[Coral-List] Mini Symposium: Organisms associated with live scleractinian corals

[Patrick Scaps]

Dear colleagues,

As the 1 October deadline for submission of abstracts for the ICRS  
2012 is fast approaching, we would like to encourage you to submit an  
abstract for a talk or a poster in our Mini Symposium on organisms  
associated with live scleractinian corals: biodiversity, coevolution  
and indication of reef health.

Session abstract

Living scleractinian corals are associated and attract a variety of  
symbionts and commensals that contribute largely to the biodiversity  
of organisms living in coral reefs. Their study is thus of prime  
importance in order to assess the magnitude of species richness in  
tropical environment. Coral reef communities are renowned for their  
ecological complexity exemplified by a level of coevolution among  
interacting species. Understanding such interactions and subsequent  
associations helps understand coral reef biodiversity, trophic  
structure and biochemical cycling, therefore assisting in making  
informed decision on coral reef conservation.
Coral reefs are currently in serious decline; in consequence, it is  
essential to estimate coral reef health all over the world. Most  
associates are filter feeding heterotrophs, hence would be expected to  
increase in numbers in water with elevated nutrient concentrations. In  
consequence, the health of a reef may be evaluated by scouring the  
density of coral associates on massive corals.

Please go to www.icrs2012.com to submit your abstract and for  
submission guidelines

Regards,

Patrick Scaps, Jessica Haapkyla

Dr. SCAPS Patrick PhD
University of Lille 1
59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq Cédex
France
e-mail: patrick.scaps at univ-lille1.fr