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Fourth International Symposium on Deepsea Coral Research
1–5 December 2008, Victoria University of Wellington
Understanding deepsea corals – their ecology, function, and value – has become a priority for marine resource agencies and managers around the world.
NIWA is hosting the 4th International Deepsea Coral Symposium, the first time the symposium has been held in the southern hemisphere. It is is designed to bring together scientists, resource managers, students, and policy-makers who are actively involved in research and management of deepsea corals and other deepsea habitats as well as the animals associated with them.
This international event will focus on scientific exchange, establishing collaborative partnerships, and help provide an understanding of the critical factors for conserving deepsea corals and cold-water coral reefs.
Themes for the symposium include:
- Systematics and biogeography (genetics, taxonomy, larval dispersal)
- Sampling methods and mapping
- Coral ecosystems and habitats associated with seamounts
- Geology and palaeontology (palaeoclimate)
- Climate change (oceanacidification)
- Biology: feeding, growth, andreproduction
- Ecology and species associations(biodiversity, microbial, fish, and invertebrate association)
- Management decisions and policy for corals, conservation, and human impacts
The deadline for submitting abstracts and early-bird registration is 31 July. The programme and registration details are on the conference website: coral2008.niwa.co.nz
For futher information, contact: Di Tracey, 0-4-386 0866, [email protected] Dr Helen Neil, 0-4-386 0375, [email protected]
Ngāi Tahu–NIWA Water Resources Workshop
12–13 March, Christchurch
Ngāi Tahu rūnanga members and kaumātua from around the South Island joined NIWA and other key stakeholders to discuss water resource issues in Te Waipounamu and find out about NIWA's research in this area.
Declining freshwater quality, uncertainty over access to water resources, degradation of traditional values, and inappropriate freshwater management structures were highlighted as major concerns within the Ngāi Tahu rohe.
The workshop was organised by Ngāi Tahu and NIWA's National Centre for Water Resources. More than 80 people attended the two dayevent, including senior management from NIWA, Ngāi Tahu,Environment Canterbury, Irrigation NZ, and Fish & Game NZ.
Mark Solomon, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu kaiwhakahaere, summed up the value of the workshop, saying that the scientific presentations from Ngāi Tahu whānui, NIWA staff, and other invited scientists and stakeholders provided Ngāi Tahu with information that will underpin the tribe’s move to increase direct involvement in water resource management within their rohe.
For further information, contact: Dr Clive Howard-Williams, 0-3-348 5548, [email protected]