[Coral-List] Call for Abstracts-ICRS 2020-Theme 6: Mesophotic coral ecosystems

[Kimberly Puglise - NOAA Federal]

We would like to invite you to submit abstracts for oral and poster
presentations for **Theme 6: Unexplored and unexpected reefs – Mesophotic
coral ecosystems: Lifeboats in the challenging future of coral reefs?**
http://www.icrs2020.de/program/session-program/#c238

Abstract Deadline: 1 September 2019

Session Description:
Research on mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs: ~30-150 m depth) has
increased exponentially over the past decade. Increasing interest has been
driven in large part by the “Deep Reef Refugia” hypothesis that suggests
MCEs are less susceptible to the disturbances faced by nearby shallow coral
reefs (e.g., coral bleaching, diseases, overfishing, and land-based
pollution), and, through larval connectivity, could serve as potential
“Lifeboats” for shallow reefs. As we address the challenging future of
coral reefs, MCEs will clearly be an important topic, and assessing their
role in the larger context of coral reefs requires addressing their basic
ecological, physiological, and oceanographic processes. From this we can
contextualize the origin and evolution of MCE flora and fauna relative to
shallow reefs. This session will highlight recent research on MCEs from
multiple perspectives such as: Biodiversity, Community structure and
dynamics, Population connectivity, Biology of MCE organisms, and Geological
and physical processes. Through this interdisciplinary approach, the
session will explore both the similarities and differences of MCEs in
comparison to shallow reefs, as well as conservation and remediation of
MCEs in order to understand their roles as “Lifeboats”. Our goal is to
increase the dialog with coral scientists focused on shallow reefs to
improve our understanding of the complete coral ecosystem, and to tackle
these, and other research priorities, in the context of the challenging
future of coral reefs.

For more information visit:
http://www.icrs2020.de/program/call-for-abstracts/

We look forward to your submissions.

Thanks,
The Session Organizers

Marc Slattery, University of Mississippi
Frederic Sinniger, University of the Ryukyus
Gal Eyal, The University of Queensland
Tyler Smith, University of the Virgin Islands
Kimberly Puglise, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Alejandra Hernandez, California Academy of Sciences