[Coral-List] 10ICRS mini-symposium: Emergent Properties of Coral Reefs (1-3)

[Stuart Sandin]

We would like to invite interested Coral-Listers to participate in the
following mini-symposium in Okinawa:

Emergent Properties of Coral Reefs: Linking Local Mechanisms with
Large-Scale Spatial Patterns (1-3)
SCOPE AND AIM -
   Two spatial scales are of principle interest in coral reef biology:
(1) At the local scale, we study the details of physiological processes,
species interactions, and biotic relations to abiotic conditions. This is
the spatial scale typical for experimental and focused observational
research.
(2) At the regional scale, we search for general patterns of population
dynamics, community structure, and biotic responses to environmental change.
This large scale is the focus of marine conservation efforts.
   Finding ways to link spatial scales is of critical importance to coral
reef biology. This mini-symposium will highlight research that directly
couples local mechanisms with large-scale spatial patterns. The local
dynamics of individual species ultimately interact to create biogeographical
patterns that, to date, remain predominately observed and not understood.
Searching for the emergent properties of local biological mechanisms is one
way to enlighten our current knowledge gap. Combining insights from the two
scales offers great opportunities to fundamentally advance our ability to
predict macroscopic responses of the coral reef community to anthropogenic
changes in the environment.


This session will provide a forum for discussing if and how it is possible
to use our current knowledge to understand large-scale features of coral
reef biology.  With the current state of reef science, can we provide
data-driven predictions of future trends of the community, e.g. fisheries
potential, trajectories of coral health, geological growth/degradation
through time?  To answer this question, the combined efforts of empiricists,
statisticians, and theoreticians from a range of research groups will be
crucial.  Through a diversity of study topics and research approaches, this
mini-symposium will provide the opportunity for many exciting new research
ideas to be formed and new collaborations to be created.

For conference information, see the 10ICRS website at
http://www.plando.co.jp/icrs2004/.  Abstracts are due by 25 Dec 2003.

We look forward to sharing this session with you all.


Sincerely,

Stuart Sandin and Mark Vermeij


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Stuart A. Sandin
Research Associate
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey 08544-1003
Tel: 609 258 2119
FAX: 609 258 1334