[Coral-List] European Coral Reef Symposium - Mesophotic session and workshop

[Gal Eyal]

Dear listers,

We would like to draw your attention to the abstract submission opening of
the upcoming International Society of Reef Studies: European Coral Reef
Symposium <http://www.reefconservationuk.co.uk/ecrs-2017.html>, University
of Oxford, UK.

A thematic section and a workshop will be specifically dedicated to
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems and other similar deep-sublittoral habitats:

Session 22 - MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS: SHIFTING FROM PATTERNS TO
PROCESSES <http://www.reefconservationuk.co.uk/sessions.html>

Workshop - DELVING INTO THE DEPTHS: HOW DO WE STUDY MESOPHOTIC CORAL
ECOSYSTEMS? <http://www.reefconservationuk.co.uk/workshops.html>

We will be happy to see you in both activities, as well as in the symposium
in general.

Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions.



Dominic Andradi-Brown, Gal Eyal, Joe Turner & Andrea Gori



*Links:*

Abstract Submission - http://www.reefconservationuk.co.uk/ecrs-2017.html

Sessions - http://www.reefconservationuk.co.uk/sessions.html

Workshops - http://www.reefconservationuk.co.uk/workshops.html



*Session description:*

MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS: SHIFTING FROM PATTERNS TO PROCESSES

​Both mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; tropical reefs from approximately
30-150 m depth) and the deep-sublittoral zone in temperate seas have
historically been neglected in marine research because of the difficulties
associated with access to these depths. Yet these ecosystems often contain
high diversity of corals, fishes and other invertebrate species. In the
face of increasing global threats to benthic communities there is an
increased interest in the role of deeper habitats as refuge aiding
communities resilience. This has led to a substantial increase in research
on mesophotic benthic communities over the past decade, especially on
tropical MCEs. We now generally understand the broad patterns in community
structure changes between shallow and deeper reefs and research attention
is now starting to shift to more detailed ecological processes. This
session will be open to all those working on tropical MCEs or temperate
deep-sublittoral reef systems at similar depths. We will actively encourage
submissions covering all taxonomic groups and geographical regions. With
the conference taking place in the UK we expect to draw on expertise both
from across all of the European region, where many research groups working
on these ecosystems are based, but also globally.

*Workshop description:*

DELVING INTO THE DEPTHS: HOW DO WE STUDY MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS?
​​Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) lie at depths beyond those typically
associated with tropical coral reef ecosystems. MCEs can harbour diverse
biological assemblages of corals, fish and other invertebrates. Some
species are highly endemic to these systems, highlighting MCE’s importance
in contributing to and maintaining global biodiversity. Similarly,
high-diverse coral dominated ecosystems are also present in the twilight
zone of temperate seas, such as the Mediterranean. Significant logistical
challenges associated with data collection in deep water has resulted in a
limited understanding in the ecological relevance of these deeper coral
ecosystems. This workshop targets those working on mesophotic ecosystems,
and in particular the technological development of in-situ measurements.
However, anyone working on or with novel methods that may be applied to
depths deeper than 30 m are also encouraged to participate. The idea of the
workshop is to produce a manuscript / report outlining the methods
available to monitor different aspects of mesophotic and deep sublittoral
communities and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. This
will aid providing standardize working methods for future mesophotic
collaborative research. Given the challenges associated with studying
mesophotic ecosystems, because they lie beyond the reach of conventional
SCUBA diving, more thought and planning is typically associated with
collecting mesophotic and deep sublittoral data at 40-150 m depth. Advances
in technical diving, habitat mapping and technologies such as Remotely
Operated underwater Vehicles (ROVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
(AUVs) now provide a number of platforms that make these previously
inaccessible ecosystems, more accessible. As we progress from exploratory
mesophotic surveys into more detailed mesophotic ecological studies (such
as life history traits of species, energy investments, population dynamics
and connectivity), it is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of existing
methods and identify novel methods that will allow future research in this
field to progress.

-- 
Gal Eyal
Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University
Address: The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat,
P.O.B:469, Zip:88103, Israel
Mobile: +972-(0)50-7384422 <+972%2050-738-4422>
Office: +972-(0)8-6360119 <+972%208-636-0119>
Fax: +972-(0)8-6374329 <+972%208-637-4329> (For Gal Eyal - Tel Aviv
University)
E-mail: Galeyal at mail.tau.ac.il, Gal4596 at gmail.com
Web: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gal_Eyal