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Key Dates:

Call for Papers
Summer 2008

Abstract Submittal Deadline
3 October 2008

Authors Notified,
Student Travel Grant Recipients Notified
December 2008 

Schedule Posted
January 2009

Meeting
25-30 January 2009

Organizers: Benjamin Cuker, Hampton University, benjamin.cuker@hamptonu.edu; Deidre Gibson, Hampton University, Deidre.gibson@hamptonu.edu

This session is for undergraduate and beginning graduate students, primarily affiliated with the ASLO Multicultural Program (ASLOMP). Students will give oral presentations of their research findings in a friendly atmosphere that encourages constructive criticism. Appropriate submission from students not affiliated with ASLOMP will also be considered. The student symposium has been a feature of ASLO meetings since 1991, and is a central of the ASLOMP.

Organizers: David Thomas, Bangor University, d.thomas@bangor.ac.uk; Kevin Arrigo, Stanford University, arrigo@stanford.edu

In the past decade there has been a significant increase in dedicated studies of the biology, chemistry, and physics of sea ice in polar oceans. This session aims to bring scientists from a variety of fields together to report on the latest advances in our understanding of the factors controlling physical, ecological, and biogeochemical processes in both Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. There can be no doubt that in certain regions of the world, seasonal sea ice dynamics are undergoing significant change, and there is scope within this session to discuss the implications of such changes. By keeping the remit of the session somewhat broad, it is hoped that all facets of the sea ice system can be discussed: from processes within the microscale brine channels through to large scale processes covering many 1000s square kilometres. Arctic and Southern Ocean sea ice are of course constrained by different forcing factors, and the respective ice types sustain quite different biological assemblages. However, by considering the two systems within a single session it is hoped that new insight into key processes that control their dynamics can be more successfully illuminated.

Organizers: Philip Boyd, NIWA/ University of Otago, pboyd@alkali.otago.ac.nz; David Hutchins, University of Southern California, dahutch@usc.edu

The predicted effects of climate change on the open ocean point to concurrent alteration of many factors that determine algal community structure, set rates of primary production, and control carbon and nutrient cycling. In turn, these shifts in phytoplankton assemblages could drive a number of postive and negative feedbacks to global climate. Changing light climate, temperature, macronutrient and trace metal inventories, pCO2 and ocean acidification, and biological competition and trophic interactions will potentially alter both ecosystem structure and ocean biogeochemistry, yet are challenging to include within the design of traditional perturbation experiments. In this session we encourage presentations that represent and encompass the wide variety of approaches - from modeling experiments, mesocosms, and in situ observations to physiological and genetic investigations of lab cultures - that are needed to tackle this most pressing of issues.

Organizers: Angel Borja, AZTI-Tecnalia (Pasaia, Spain), aborja@pas.azti.es; Daniel M. Dauer, Old Dominion University (Virginia, USA), ddauer@odu.edu; Michael Elliott, University of Hull (United Kingdom), Mike.Elliott@hull.ac.uk; Charles (Si) Simenstad, University of Washington (Washington, USA), simenstd@u.washington.edu

ORAL SESSION In restoring marine and estuarine ecosystem processes, structure and function, the response/recovery time of physico-chemical variables (e.g., oxygen increase) is relatively rapid compared to biological elements (i.e., plankton, benthos, fishes). This session focuses on medium- to long-time series (>10 years) of biological data that illustrate the resilience, resistance and parallelism of response to restoration of marine/estuarine systems worldwide. Some legislation (e.g., European Water Framework Directive, US Clean Water Act) requires the determination of the ecological status of modified water bodies with the aim of restoring and/or protecting good ecological potential (the ecological status in the absence of anthropogenic stressors). This requires a thorough understanding of ecosystem processes and functioning, gained not only by comparing monitoring data against reference conditions, but also by predicting appropriate ecosystem structure and function in the absence of anthropogenic stress and variability in response at different landscape scales. Although we have gained much knowledge in recent years about the responses of individual marine ecosystems to restoration, our knowledge is far from comprehensive and usually not cumulative. The results of this oral session can be a useful tool in organizing this knowledge leading to modelling scenarios of the ecological potential assessment - the ultimate objective of this session.

Organizers: Xavier Mari, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), xavier.mari@noumea.ird.nc; Hans-Peter Grossart, IGB - Dept. Limnology of Stratified Lakes, hgrossart@igb-berlin.de

Macroscopic organic aggregates constitute the upper end of the dissolved-particulate matter continuum, and their formation and fate depend on complex interactions at physical, chemical and biological levels. They represent one of the most important vectors regulating the vertical export of biogenic carbon, nutrients and trace metals. Depending on their fate, they can settle down and be sequestered, be solubilized in the water column, or ascend and be remineralized at the air-sea interface. Hence, their modification determines whether aquatic systems act as sources or as sinks of inorganic carbon. While the physical fate of aggregates may depend on parameters such as density, composition, age, and physico-chemical perturbations the cycling of elements is governed by microbial activity. On the other hand, aggregates potentially regulate the development of microbial communities both at the microscale and ecosystem levels. This session will focus on the role of macroscopic organic aggregates in structuring microbial communities, and on the role of attached communities in regulating the fate of POM and cycling of elements. Contributions discussing ecological consequences linked to community and activity of attached microbes for organic matter cycling and dynamics of pelagic microbes, as well as forcing parameters of the aggregate-microbe interactions are particularly encouraged.

Organizers: Emmanuel Boss, University of Maine, emmanuel.boss@maine.edu; Hubert Loisel, Université du Littoral - Côte d'Opale, Hubert.Loisel@univ-littoral.fr

As the oceanographic community develops different approaches to constraint the ocean’s role in the carbon cycle, availability of data on large spatial scales and short temporal scales has become essential. The only source of biogeochemical data on these scales comes from ocean color remote sensing. In the past few year inversions of ocean color have moved beyond the estimation of phytoplankton pigment to include, among other, estimates of particulate organic carbon, phytoplankton carbon, particulate size distribution, and phytoplankton functional groups. In addition, inversion products have been used in new ways to constrain a variety of processes as well as variables involved in the modeling of upper ocean biogeochemistry. Which specific model variable can be adequately constrained or tested with ocean color products is still a matter of research, in particular given the possible uncertainties in some of the products. This session is intended to highlight recent advances as well as to enhance communication and collaboration between ocean color practitioners and the oceanographers who use their products.

Organizers: Peter Koeller, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, koellerp@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca; Shubha Sathyendranath, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, ssat@pml.ac.uk

The concept of ecosystem-based fisheries management or the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) has been in development for over a decade. However, operational implementation of the concept remains elusive. This is partly due to data constraints at scales relevant to fisheries applications. For example, near real-time information on large spatial (fish stock area) and short temporal (days~weeks~months) oceanographic processes influencing survival and recruitment of the larvae of commercial fish stocks is difficult to acquire. Remotely-sensed data, including ocean colour, sea-surface temperature and altimetry from satellites, can alleviate these constraints for arguably the most important environmental factors relevant to fisheries: food availability, temperature and water movements. This session will be devoted to current research and operations in fisheries oceanography that uses remotely-sensed data applied to stock assessments; stock management in the medium term; fisheries harvesting methods; and contributions to the ecosystem approach in the broadest sense. This session builds on the international initiative SAFARI (Societal Applications in Fisheries & Aquaculture using Remotely-sensed Imagery, http://www.geosafari.org) and is dedicated to David Cushing (1920-2008), a pioneer in fisheries oceanography.

Organizers: Bradley Eyre, Southern Cross University, bradley.eyre@scu.edu.au; Joanne Oakes, Southern Cross University, joanne.oakes@scu.edu.au; Bart Veuger, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, B.Veuger@nioo.knaw.nl; Eric Boschker, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, E.Boschker@nioo.knaw.nl

Stable isotope tracers are a powerful tool for following the flow of carbon and nitrogen through biogeochemical processes and the lower food web. This session invites biogeochemical and ecological contributions that have used either small scale or whole system labeling as a tool for elucidating carbon and nitrogen flows in freshwater, brackish and marine ecosystems. Of particular interest are studies that have investigated the flow of carbon and nitrogen through both the biogeochemical processes and the lower food and studies that combine both biomarkers and stable isotope tracers.

Organizers: Gillian Stewart, Queens College, CUNY, gstewart@qc.cuny.edu; Pere Masque, Universitat Atonoma de Barcelona, Pere.Masque@uab.es; J. Kirk Cochran, Stony Brook University, kcochran@notes.cc.sunysb.edu; Juan Carlos Miquel, Marine Environment Lab, IAEA, J.C.Miquel@iaea.org

Applying radionuclides as tracers of particles and the elements associated with them has now become almost a standard practice in large oceanographic research initiatives. The short-lived daughter isotopes of the natural U-Th decay series have become frequently used proxies for carbon, silicon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus fluxes. This session will provide a forum for discussion of results of such applications, as well as developments of methods and advances in modeling. Recently, there has been interest in the interactions between these isotopes and colloidal or microbiological substances, the mechanisms behind scavenging in deep water, and interpretations of non-steady state results. Presentations about ocean-atmosphere interactions, mesopelagic remineralization, complications of coastal settings, and cycling of radionuclides by marine organisms would also be welcome. We encourage submissions from the molecular to global scale, and look forward to promoting the continued use and development of these proxies in oceanography.

Organizers: Sabine Hilt, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germa, hilt@igb-berlin.de; Paola Lombardo, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy, physa@tiscali.it

Aquatic macrophytes may form a conspicuous portion of benthic habitats, often sustaining rich and diverse food webs, and interacting closely with other autotrophs such as phytoplankton and periphyton. Macrophytes impact the dynamics of nutrients, carbon, oxygen or pH, and modulate the structure and dynamics of pelagic and benthic food webs. Interactions among macrophytes and other primary producers are complex, and include competition for resources (light, nutrients) and chemically mediated interference (allelopathy). Macrophytes also provide refuge for zooplankton and a physical structure for macroinvertebrates and spawning fish, mediating their predatory–prey interactions, and affect particle sedimentation and resuspension rates. Many of these features play central roles in determining alternative stable states in shallow-water ecosystems, with important implications for their management. Despite an increasing knowledge on single interactions, their in situ relevance, the interplay of processes and the impact of external factors such as eutrophication, climate change, aquatic–terrestrial coupling or changes in food web structure are still far from well understood. This session invites papers that contribute to a further understanding of interactions between macrophytes, algae, and other organisms in all types of aquatic habitats.

Organizers: Télesphore Sime-Ngando, CNRS, Univ. Blaise Pascal, Telesphore.SIME-NGANDO@univ-bpclermont.fr; Nathalie Niquil, Univ. La Rochelle, nniquil@univ-lr.fr; Thomas Pommier, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier II, tpommier@univ-montp2.fr; Carlos Pedrós-Alió, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, cpedros@cmima.csic.es

Introduction of molecular methods from the mid-1980s has increasingly improved our knowledge of biodiversity. Major methodological, conceptual an empirical advances are known from aquatic microbial ecology, arguably the greatest advances in environmental sciences. More recent advances in sequencing technology are beginning to open our eyes to the huge dimensions of the microbial diversity hidden in natural waters. Because (i) aquatic systems are the largest in the Earth, (ii) microbial death is highly unlikely, (iii) sexuality is not a limiting factor, and (iv) the number of microbial “species” ranges from millions to hundreds of millions, a very large number of species may be represented by only one single cell among a million present in one mL of a pelagic water. Rare microbes may have special properties, including resistance to viruses and grazers, high turnover time but also a potential for rapid clonal replication in suitable conditions for growth. Due to their size and the lack of conspicuous ultrastructural features, some aquatic microbes, with unexpected putative functions, have been wrongfully affiliated in the past. This session invites contributions that address all aspects (methodological, conceptual etc… but with ecological implications) of missing, rare or wrongfully regarded microbial diversity in aquatic systems.

Organizers: Eric Boschker, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Yerseke, the Netherlands, e.boschker@nioo.knaw.nl; Steven Bouillon, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, steven.bouillon@vub.ac.be; Joanne Oakes, Southern Cross University, Lismore, AU, joanne.oakes@scu.edu.au; Dirk Erler, Southern Cross University, Lismore, AU, dirk.erler@scu.edu.au

Stable isotope signatures of nutrients and organic matter at the natural abundance level have shown to be powerful tracers to elucidate their sources and cycling in the environment, including the transfer of organic matter sources to higher trophic levels. The continuing analytical advances now enable stable isotope signatures to be measured on an increasing range of substrates and individual compounds. This session welcomes contributions on biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients from along the aquatic continuum (lakes, rivers, estuaries, ocean) in which the application of stable isotopes at the natural abundance level plays a prominent role.

Organizers: Cecile Guieu, Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche/Mer CNRS-UPMC, guieu@obs-vlfr.fr; Stéphane Blain, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Biologique, CNRS-UPMC, stephane.blain@obs-banyuls.fr; Alex Baker, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Alex.Baker@uea.ac.uk

The biogeochemistry of the marine oligotrophic environments, characterized by low nutrient and low chlorophyll conditions, is extremely sensitive to the magnitude and the nature of the chemical atmospheric flux. The case of iron has emphasized the complexity of the processes (dissolution, bioavailability) and of the response of the ecosystem (for example competition diazotroph-non diazotrophs). But the atmosphere is also a significant source for other important elements, N, P, trace metals, carbon (DOC, black carbon) which can impact different trophic levels of the ecosystem. The LNLC regions represent 60% of the global ocean; however their role in the carbon cycle and their response to changes in atmospheric forcing (climate change, anthropogenic pressure) is still poorly understood. This session encourages submissions, from process studies to modelling work, from the molecular level to the global scale, that address these issues.

Organizers: Lee Karp-Boss, University of Maine, USA, lee.karp-boss@maine.edu; Elisa Berdalet, Institute de Ciencies del Mar (SCIC), Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain, Elisa.Berdalet@icm.csic.es; Roman Stocker, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , USA, romans@MIT.EDU; Hidekatsu Yamazaki, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Japan, hidekatsu212@gmail.com

Since the seminal papers of Munk and Riley (1954) and Margalef (1978), there has been a growing body of theoretical and empirical work supporting the idea that microscale physical processes are critical in determining the nutrition, growth, physiology, behavior, encounter rates and spatiotemporal distribution of planktonic organisms. Multiple approaches have been used to study small-scale physical-biological interactions in aquatic environments, ranging from simplified cartoons of flow fields and microscale laboratory models to more complex numerical simulations and turbulence-generation devices. While this suite of methods has brought about important new insights, comparison between different approaches and extrapolation of results to the natural environment remain difficult. Furthermore, field data on physical and biological structures at relevant scales are scarce and new microscale sensors are only now beginning to be developed. This hinders a comprehensive and unified understanding of small-scale physical-biological interactions, in particular at the turbulence dissipation scale. This session aims to bring together aquatic physicists, biologists, engineers and applied mathematicians to discuss new results, insights, approaches and challenges in the study of the effects of small-scale fluid motion on the physiology and ecology of planktonic organisms, identify future research directions and establish new interdisciplinary collaborations between teams.

Organizers: Michael D. Krom, University of Leeds, M.D.Krom@see.leeds.ac.uk; Tsuneo Tanaka, Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, Tsuneo.Tanaka@univmed.fr; Ilana Berman-Frank, Bar-Ilan University, irfrank@mail.biu.ac.il; Sophie Bonnet, IRD/ Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, Sophie.BONNET@univmed.fr; Douglas G. Capone, University of Southern California, capone@usc.edu

The Mediterranean is an unusual sea in several important ways. It is almost landlocked with major (and increasing) inputs of pollutants including nutrients particularly from Europe in the north and yet it remains one of the most extreme oligotrophic bodies of water anywhere in the world. It is the only major body of water which in recent times has had a known change in physical circulation, the eastern Mediterranean transient, caused by climatic or anthropogenic change. It has unusual high N:P ratio whose cause is still unknown though high N2-fixation or high N:P ratio in inputs and low denitrification rates have been suggested. In this session we propose to bring together new results from a series of international and national programmes including EUROCEAN to further our understanding of the biogeochemical processes including aspects of microbial loop, nitrogen fixation and nutrient supply and recycling occurring in this important ecosystem.

Organizers: David Amouroux, CNRS UMR 5254, Institut pluridisciplinaire de Recherche sur l'Environnement, david.amouroux@univ-pau.fr; Thomas M. Church, College of Marine and Earth Studies, University of Delaware, tchurch@udel.edu

The aquatic interfaces host biogeochemical processes central to aquatic life, beyond just the exchange of key carbon and nutrient species. Abundant studies evidence the role of the lighter elements (C, N, P etc) central to basic life processes in the aquatic environment, including photosynthesis, respiration, and the production of radiatively important (“green house”) gases. However, other trace element and nutrient species are just as vital in the catalytic role of enzymes central to the fixation and transfer of these lighter elements. Included is the input of labile trace element nutrients across interfaces at aquatic ecosystems, resulting in meta-stable species or compounds, and subsequent reactions essential for the demands of key biotic reactions. The processes occur over a wide range of time (seconds to months) and space (micron to kilometer) scales associated with trace element input, micro-niches (e.g, colloids), diurnal (e.g. light/dark) photochemistry, and seasonal biotic turnover. Such reactions in turn can lead to biogenic sources of trace element species labile or volatile for exchange across interfaces, ranging across particles, membranes or the atmosphere and sediment interface. In fact, many key processes occur right at or within the “skin” of the atmospheric or sediment surface micro-layers. While certain elements such as Fe have received separate attention, other trace nutrients (e.g. P, Zn, Co, Mo etc), calcogen (e.g. S, Se), metalloid (e.g. As, Sb) or “heavy” (e.g. Cd, Hg, Pb, Sn) elements have sources and species also important to the health or detriment of aquatic life. This session is proposed to highlight both laboratory and field investigations, the use of modern instrumental and technical tools, as well as multi-disciplinary approaches. Examples include combined biochemical/geochemical studies, analytical resolution of redox and organic speciation, and use of radio/stable isotopic tracers. In conclusion, this session will provide an international forum for identifying and quantifying trace element inputs, transformation, and exchange processes at fundamental aquatic interfaces.

Organizers: Gerhard J. Herndl, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, herndl@nioz.nl; Javier Arístegui, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ca, jaristegui@dbio.ulpgc.es; Dennis A. Hansell, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, dhansell@rsmas.miami.edu

The dark ocean is, in terms of volume, the largest yet least known oceanic subsystem. Traditionally, this vast volume of the ocean has been considered almost barren of life and of low overall biogeochemical activity. Over the past 10 years, however, physical oceanographers and geochemists have increasingly reported variations and changes in the formation and hydrodynamics of the deep-water masses linked to signs of global change. An increase in temperature in the deep-water masses has been noticed for the Atlantic as well as the Pacific and the invasion of anthropogenic carbon dioxide occurs deep into the Atlantic. Recent methodological advances ranging from cabled networks and autonomous sensor systems to genomics have resulted in more detailed information on the biogeochemistry and biology of the ocean’s interior. Novel metabolic pathways of prokaryotes have been discovered, and the geochemical estimates of element cycles in the deep-ocean have been compared to actual rate measurements on deep-sea communities and to the genomic inventory of microbes. Taken together, the emerging view is that the deep ocean is more dynamic and harbors a more complex biogeochemistry and biota than assumed hitherto. This session invites contributions from all field of deep-water oceanography ranging from large-scale water mass transport to (bio)geochemistry and biology.

Organizers: Ruben Sommaruga, University of Innsbruck, Institute of Ecology, ruben.sommaruga@uibk.ac.at; Jasmine Saros, University of Maine, Climate Change Institute, jasmine.saros@maine.edu

Alpine streams and lakes located above treeline are generally considered remote and pristine ecosystems, but in many places around the world, they have been threatened by climate change and human activities. Acidification, nutrient enrichment (particularly in nitrogen), accumulation of volatile organic contaminants, damming, and introduction of alien species are just some of the processes transforming our best freshwater reference sites. These multiple alterations have occurred in a very short time span of their ontogeny, highlighting the fragile character of these ecosystems, which is partially a consequence of the harsh environmental conditions governing them, such as low temperature, oligotrophy, high UV radiation, and isolation. On the other hand, their rapid response makes them very valuable as indicators of global changes. In this session, we welcome contributions that include alpine waters across the world to assess global change effects, as well as comparative studies that use these end members for numerous gradients to help us examine broader ecological concepts. Studies that include polar waters that share many similar characteristics and ecological problems are also welcome. Objectives of this session are to examine the magnitude of their ecological alteration at a global scale, to consider unrecognized threats, and to learn novel aspects of their ecology.

Organizers: Thomas Mock, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, UK, t.mock@uea.ac.uk; Frank Oliver Gloeckner, MPI for Marine Microbiology, Germany, fog@mpi-bremen.de; Julie LaRoche, Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR), Germany, jlaroche@ifm-geomar.de

Biogeochemical cycling of elements in the ocean is based on a collective metabolisms of a diverse community of organisms. Organisms differ in their physiology that is largely based on a dynamic genetic repertoire. The expressed phenotypes are influenced by environmental forcing, ultimately controlling fluxes of energy and matter. Our session will discuss the potential of molecular tools to find the genetic underpinnings of biogeochemical processes from freshwater to oceanic systems. These molecular tools may include phylogenetic approaches to asses species diversity, genome sequencing and gene expression analysis to identify the genetic blueprint of organisms and their molecular response to changing environmental conditions as well as metagenomic and –transcriptomic studies to characterize whole communities on a molecular level. The synergism between molecular approaches from single gene to metagenomic studies and process-oriented field data probably will lead to new ecological theories and novel species concepts. We need to develop comprehensive ecological models based on long-term observations that integrate a broad range of scales from genes to ecosystems to predict changes in communities due to anthropogenic impact that already alters ocean chemistry and physics.

Organizers: Eva S. Lindström, Limnology, Uppsala University, Sweden, Eva.Lindstrom@ebc.uu.se; Silke Langenheder, Limnology, Uppsala University, Sweden, Silke.Langenheder@ebc.uu.se

It is currently much debated if microorganisms exhibit biogeographical patterns similar to those of macroorganisms. Recent data has shown that local contemporary habitat conditions as well as cell dispersal can shape the spatial distribution of taxa. However, it is not well known under which circumstances different mechanisms dominate. The topic comprises studies of microorganisms from all three domains of life. Contributions presenting results from comparative studies dealing with contrasting seasons and habitat types as well as organisms on different trophic levels in aquatic food webs are especially welcomed.

Organizers: Anja Engel, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, German, anja.engel@awi.de; Cindy Lee, School of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Bro, cindylee@notes.cc.sunysb.edu; Madeleine Goutx, Centre d’Océanologie de Marseille, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Marine, Mar, madeleine.goutx@univmed.fr; Robert Armstrong, School of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Bro, rarmstrong@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

Quantifying carbon fluxes from the surface to the ocean’s interior and sediments, and understanding the underlying mechanisms that drive these fluxes, are both essential for evaluating the ocean’s role in the sequestration of atmospheric CO2, and for predicting global change. Over the last few decades, information on rates and efficiencies of organic matter export in the ocean has increased greatly. New insights into mechanisms determining export processes, stoichiometric rain ratios of particles, particle settling rates, fragmentation and decomposition of sinking particles, and microbiology of particles have been obtained. Several hypotheses have been proposed that emphasize a tight coupling between biological processes and export efficiency, e.g. ballasting and protection of organic matter by biogenic minerals, gel particle formation and enhancement of aggregation dynamics, and possible key roles of phyto- and zooplankton functional groups. There is increasing awareness that global environmental changes such as ocean acidification, rising sea surface temperature, increased stratification, and altered dust input may affect particle composition and dynamics, with potentially important consequences for export processes and rates. This session invites submission of results of experimental, field, and modelling studies that aim to improve the understanding and prediction of organic matter export processes in the present and future ocean.

Organizers: Gill Malin, University of East Anglia, U.K., g.malin@uea.ac.uk; Ron Kiene, University of South Alabama, U.S.A., rkiene@disl.org; Maurice Levasseur, Université Laval, Canada., maurice.levasseur@bio.ulaval.ca

We propose a session of oral presentations and a poster session. Emissions of dimethyl sulphide [DMS; (CH3)2S] play an important role in the global biogeochemical sulphur cycle, as well as influencing the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere and the climate system. Over the last 20 years a lot of research effort has focussed on DMS production in marine aquatic environments. The major DMS precursor, dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP), is synthesised by some types of marine phytoplankton and seaweed, and represents a major pool of organic sulphur and carbon in the ocean. Some DMSP-producers release DMS directly, but in many cases complex food web interactions with grazers, viruses and bacteria are involved. Once produced, DMS is subject to several important removal processes, including sea-air exchange, biological oxidation, and photolysis, the latter two producing dimethylsulphoxide. Ultimately only a minor fraction of the DMSP-sulphur reaches the air as DMS which makes the biogeochemical controls on DMS production and consumption of great interest. The level of climate-cooling related to DMS, via the production of aerosols and promotion of cloud formation, and the potential for feedbacks in this biogeochemical system are hotly debated topics. We invite papers for a broad-based session on DMS- and DMSP-related research.

Organizers: Corina P.D. Brussaard, NIOZ - Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands, corina.brussaard@nioz.nl; Rachel Noble, UNC Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences, rtnoble@email.unc.edu; Thierry Bouvier, Université Montpellier 2, France, tbouvier@univ-montp2.fr; Roberto Danovaro, Polytechnic University of Marche Department of Marine Sciences, danovaro@univpm.it

Viruses are the smallest and most numerous of all biotic agents. They represent the planet’s largest pool of genetically diverse organisms and they also impact host population dynamics, ecosystem structure, and biogeochemical cycling. New methods and application of novel genomic approaches, in tandem with improved access to a wide array of aquatic environments have contributed to enormous recent advances in the field of aquatic viral ecology. The results clearly indicate that it is important to integrate studies on multiple scales and including attention to biogeochemistry, (meta)genomics and modeling in order to elucidate the emerging role of viruses on global-scale processes. This session will explore our current understanding of the many different roles of viruses as if it were a cruise through aquatic viral ecology. It will provide a forum for discussion of new and exciting results of studies conducted across multiple scales. We invite contributions on all aspects of viral ecology, from laboratory and field-based studies, from fresh- to seawater, from sediment and benthic environments, and from pole to pole. Of particular interest are comparative, extrapolatory studies to gain large scale perspectives.

Organizers: Xabier Irigoien, AZTI - Tecnalia, xirigoien@pas.azti.es; Roger P. Harris, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, rph@pml.ac.uk

Major international programs (IGBP, JGOFS, GLOBEC; ICES, etc.) have generated a large of information on the biogeochemical foundations, functioning and structure of marine food webs. Parallel technological developments, ranging from satellite imagery to autonomous underwater vehicles, have increased by orders of magnitude the resolution and amount of data available on relevant properties of the ocean ecosystem. The resulting data represent a key resource to explore patterns of both the structure and functioning of ocean ecosystems. This vast resource remains largely unexploited, as these data have generally been used within a local and regional context. Few attempts have yet been made to synthesise and integrate these results to deliver a coherent, global perspective of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. Meta-analytical and comparative approaches have been used to tackle such issues in many other fields (e. g., economics, medicine, terrestrial and freshwater ecology) but only to a limited extent in marine ecology. The objective of this session is to bring together studies applying metanalysis and comparative approaches to marine ecosystems in order to encourage the use of synthetic approaches. All applications of metanalysis and comparative approaches to marine ecology, from bacteria to fisheries, particularly those revealing general laws, are encouraged.

Organizers: Clare Bradshaw, Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, Sweden, clare@ecology.su.se; Helmut Hillebrand, Botanical Institute, University of Cologne, Germany, helmut.hillebrand@uni-koeln.de

Both freshwater and marine ecosystems experience dramatic shifts in the availability and relative composition of mineral nutrients and trace elements due to human alterations of global biogeochemical cycles. The consequences of these changes can only be understood in a framework comprising different levels of ecological organisation. A very successful approach is ecological stoichiometry (ES), the study of the balance of multiple chemical elements in ecosystem components, interactions and processes. ES has already been used to investigate the constraints and consequences of mass balances of elements on production, host-pathogen interactions, symbiosis, nutrient cycling and food web dynamics. In this session we will primarily address stoichiometric constraints in community (species interactions, food web dynamics) and ecosystem (nutrient cycling, trophic transfer) ecology. We especially welcome presentations exploring ES in novel ways, for example by: - investigating previously unexplored ecological theories, or addressing accepted theories in a stoichiometric perspective - examining previously understudied organisms or ecosystems - studying multiple levels of biological/ecological organisation, or - investigating dispersal and uptake of trace or non-essential elements in the environment. We will keep an empty slot at the end of the session devoted to discussions on open questions and collaborative approaches to ES.

Organizers: Christophe Migon, Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche, Observatoire Oceanologique de , migon@obs-vlfr.fr; Fabrizio D'Ortenzio, Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche, Observatoire Oceanologique de , dortenzio@obs-vlfr.fr; Scott W. Fowler, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Marine Sciences Research Center,, scott.fowler@msrc.sunysb.edu

There is a consensus that the Mediterranean Sea can serve as a model for the global ocean, and its study will enable us to better understand and predict many processes in marine biogeochemistry. However, while climatic and environmental constraints are dramatically and rapidly evolving on the global scale, most available synthesis studies of the Mediterranean are based on sparse and sometimes relatively old data. Hence there is an urgent need to upgrade, on a basin scale, budgets, fluxes and understanding of critical processes in the entire Mediterranean taking into account new information and recent advances in data syntheses and modelling. This session is devoted to evaluating and synthesizing new data for biogeochemical cycles involving element cycling, nutrient fluxes and budgets, productivity, carbon export and ecosystem functioning in the Mediterranean. Reviews on the current state of knowledge on specific issues that contribute to an improved understanding of Mediterranean ecosystem functioning are welcome. This session also offers an opportunity to present on-going and future programmes and actions focusing on the above topics.

Organizers: Sven Becker, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, NIOO-Centre for Limnology, Rijksstraatweg, s.becker@nioo.knaw.nl; Ellen van Donk, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, NIOO-Centre for Limnology, Rijksstraatweg, e.vandonk@nioo.knaw.nl

Among the induced defence mechanisms due to grazing by zooplankton and fish, colony and spine formation as well as toxin production have been observed in phytoplankton and cyanobacteria. The mechanisms behind these phenomena that are important in aquatic food webs have not been elucidated to great extent so far, and some studies present contrasting theories and results. In this session we welcome contributions that shed light on the various aspects of induced defence in autotrophic organisms, for example, but not limited to, the role of single and communal grazers, molecular background at the gene, protein or signal transduction level, secondary metabolites, and morphology changes in the prey.

Organizers: Cornelia Maier, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer, maier@obs-vlfr.fr; Bernhard Riegl, Nova Southeastern University, rieglb@nova.edu; Justin B. Ries, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, jries@whoi.edu; Christian Wild, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, c.wild@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

Anthropogenic changes in the chemistry and temperature of seawater constitute a major threat to the survival of tropical, temperate and cold-water coral reefs and coral communities. CO2-induced ocean acidification and warming along with terrestrial runoff and pollution negatively affect health, growth and calcification of corals. However, the extent to which these indirect and direct anthropogenic stresses will interact and impact corals and coral-based ecosystems is not well understood. The differential responses of distinct coral ecotypes and other carbonate accreting or eroding reef organisms need better study. Also, little is known how function and diversity of coral-associated fauna, flora and microbes will be affected by environmental change. Scleractinian corals follow common principles and mechanisms with regards to ecological functioning and framework building. Nevertheless, individual species have adapted to a wide range of latitudes and depths via distinct morphologies, calcification rates, physiologies, and symbioses. Such differences may bring about and explain variable responses to environmental change. We therefore wish to approach the topic on a broad basis, across both the ecosystem and the individual, to better understand what controls changes and phase shifts in coral communities. We encourage contributions from multiple disciplines, particularly those incorporating ecological, physiological, microbiological, geochemical, sedimentological, palaeontological, and palaeo-proxy perspectives.

Organizers: Richard Rivkin, Memorial University of Newfoundland, rrivkin@mun.ca; Louis Legendre, Laboratoire d'Oceanographie de Villefranche, legendre@obs-vlfr.fr

Ecosystem processes, which are largely controlled by the structure and composition of planktonic communities, are important determinants of ocean biogeochemistry, and can be profoundly affected by changes in climate. The present view of the pelagic community has evolved from the linear diatom to copepod to fish paradigm to the current complex, yet incomplete view of highly diverse interacting heterotrophic and autotrophic assemblages with multiple and overlapping nutritional modes and biogeochemical roles. Biogeochemical processes are thought to be strongly linked to functional characteristics of planktonic organisms (i.e. plankton functional types; PTF). Recently, PTF-based models have been used to improve the understanding of interactions between marine ecosystems and climate, and to reduce the uncertainties of model predictions. This special session will examine the relationships among community structure and composition, ecosystem function and biogeochemical cycling of climate active compounds. We invite papers on all food-web components (from bacteria to whale), including laboratory, field or modeling studies that consider the influence and interactions of community structure on ecosystem and biogeochemical processes. Combining recent progress in these different research areas will advance our understanding of feedbacks among plankton communities, ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles.

Organizers: Ramesh P. Singh, George Mason University, rsingh3@gmu.edu; Danling Tang (Lingzis), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences;  lingzistdl@126.com; Menas Kafatos, George Mason University

Natural and Manmade Natural Hazards Associated with Ocean Natural hazards: tsunamis, marine earthquakes, El Nino, hurricanes, floods, landslides, dust storms and coastal erosion and harmful algal blooms occur as a result of strong coupling between land-ocean-atmosphere. These natural hazards affect coastal areas and also marine ecosystem that affect millions of people living specially along the coast. The coastal areas are also affected by the growing population and increasing industrialization. Oral and Poster presentations are invited on the scientific aspects of all kinds of Natural Hazards associated with coastal and ocean regions and dealing with the land-ocean-atmospheric coupling.

Organizers: Caroline P. Slomp, Utrecht University, slomp@geo.uu.nl; Christian Stamm, EAWAG, christian.stamm@eawag.ch

Anthropogenic activities are seriously affecting the quality of groundwater and the connected surface waters worldwide. Increased demand for water is leading to enhanced groundwater extraction, falling groundwater tables and, in coastal areas, saltwater intrusion. Agricultural use of fertilizer and pesticides, infiltration of wastewater and urbanization pose further threats to the quality of groundwater and surface water systems. Climate change is expected to play a major role in further hydrological and biogeochemical alterations through, for example, changes in precipitation patterns, sea level rise and necessary adaptions in water resource management. This session invites presentations that focus on human and/or climate impacts on physical, chemical and biological processes that affect the quality of groundwater and/or the linkage with surface waters of lakes, rivers and the marine coastal zone. Topics of interest include - but are not limited to - the dynamics of nutrients, trace metals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals in fresh water systems and/or their (submarine) discharge in coastal areas. Both experimental and modeling approaches are welcome ranging from laboratory studies, field studies at the aquifer or watershed scale to global scale groundwater modeling.

Organizers: Nadine Le Bris, IFREMER, nlebris@ifremer.fr; Michail Yakimov, Insitute for Coastal Marine Environment IAMC-CNR, michail.yakimov@iamc.cnr.it; Stefan Sievert, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, ssievert@whoi.edu

Extreme environments in the deep-sea, such as hydrothermal vents, hydrocarbon seeps, brine lakes or massive organic falls are characterised by steep chemical gradients at the interface between reducing fluids and seawater. Lower pH, high concentration of toxic gases (e.g., H2S, CO2) and dissolved metals constraint the ability of organisms to live at these interfaces. These environments however harbour some of the most productive marine communities. Chemolithoautotrophy and symbioses have been identified as key processes sustaining high biomass production in some particular contexts, but much remains to be known about the mechanisms of energy transfer from molecules to organisms in a wide range of oceanic settings and their role in ocean biogeochemistry. The aim of this session is to bring together microbiology, biochemistry, geochemistry and symbiosis biology to provide a more comprehensive view of the diverse mechanisms sustaining high biological activity at redox chemical interfaces in the deep ocean. Availability of chemical substrates, diversity of pathways related to carbon fixation and energy generation, metabolic preferences of prokaryotes, adaptability of symbioses and their interactions with biogeochemical processes, as well as the potential large-scale impacts of these processes will be considered. Submissions describing interdisciplinary work and/or new analytical capabilities will be particularly welcome.

Organizers: John Beardall, Monash University, Australia, john.beardall@sci.monash.edu.au; Ilana Berman-Frank, Bar Ilan University, Israel, irfrank@mail.biu.ac.il

Accurate determination of the levels of Gross Primary Production, Respiration and other loss processes in aquatic environments are fundamental for understanding the functioning of these ecosystems. The need for progress in this field has become increasingly evident with the realization of the complex impact of global warming on these ecosystems. The Group for Aquatic Primary Productivity (GAP) recently ran an experimental workshop to address these questions. Around 90 delegates ran 10 days of experiments on systems ranging from open ocean phytoplankton, through macroalgae and seagrasses to salterns. Issues raised included the comparison of techniques currently available as well as measurements of net and gross photosynthesis and respiration in these systems. It is intended that this symposium would provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of these results.

Organizers: François H. Lallier, Station Biologique de Roscoff UPMC-CNRS, lallier@sb-roscoff.fr; Charles R. Fisher, Penn State University, cfisher@psu.edu

In some deepsea spots where sufficient and appropriate chemicals are available, chemotrophy may develop into a primary production comparable to phototrophy and sustain complex ecosystems. Hot vents, cold seeps, whale falls or mud volcanoes share a number of characteristics that support similar microbial and faunal assemblages. Exploration of the functional biodiversity of prokaryotic micro-organisms is rapidly developing and allows for an improved understanding of the symbiotic associations and biogeochemical interactions which dominate in these extreme environments.

Organizers: Stefan Bertilsson, Limnology/Dept. of Ecology & Evolution, Uppsala University, stebe@ebc.uu.se; Katherine D. McMahon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-, tmcmahon@cae.wisc.edu

Multiple recent studies in both freshwater and marine habitats have shown that the composition of pelagic microbial communities is dynamic over seasonal scales and that microbial communities as well as individual populations may change in response to hydrodynamic-, as well as other type of disturbance events. Also microbial driven processes seem to vary dramatically over days as well as seasons. This session will bring together aquatic scientists with an interest in these dynamic changes. We invite contributions related to the ecological and evolutionary consequences of this dynamic behavior as well as its role in controlling biogeochemical cycling of biologically active elements. We also welcome presentations focused on identifying and understanding the principal external drivers of dynamic change in aquatic microbial communities and technological advances in the field of microbial sensors for in situ deployment.

Organizers: Thomas Weisse, Institute of Limnology of the Austrian Acad. Sci., Mondsee, Austria, thomas.weisse@oeaw.ac.at; Guntram Weithoff, Dept. Ecology & Ecosystem Modeling, Univ. of Potsdam, Germany, weithoff@rz.uni-potsdam.de

Anoxic marine and freshwater environments, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, hot sulfidic freshwater springs, acid mining lakes and acid rivers are examples of extreme aquatic habitats with strongly reduced biodiversity. These environments harbor highly specialized microbial biota. The organisms thriving in extreme habitats may be relicts of an ancient community, highly specialized new colonizers, or they may take refuge from otherwise superior competitors that are less tolerant to the harsh environmental conditions. The goal of this session is to explore the specific survival strategies of the adapted organisms, relative to the role of the habitat that may act as a filter, allowing only those organisms with certain predispositions to pass and prosper. While several molecular inventories of the prokaryote and eukaryote organisms dwelling in extreme environments were published recently, little is known on their fitness-related survival strategies. Accordingly, we invite especially theoretically committed, process-oriented studies for this session.

Organizers: Anya Waite, University of Western Australia, Anya.Waite@uwa.edu.au; Amazia Genin, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, amatzia@vms.huji.ac.il; Ryan Lowe, University of Western Australia, lowe@sese.uwa.edu.au; Greg Ivey, University of Western Australia, Greg.Ivey@uwa.edu.au

This session will focus broadly on the cross-boundary processes in shallow coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, kelp forests and sea-grass beds. Physical and biogeochemical processes change markedly as oceanic waters flow over these topographically controlled benthic ecosystems, frequently affecting key characteristics of both the benthic community and the surrounding ocean. These processes pose special challenges for investigators, who must contend with highly localized physics driving rapid fluxes, and strong benthic-pelagic coupling. In this session we will discuss some of the latest developments in reef-ocean dynamics where we consider such systems as a unified, coupled environment. Invited are studies of the above processes, especially (however not limited to) those addressing the effects of boundary currents, topography, waves, planktivory, nutrient uptake and release, and larval transport.

Organizers: Lisette N. de Senerpont Domis, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, l.desenerpontdomis@nioo.knaw.nl; Wolf M. Mooij, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, w.mooij@nioo.knaw.nl

The unprecedented rapid climate change is likely to act as a strong selective force. Keeping up with the novel environments created by rising CO2 levels, changes in precipitation and increasing temperatures may require substantial adaptation in traits determining fitness. Exposure to climate change represents a stimulus that can induce changes in gene expression. These changes can be monitored using genomic approaches, providing vast numbers of potential biomarkers. Functional genomics can be an important tool in understanding the impact of climate change on aquatic systems as it allows us to see which genes are involved in which response mechanisms. In this session we welcome presentations which use ecogenomic tools for (1) identification of traits important for adaptation to projected climate change; (2) a better understanding of mechanisms of response – enhancing the ability to identify the specific molecular targets of different aspects of climate change; (3) understanding the sustainability of populations by identification of climate-sensitive species and quantification of gene flow; (4) extrapolation of laboratory data by scaling up from genes to ecosystems. We aim at bringing together aquatic ecologists, evolutionary biologists and experts in functional genomics.

Organizers: Alban Ramette, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, aramette@mpi-bremen.de; Linda Amaral-Zettler, Marine Biological Laboratory, amaral@mbl.edu

A central question in aquatic ecology is how much the variation in community composition can be explained by environmental factors vs. spatial or temporal variability across ecosystems or across various taxonomic levels. We would like to bring together scientists who try to explain or predict diversity patterns from contextual parameters on various scales, especially with regard to aquatic microbes, but results from research on other taxa are also welcome. This session will offer a platform for presenting and discussing current methods and strategies that best improve our understanding of natural ecosystems, from exploration and explanation of diversity patterns, to predictive ecological modeling. A specific emphasis will be given to ecological modeling of multispecies distribution in their environmental context and will offer examples of ecological insights obtained from complex datasets. The session is hosted by the International Census of Marine Microbes, a Census of Marine Life project.

Organizers: Luca A. van Duren, DELTARES, Delft, the Netherlands, luca.vanduren@deltares.nl; Iris E. Hendriks, IMEDEA, Esporles, Spain, iris.hendriks@uib.es

The past decade has seen significant conceptual and technological advances in the field of biological-hydrodynamical research. Ecologists have acquainted themselves with fluid dynamics theory. Equipment to measure flow velocities and turbulence have become standard in aquatic ecology. Conversely, physicists have come to recognise the interaction between biota and ambient current as a challenging field, with not just local effects, but with ecosystem-wide relevance. Experiments in this field are generally limited to laboratory set-ups, such as flumes and wave tanks. These experiments yield information on processes acting on a spatial scale of centimetres to metres and temporal scales of seconds to days. Even the largest experimental facilities cannot encompass processes acting on ecosystem scale and experiments of more than a couple of weeks are generally not feasible. Linking processes acting on spatial and temporal scales that differ in orders of magnitude is currently a major challenge. E.g. to what extent can the filtration activity of individual mussels affect local flow patterns and ecosystem-scale circulation patterns? To what extent does the interaction between aquatic plant canopies and flow determine the intertidal landscape? This session invites papers investigating the links between processes acting at different scales, either experimentally, observationally or through modelling.

Organizers: Eric Thiebaut, Station Biologique de Roscoff, thiebaut@sb-roscoff.fr; Jean-Marc Guarini, Observatoire océanologique de Banyuls sur mer, jean-marc.guarini@obs-banyuls.fr

Populations are generally studied in ecosystems where they develop their own dynamics when interacting with other populations. Oceanographers have adopted this approach to link aquatic ecology with biogeochemistry and physics. Migrations and dispersals of individuals are taken into account by enlarging the spatio-temporal scale of the study. However, the many difficulties encountered for defining an appropriate geographic domain and that also encompasses several scales of variations for studying the dynamics led to using approaches built on metacommunities, metaecosystems and seascapes instead. This is a relatively new conceptual framework for quantitative investigations of interconnected local populations at several scales of variations. It represents a new challenge for marine ecologists who want to encompass the complexity necessary to understand either the effects of local and regional disturbances on marine ecosystems, or the effect of different conservation programs (e.g. definition of Marine Protected Areas) within a set of habitats. This session will bring together several different fields, including population genetics, field experiments and biophysical and theoretical modeling, in order to address questions about how connectivity can vary in metapopulations and metacommunities, how connectivity controls patterns of biodiversity and affects adaptation abilities of marine organisms in a changing environment, and how metacommunities may evolve.

Organizers: Gregor Fussmann, McGill University, gregor.fussmann@mcgill.ca; Edward McCauley, University of Calgary, mccauley@ucalgary.ca; William Nelson, Queen's University, nelsonw@queensu.ca

An important issue in ecology is to understand the dynamics of complex trophic systems as a result of the direct interactions between pairs of species. Predator-prey interactions (or, more generally, the interactions between consumers and their resources) are the defining modules in aquatic food webs but it is a longstanding, contentious question whether analyses of small subsets of species can provide insights that are relevant to larger communities and ecosystems. In this session we bring together studies that investigate the mechanisms and dynamics of predator-prey relationships with the explicit goal of gaining insight into the functioning of larger aquatic communities. It is becoming increasingly clear that the interaction between predator and prey is a complex behavioral, community-based process that is most often inadequately described by a simplistic predator-eats-prey-item approach. Possible complications include the specific nature of the prey uptake by the predator (form of functional response, predator-dependence, prey switching), the internal structure of the interacting populations (age, stage, or genetic), the existence of additional non-trophic interactions (inducible defenses, swarming, vertical migration) and the spatial structure of the environment. To our session we welcome theoretical and empirical contributions from both marine and freshwater systems that adopt a differentiated, mechanistic approach to modular predator-prey interactions and demonstrate how the specific nature of the predator-prey relationship impacts community dynamics.

Organizers: Tron Frede Thingstad, University of Bergen, frede.thingstad@bio.uib.no; Mike St. John, University of Hamburg, Michael.st.john@uni-hamburg.de

Pelagic food webs are dynamic systems with their structure and function determined both by internal mechanisms such as the biological properties of the organisms, as well as by external forcing by abiotic processes such as nutrients, light, and mixing. The biology covers size scales from viruses to whales and time scales ranging from those of photon capture in photosynthesis to those of evolution. The result is complex adaptive systems, the properties of which are central, not only to our basic understanding of pelagic ecosystems, but also to the ocean's interaction with the climate system and their applied aspects such as fisheries and pollution. Talks are invited that focus on system aspects, such as e.g. how different tropic levels are connected, how organism life strategies interact with system properties, or how biogeochemistry interacts with food web features. Modeling aspects, such as e.g how one can describe systems covering large ranges in time and space scales, are also welcomed.

Organizers: Craig A. Carlson, University of California Santa Barbara, carlson@lifesci.ucsb.edu; Stephen J. Giovannoni, Oregon State University, steve.giovannoni@oregonstate.edu

Dramatic new evidence of spatial and temporal patterns in microbial plankton distributions has emerged from genetic studies. Increasingly this data has revealed regular temporal patterns in microbial community structure, vertical patterns of stratification in populations, and evidence for biogeographical variation. The observation that the major microbial plankton clades have diverged into ecotypes is powerful evidence that selection is creating functionally and genetically unique entities that exploit environmental variation with specific adaptations. Metagenomic evidence is providing a rich source of insight into the patterns of natural microbial community variation in the oceans. In this session we propose to gather scientists interested in genetic and biogeochemical aspects microbial plankton community variation, with an emphasis on defining principles and patterns that characterize microbial community variation over broad scales of time and space.

Organizers: Carlos M. Duarte, IMEDEA, CSIC_UIB, carlosduarte@ifisc.uib.es; Daniel J. Conley, University of Lund, daniel.conley@geol.lu.se

The observation that managed ecosystems often fail to respond smoothly to changing pressures lead to the drawing of parallels between the behaviour of ecological systems and other complex systems with non-linear dynamics. Evidence that aquatic ecosystems, both marine and freshwater, often experience abrupt changes in response to pressures ranges now across an entire plethora of issues, including responses of fish populations, corals, plankton communities, ice cover and other ecosystem components and processes to climate change and direct anthropogenic pressures, the responses of calcifying organisms to acidification, and the loss of benthic vegetation and the development of hypoxia in responses to increased nutrient inputs, Indeed, The capacity to anticipate regime shifts, predict the thresholds and tipping points of the pressures conducive to these changes, and understanding the traits that render ecosystem components and processes prone to non-linear behaviour represent a fundamental direction of research within aquatic sciences, with important fundamental and applied implications. This Special Session welcomes contributions from participants willing to report their research pertaining to the theoretical framework underlying the occurence of non-linear behaviour in aquatic ecosystems and the presence of thresholds or tipping points and the associated regime shifts, new approaches to detect and examine this behaviour, case studies examining these phenomena in particular aquatic ecosystems, and the consequences of thresholds and regime shifts for the management of aquatic ecosystems and the formulation of policies to conserve and use them sustainably.

Organizers: Marianne Holmer, University of Southern Denmark, holmer@biology.sdu.dk; Nuria Marbà, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats, nuria.marba@uib.es

Seagrass ecosystems are distributed around the world, where they provide important ecological functions as well as ecosystem services for the human society. However, seagrasses rank amongst the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Seagrass research is currently growing rapidly, stimulated by an increasing interest in conserving these important marine habitats before degradation. Whereas substantial research efforts have been made to elucidate the causes of seagrass habitat deterioration, losses of ecosystem functions, conditions for habitat and functions recovery, and mechanisms behind the changes often remain unclear or unexplored. This session seeks papers investigating the dynamics and functions of seagrass ecosystems from small (e.g. individual shoot level, microbial aspects) to large scale (e.g. landscape formations), including processes (e.g. physiological measures, population dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, recovery and decline) and pools (e.g. nutrient storage, organic matter, CO2 sequestration). The goal of this session is to expand the current knowledge on seagrass ecosystem dynamics and functions.

Organizers: Carol Robinson, University of East Anglia, carol.robinson@uea.ac.uk; Des Barton, Instituto Investigaciones Marinas (CSIC), e.d.barton@iim.csic.es; Doug Wallace, IFM-GEOMAR, dwallace@ifm-geomar.de

Coastal upwelling regions significantly influence oceanic biogeochemistry and atmospheric chemistry. The input of nutrient rich deep water creates some of the ocean’s most productive systems; representing < 1% of the surface area but 20% of the global fish catch. They are zones of high nitrous oxide and methane emissions where elevated primary production and a shift in plankton community structure also enhance dimethylsulphide and halocarbon production. Photodegradation of upwelled dissolved organic matter influences bacterial activity and the production of climate relevant gases. Upwelling filaments represent an important carbon flux to the open ocean still absent in global biogeochemical models. The intensity and timing of coastal upwelling is influenced by wind and current patterns yet the response of these systems to potential climatic shifts, and the impact this might have on biogeochemical fluxes, is unclear. In the last 5 years numerical modelling of upwelling systems, including their biogeochemical components, has progressed significantly and several major observational initiatives have been executed under the auspices of international programmes like SOLAS and IMBER. This session will bring together aspects of the dynamics, structure and functioning of coastal upwelling systems including ocean physics, air-sea exchange, biogeochemistry, photochemistry and microbial community structure and activity.

Organizers: Catherine Legrand, School of Pure and Applied Natural Sciences, University of Kalmar, Sweden, catherine.legrand@hik.se; Michael Steinke, Department of Biological Sciences, 
University of Essex
, UK, msteinke@essex.ac.uk

Aquatic chemical ecology among pelagic plankton communities is a recent, but dynamic and rapidly developing field. This session will explore the role of chemical communication in aquatic microbial systems including protists and bacteria. Chemical communication may aid the location of prey, predators, food and partners, and may be used in allelopathic interactions and quorum sensing. Submissions are encouraged on topics such as the chemical nature of bioactive substances (deterrents, allelochemicals), the effects of secondary metabolites on target organisms (competitors, grazers, pathogens) and how these effects may impact larger scale patterns such as food-web structure, community composition, rates and pathways of biogeochemical cycles. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of infochemistry research, this session will be of interest to investigators in aquatic biochemistry, molecular biology, ecology, biogeochemistry, limnology and oceanography.

Organizers: Marie Boye, LEMAR CNRS UMR6539, FR, marie.boye@univ-brest.fr; Sabrina Speich, LPO, FR, speich@univ-brest.fr; Frank Dehairs, VUB, Belgium, fdehairs@vub.ac.be; Damien Cardinal, African Museum Tervuren, Belgium, damien.cardinal@africamuseum.be; François Lacan, LEGOS, FR, Francois.Lacan@legos.obs-mip.fr

In the framework of the IPY (GEOTRACES, ICED & CASO), BONUS-GOODHOPE programme aims at understanding the interactions between the oceanic dynamics, the bio- and geo-chemistry, the sediment and the atmosphere in the Southern Ocean and south-eastern Atlantic Ocean. The multidisciplinary and international MD166 BONUS-GOODHOPE cruise was conducted on board of the French R.V. MARION-DUFRESNE II between 33.58°S 17.14 °E and 57.33°S 00.02°W, from 08/02/07 to 08/03/24. A huge field work was achieved to collect samples and data in seawater (Niskin-CTD; GO-FLO, in situ pumps, underway pumping, XBTs, PROVOR, CPIES, incubations), in the atmosphere (balloons, dust and rain collection, sensors), and in the sediment (surficial multicorer). The unique complementary approach, based on the coupling of multitracers of selected trace elements and isotopes, with the biogeochemistry, the physical oceanography and the atmospheric dynamics, has the potential to provide unique insights into a wide range of oceanic processes and the status of the functioning of the Southern Ocean. Furthermore the synopticity with the German R.V. POLARSTERN (IPY ANT-XXIV/3 cruise) along the Greenwich meridian will bring a complete section of several parameters from the sub-tropical region towards the Antarctic Peninsula. We would like to report here the preliminary results of the BONUS-GOODHOPE promising scientific success.

Organizers: Ian R. Jenkinson, Agence de Conseil et de Recherche Oceanographiques, 19320 La Roche Canillac, ian.jenkinson@wanadoo.fr; Alenka Malej, Institut za Biologijo Ljubliana, Marine Biology Laboratory, 6330 Piran, Slo, malej@nib.si; Laurent Seuront, CNRS FRE 2816 ELICO, Station marine de Wimereux, UNiversity of Sciences and, laurent.seuront@flinders.edu.au; Vera Zutic, Ruder Boskovic Institute, P.O.Box 180, 10002 Zagreb, Croatia, zutic@irb.hr

From puddles to oceans, the mechanical properties of water with its dissolved, colloidal and particulate components, directly determine the deformation and diffusion of water, up to the scales of the smallest turbulent eddies, with indirect effects up to global scales. Under genetic control, some organisms change the mechanical properties (notably viscosity and elasticity) of surface films and bulk water at nm- to m- scales, particularly by secreting exopolymers. Some genes thus have organisms engineer their ecological niches and other aspects of the hydrosphere. Other important processes, however, seem abiological. The session will concern, 1) Rheology and rheometry; 2) Biology (plankton, fish, etc.); 3) spontaneous polymer (dis)assembly, 4) extraorganism biophysics; 5) extraorganism biochemistry; 6) inter-polymer recognition and its role in sensing and adhesion-control; 7) biogeochemical processes; 8) interactions among them all. It will consider the bulk phase of water bodies, as well as their upper, lower, lateral and internal interfaces, including those bounding organisms. Liquid water as well as freezing and melting systems are concerned. Ambitiously pluridisciplinary, the session will concern techniques of mechanical measurement, visualization and chemical analysis of exopolymer structures, to understand their roles in modulating turbulence, encounter, diffusion and fluxes at molecular to global scales.

Organizers: George I. Matsumoto, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, mage@mbari.org; Leslie Peart, Consortium for Ocean Leadership - JOI Division, lpeart@oceanleadership.org; Liesl Hotaling, The Beacon Institute, lhotaling <lhotaling@thebeaconinstitute.org>

Free choice learning is education that is self-motivated, guided by the learner's desires and needs, and is the most common form of life-long learning. It happens while surfing the internet, in aquaria, science museums, listening to radio ortelevision, and in many other venues. It is also exceptionally effective at inspiring new scientists and in promoting the importance of science and its central role in society. This session will solicit contributions on free choice learning activities, such as Distinguished Lecturer Series, podcasts, and exhibits. Presentations that focus on the definition and context of free- choice learning experiences, methods for gauging activity effectiveness and impact, and on those programs that provide create interactions between scientists, educators, and the general public are of special interest.

Organizers: Lars Stemmann, University of Paris VI, stemmann@obs-vlfr.fr; François Carlotti, C.N.R.S. Université de la Méditerranée, UMR 6535, francois.carlotti@univmed.fr; Meng Zhou, University of Massachusetts Boston, meng.zhou@umb.edu

Size structures of aquatic organisms from phytoplankton, zooplankton to fish have widely been accepted in studying their physiology, behavior, population dynamics, trophic interactions. The strength of the biological pump depends also on the size distribution of plankton detritus. Advances in acoustic and optical sensors and imaging analysis tools have significantly increased our capability to measure sizes and abundances of organisms and particles in aquatic ecosystems; and mathematical models have also been developed for individual physiological and population change rates, and biomass flow between trophic levels. As we are expecting broader spatial and longer temporal coverage of size spectra from current and future surveys and monitoring programs, there are urgent needs for integrating field surveys, laboratory experiments and models and for developing analytical methods for analyzing distributions and process rates of aquatic organisms. This session specifically call for papers presenting original observations of size spectra from primary producers to top predators including their detritus and theoretical and empirical models. Papers on analytical methods for interpreting field data will particularly be encouraged.

Organizers: Filip Meysman, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), filip.meysman@vub.ac.be; Peter Berg, University of Virginia, pb8n@virginia.edu; Jack Middelburg, Netherlands institute of Ecology, j.middelburg@nioo.knaw.nl

The surface layer of marine sediments is recognized to be a biogeochemical hotspot, which plays a key role in the cycling of elements in the ocean and global biogeochemical cycles. The biogeochemistry of marine sediment ecosystems is complex, because it is controlled by an interplay of many different factors, ranging from physics (diffusion and pore flow), over chemistry (redox, acid-base, precipation/dissolution), to microbiology (aerobic respiration, denitrification, sulfate reduction, etc) and benthic biology (bioturbation, bio-irrigation, respiration). This session will explore all aspects of this `entangled web´ of biogeochemical processes, with particular emphasis on the quantification of rates, both internal process rates (e.g. O2 consumption, denitrification, bio-irrigation) as well as fluxes to the overlying water column. In recent years, there have been new developments on both the measurement and modeling sides. Submissions from both perspectives, based on laboratory, field, and computational studies are all encouraged.

Organizers: Susana Agusti, CSIC, sagusti@uib.es; Mikael K. Sejr, National Environmental Research Instiute University of Aarhus, Vejlsøvej 25, mse@dmu.dk

The 4th Internacional Polar Year (IPY, March 2007 – March 2009) is taking place at a time when climate warming is clearly affecting polar regions. Warming rates and the associated ice loss appears to be accelerating in the Arctic and some regions of Antarctica. Provided the critical role of ice cover in determining the functioning and traits of polar aquatic ecosystems, marine and freshwater, rapid ice loss is expected to severely impact these ecosystems at multiple levels. Ice loss will affect the radiative balance of polar waters, affecting their thermal and light, including UV, environments. Ice loss will intensify air-water interactions in polar ecosystems, and will also severey impact all species, from microbes to megafauna, depending on ice as habitat. Warming together with ice loss will affect the key biological and biogeochemical processes supporting aquatic polar ecosystems, and may induce ecological regime shifts in these ecosystems, derived from posible losses of polar biodiversity together with an increased vulnerability to invasions from exotic species. This session aims at providing a forum to present and discuss, both through oral presentations and postres, results on the Impacts of Climate Warming on Polar Ecosystems, allowing scientists concerned with benthic, pelagic, freshwater and marine ecosystems to interact and exchange information. This session is financially supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Organizers: Olivier Bernard, INRIA, olivier.bernard@inria.fr; Antoine Sciandra, CNRS and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6, sciandra@obs-vlfr.fr

In the past 3 years, due to the high increase of the petrol barrel price and the more noticeable effects of climate changes, there is a strong coming out of projects dedicated to exploiting aquatic biomass in order to recover energy. More than 60 projects have appeared worldwide with the goal of producing new biofuels with a reduced environmental impact and which could additionally use an industrial source of CO2. This session both considers macroalgae or phytoplankton with a high energetic potential. It presents recent identification and studies of fast growing species whose solar energy is stored in the biomass. Identifying species that can sustain a high photosynthetic yield on a long term and that grow for months in a culture medium without being outcompeted by other species or grazed by predators are among the challenges that are tackled. The problems of harvesting and energy recovery are also considered. The processes that are used to recover energy range from methane production, lipid extraction or thermochemical liquefaction are often species-specific and will be discussed. The session has the aim of presenting a panorama of the emerging research topics and actors in this promising area.

Organizers: Klaus Jürgens, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, klaus.juergens@io-warnemuende.de; Gordon T.Taylor, Stony Brook University, Marine Science Research Center, gordon.taylor@stonybrook.edu

Oxygen-deficient conditions within the water column can be found in many aquatic systems, for example the oxygen minimum zone near marine upwelling areas, marine basins and fjords with restricted water circulation (e.g., Cariaco Basin, Black Sea, Baltic Sea) and in stratified eutrophic lakes. Redox gradients found in these waters are sites of important microbially-mediated element transformations (e.g., within the nitrogen- sulfur and trace metal cycling), of novel metabolic pathways, and of significant chemoautotrophic production (dark CO2 fixation). Recent research has revealed many new insights into the composition and functions of the microbial communities in these systems, including the identification of microbial key players and major functional groups. However, there remain many open questions, e.g., with regard to the regulating mechanisms, biotic interactions and responsible redox reactions driving the system. We want to encourage contributions from marine and freshwater research on microbial ecology in suboxic to anoxic pelagic environments, particularly studies that link microbial community structure with biogeochemical processes.

Organizers: Walter K. Dodds, Kansas State University, wkdodds@ksu.edu; Eugènia Martí Roca, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CSIC), eugenia@ceab.csic.es

Understanding trophic state of aquatic ecosystems requires a reference or baseline, yet some regions have few reference sites. Approaches taken to determine reference conditions for nutrients are varied and could include analyses of similar pristine sites, modeling, or assessment of biological indicators. The best approach may depend upon the aquatic ecosystem being considered (e.g., stream, lake, wetland, coastal marine) and available data. While trophic state is directly linked to functional properties (e.g., metabolism, nutrient retention) of these ecosystems, consideration of these parameters has seldom been included in evaluation procedures or as part of the characterization of reference conditions. This session will explore determination of reference conditions and the different perspectives used to assess trophic state. Special emphasis will be placed on the consideration of nutrient effects on functional parameters as indicators of potential ecosystem services and how these parameters link to biotic integrity.

Organizers: Dietmar Straile, Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, dietmar.straile@uni-konstanz.de; Karsten Rinke, Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, karsten.rinke@uni-konstanz.de; Frank Peeters, Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, frank.peeters@uni-konstanz.de

The spring bloom is a period of vital importance in aquatic ecosystems for species ranging from phytoplankton and zooplankton to fish larvae. Global warming will either change the phenology of the spring bloom or at least result into altered environmental conditions, e.g. water temperature, light availability, during the bloom. This will most likely pose a serious challenge for species adapted to the present phenology and to the conditions during the spring bloom. Additionally, these changes will also alter biotic interactions during this time period. In this session, we aim at bringing together work from both, marine and freshwater systems, as well as studies addressing this topic with analysis of field data, experiments, and simulation models.

Organizers: Anne Robertson, Roehampton University, a.robertson@roehampton.ac.uk; Paul Wood, Loughborough university, p.j.wood@lboro.ac.uk

The hyporheic zone is the ecotone between surface waters and groundwaters and is characterized by steep physical and chemical gradients and, in some cases, intense microbial activity leading researchers to examine the potential of the hyporheic zone in pollution attenuation. The hyporheic zone also hosts an assemblage of metazoans that may be derived from both surface and groundwaters. Until recently there has been a focus on research into the hydrology, chemistry and microbiology of the hyporheic zone. There has been less emphasis on the ecology of metazoans that inhabit this zone despite their potential role in modulating microbial activity via grazing and bioturbation. This session will attempt to redress this imbalance by focusing on metazoan hyporheic ecology in order to develop a better understanding of the drivers of assemblage composition and abundance.

Organizers: Arzhang Khalili, Max-Planck-Institute Bremen, Germany, akhalili@mpi-bremen.de; Carolyn Oldham, University of Western Australia, carolyn.oldham@uwa.edu.au

Not only in permeable shelf, but also in many marine environments such as marine aggregates and submerged vegetation we deal with a permeable and porous medium. To improve our understanding from these and many other marine systems, studying hydrodynamically-mediated exchange processes in permeable environment is an important prerequisite. The aim of this session is bring together the modelers and the experimentalists, who exactly need to include these techniques in their studies, and promote synergy effects. The session discussed both experimental as well as modeling studies, and range from examples in sediment-water interfaces, biogeochemical models including advective flows, flow and nutrient uptake around/through submerged vegetation canopies, marine aggregates and other related examples.

Organizers: Cynan Ellis Evans, NERC - British Antarctic Survey, jcel@bas.ac.uk; Ricardo Amils, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and INTA Centro de Astrobiologia, ramils@cbm.uam.es

Model organisms are practical to study and work with and have allowed major scientific progress. A similar approach should be adopted when considering life processes in extreme environments. Some species are well adapted to their environment and may be considered as accurate representatives for understanding adaptation mechanisms and survival strategies in a given extreme environment. Such species may encompass a wide range of characteristics, and could provide new insights to life in extreme environments through studies at the molecular, cellular and organism level. Focusing and converging research on such model species at different stages of their life cycle would reveal a large amount of knowledge on the mechanisms and strategies developed to cope with extreme environments. The session would consider the issue of potential model organisms (microbes, algae, animals) evolving in extreme marine environments and extreme continental water systems (e.g. acidic rivers, hot springs, soda lakes). This session would be organised by the FP7 CAREX project (Coordination Action for Research Activities on life in Extreme Environments).

Organizers: Sergi Sabater, University Girona, sergi.sabater@udg.es; Anna Romani, University Girona, anna.romani@udg.edu; Klement Tockner, Institut für Gewässerökologie u. Binnenfischei Berlin (IGB), tockner@igb-berlin.de

Temporary streams and rivers are a common phenomenon in arid and semiarid areas, and they are expected to expand in space and time due to increasing water stress. As a consequence, hydrologic discontinuities will cause major shifts in ecosystem processes and biodiversity, both during the aquatic and terrestrial phases. Water flow interruption, at the surface and in the hyporheic zone, determines the quantity and quality of organic materials transported, including its biodegradability, and therefore their potential use by microorganisms. Autotrophic production may be a source of available organic matter, especially during low flow episodes. These interruptions in connectivity may have implications on the biodiversity and the metabolism of entire river networks, which may again well lead to major changes in the ecosystem services they provide.

Organizers: Josep M. Gasol, Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, pepgasol@icm.csic.es; Paul A. del Giorgio, Université du Québec à Montréal, del_giorgio.paul@uqam.ca

Bacterioplankton cells in the environment are in a variety of physiological states, ranging from dead, to slow growing to highly active cells. The distribution of cells in these different states is highly spatially heterogeneous and variable in time, and informs us of both the characteristics of the environment experienced by bacteria, and of the interactions that occur within microbial assemblages. Single-cell variations in bacterial physiological state may be the predominant strategy to cope with scarce and fluctuating resources and to escape from predation, viral infection, and other types of negative biological interactions. Low activity and eventually dormancy are part of long-term survival and protection strategies, whereas high metabolic activity increases the potential for growth, but also vulnerability to predation and death. Other key players in microbial food webs, such as heterotrophic and autotrophic protists, can also display large variations in single-cell characteristics and physiological states, including death, and yet the regulation and ecological consequences of variations protist single-cell physiology are not well understood. We propose a session aimed specifically at research on bacterial and protist single-cell characteristics and physiology. We welcome contributions that discuss the methodological issues related to the analysis of the physiological structure of bacterial and protistan cells, describe patterns and ecological implications of variation in the physiological distribution in freshwater and marine environments, and which speculate on the ecological and evolutionary underpinnings of these patterns. We also encourage contributions that address the phylogenetic component of the variability in the distribution of physiological states.

Organizers: Alessia M. Rodriguez y Baena, Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM), arodriguez@ciesm.org; Gert J. de Lange, Department of Earth Sciences – Geochemistry, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrech, gdelange@geo.uu.nl; Cecile Guieu, CNRS, LOV Villefranche, guieu@obs-vlfr.fr; Emin Ozsoy, Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Erdemli-Mer, ozsoy@ims.metu.edu.tr; Richard Sempéré, CNRS, LMGEM-COM, richard.sempere@univmed.fr; Evangelos Papathanassiou, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Greece, vpapath@ath.hcmr.gr

The Mediterranean and Black Seas are among the most specific and vulnerable marine ecosystems on Earth. It is therefore likely that global change will affect these semi-enclosed basins more rapidly and intensively than the world ocean. In addition, these seas are shared by many neighboring countries whose important industrial, cultural, and regulatory practices differ greatly. Multi-lateral cooperation, coupled with integrative ecosystem approaches, is thus a condition sine qua non to track and understand environmental changes in these regions. Such is the long practice of CIESM (the Mediterranean Science Commission), convener of this session together with the French CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and INSU (Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers). This session will give priority to papers stemming from pluri-disciplinary, multi-lateral scientific initiatives on signals of change in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, including key programmes coordinated by CIESM, the CNRS/INSU project MERMEX, and the EC project SESAME. Topics will cover inter alia: present and past variations in circulation patterns, changes in salinity and temperature, shifts in marine food webs, introduction of alien species, emerging chemical contaminants, and biological-pump responses to climate change.

Organizers: Carlo Nike Bianchi, DIPTERIS, Università di Genova, nbianchi@dipteris.unige.it; Patrice Francour, E.A. 4228 ECOMERS, Ecosystèmes COtiers Marins Et Réponses aux Stress, Univ., Patrice.FRANCOUR&unice.fr; Joaquim Garrabou, UMR 6540 DIMAR, Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, joaquim.garrabou@univmed.fr; Paolo Guidetti, Laboratorio di Zoologia e Biologia Marina, Dipartimento di Biologia, Univer, paolo.guidetti@unile.it; Mark Ohman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD,