2015 ASLO AQUATIC SCIENCES MEETING

ASLO returns to Europe for the 2015 Aquatic Sciences Meeting on 22-27 February 2015 at the Granada Congress and Exhibition Centre (Palacios de Exposiciones y Congresos de Granada) in Granada, Spain.

Among the 143 sessions, Session 085 is devoted to “Current advances in the integration of (semi)automated approaches for measuring phytoplankton dynamics, from freshwater to marine systems”.

In recent years, different research projects have focused on the application of high resolution monitoring approaches for defining phytoplankton activity and diversity, spatial distribution and temporal dynamics in freshwater and marine systems, at both regional and local scales. Amongst them are the assessment of phytoplankton diversity and detection of targeted species (Harmful Algae) using molecular tools and/or automatic microscopy/image analysis ; functional phytoplankton group detection by novel in and ex situ optical techniques as scanning flow cytometry and spectral fluorometry ; physiological and photosynthetic activity characterised by variable fluorometry. Main objectives are to better understand the role of phytoplankton in primary production, biogeochemical cycles and harmful events, in the framework of global and local changes. This information is crucial for developing new monitoring systems to be implemented in environmental programs evaluating the ecological status of aquatic systems as EU directives WFD (freshwater, estuarine and coastal waters) and MSFD (marine waters), and regional sea conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM). We invite scientists and environmental managers to present current advances in methodological developments and/or implementation of one or more (semi)automated techniques for studying and monitoring phytoplankton. Topics considered include high spatial resolution and/or high-frequency temporal studies in aquatic systems, comparison amongst techniques and related automation in data analysis.

Co-chairs :

Luis Felipe Artigas , CNRS UMR 8187 LOG – University of Littoral (ULCO) – Wimereux – FR
Felipe.Artigas@univ-littoral.fr

Veronique Creach , Center for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft – UK
veronique.creach@cefas.co.uk$

Jacco Kromkamp , Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke – NL
Jacco.Kromkamp@nioz.n

Francesco Pomati , Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) – Dübendorf – CH
Francesco.Pomati@eawag.ch

Alain Lefebvre , Laboratoire Environnement Resources (LER) – IFREMER – Boulogne sur Mer – FR
Alain.Lefebvre@ifremer.fr

Melilotus Thyssen , CNRS UMR 7294 – Mediterranean Institute of Oceanology (M.I.O.), Marseille – FR
melilotus.thyssen@mio.osupytheas.fr