstract must be received no later then April 30, 2010
Time for oral presentations = 12 minutes, plus 3 minutes for discussion.
Posters must be 46 inches (height) x 36 inches (width)

Submit your abstract online: SUBMIT NOW

Download complete instructions and examples HERE

Mail in your abstract: Download form

Registration

Member and Non-Member Registration Includes: Welcome Reception, daily lunch, coffee breaks, wine & cheese poster session and Excursion Tour

Accompanying Registration Includes: Reception, daily lunch, coffee breaks and wine & cheese poster session