[Coral-List] ICRS2021 call for abstracts: Theme 4E - Beyond diversity: What can we learn from exploring microbial function in coral reef holobionts?

[Claudia Pogoreutz]

Hi all,



I hope you are staying safe in these uncertain times.



Our session team will still be chairing the session 4H -  ‘Beyond
diversity: What can we learn from exploring microbial function in coral
reef holobionts?’, within Theme 4 ‘Microbial ecology, holobionts, and model
organisms’.



https://www.icrs2021.de/program/session-program/#c236



There is still time for abstract submission – the deadline is



15 September 2020, 23:59:59 CEST



If you already have an abstract accepted, you will need to resubmit it. New
abstracts are welcome. Specific information on abstract submission can be
found here:



https://www.icrs2021.de/program/call-for-abstracts/

Session description:

Although reef-building corals and other reef organisms are increasingly
recognized as holobionts, we have limited understanding of how associated
microorganisms interact with their eukaryotic hosts, with each other, and
with their environment. Mounting evidence suggests that host-associated
microorganisms other than Symbiodiniaeae may be central to both resilience
and degradation of coral reefs. Hence, to obtain a better understanding of
key coral reef holobionts, it will be paramount to integrate functional
approaches to reef microbiology. Specifically, several issues are of
interest: 1) the identification and quantification of microbial metabolic
traits in key reef holobionts, 2) mechanistic approaches to resolve
microbial metabolic contribution to holobiont functioning, and 3)
operationalizing microbiome manipulations, i.e. employ microorganisms
and/or microbial consortia to enhance beneficial holobiont traits (‘marine
probiotics’). Addressing these issues will be critical for an integrated
understanding of the reef ecosystem, and may offer new venues for
innovative management approaches. We invite oral and poster contributions
using interdisciplinary approaches aiming at either functionality that
explains the mechanistic underpinnings of holobiont-microbiome associations
or their modification to boost holobiont resilience. Such approaches may
include established ecophysiological techniques, combining next-generation
“omics” and high-resolution imaging techniques, or microbiome manipulations
and marine probiotics and their potential application in conservation and
restoration. The goal of this session is to communicate most recent
advances, challenges, and perspectives in exploring symbioses on coral
reefs, and to provide a forum for collaboration and exchange.



We are looking forward to receiving your submissions.



Best,

The Session Team



Claudia Pogoreutz, Uni Konstanz

Anny Cárdenas, Uni Konstanz

Raquel Peixoto, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Till Roethig, University of Derby