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MARBEF Summer School on Diversity and Functioning of Coastal Habitats

Typ des Eintrags: Berufliche Lehrveranstaltung
Datum: 23. September - 04. Oktober 2008
Rhythmus: jährlich
Webseite: http://www.awi.de/en/research/research_divisions/biosciences/coastal_ecology/...
Ort: Sylt, GERMANY
Beschreibung:

Coastal areas are characterised by a high diversity of habitats and organisms. Significant global change is occurring within the coastal zone due to human activity as also by natural forcing especially by climate change. In order to asses the effects of these changes we need a fundamental understanding of ecosystem structure and function. The topic of this advanced study course is a comparison of coastal ecosystems: soft bottom systems in the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Gdansk/Puck Lagoon; Mecklenburg Bight) versus Wadden Sea habitats versus hard bottom communities of Helgoland, with some perspectives to polar and tropical regions. This Summer School will bring together graduated or PhD students and young scientists with experts in coastal research.
Aspects of the influence of global change on diversity and the functioning of coastal
ecosystems will be addressed
a) historic changes in diversity of habitats and organisms
b) physical oceanography of Baltic and North Sea in relation to coastal diversity
c) changes in morphodynamics and environmental impacts
d) effects of global change on pelagic and benthic communities and food webs: physiological and ecological changes, changes in diversity, invasive species

Time and location of the training course

Time: 17 until 27 July 2007
Location: at the Wadden Sea Station Sylt, Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und
Meeresforschung in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft

Facilities for courses at Sylt:
At the WMS Sylt, a new class room (for 20 students) equipped with modern multi media technique will be finished in the new building of the Station in the beginning of 2007. Additionally several special rooms for practicals and experiments will be provided for courses. Also a lecture room is suited for courses with an audience of up to 50 persons. The classrooms at the Station are very well equipped with video-microscopes, video projection and Internet access. The rooms also have basins for the culture of organisms that can be supplied with a flow-through of either fresh or seawater. Every participant can be supplied with a normal and a stereo microscope. If necessary, we can supply glassware or other laboratory supplies. The classrooms also contain a small library with scientific textbooks and identification literature. It is possible to keep larger amounts of organisms of interest in a special room, if needed also in constant-temperature rooms.

Accommodation: Participants of the course at the WMS Sylt stay at the guest house with a total capacity of about 40 persons.

Description and program of the training course
The summer school will consist of background lectures by scientists of different fields of coastal research, as well as field trips and practical courses.
Sessions and topic of lectures are:
1) Introduction and physical background of Climate Change
- Ecosystems of the coastal zone - global and regional aspects
- Impacts of Climate Change on coastal regions: changing wind climate
- Physical oceanography in Baltic and North Sea
2) Variability and changes in habitats
- Coastal geology: Changes in morphodynamics
- Changes in habitats in the Gulf of Gdansk/Puck Lagoon
- Benthic communities in the Mecklenburg Bight - a gradient system
- Ecological changes in the Wadden Sea
3) Anthropogenic impact on coastal ecosystems
- Physiological and ecological changes in bivalves as an effect of eutrophication
- Pollution and biological effects in the Mecklenburg Bight
- Ecological changes in the Sylt-Rømø Bight: Promotion of invasive species by climate
warming
4) Food webs in soft bottom habitats
- Pelagic food web structure in the North Sea, Helgoland
- Food web of the Puck lagoon
- The Marennes-Oléron Bay food web model
- Benthic-pelagic food web of the Sylt-Rømø Bight
- Marbef - Foodwebio: A responsive mode project on food web analysis
5) Health of coastal and estuarine ecosystems
- Marine protected areas: What is a natural or pristine ecosystem? Would nature be
better off without humans?
- Water framework directive
- Habitat mapping and modelling
6) Global coastal changes and coastal zone management
- Global diversity patterns
- Presentation by the LOICZ office

- Integrated coastal zone management
- Perspectives of european marine biodiversity research

Excursions:
- Boat trip with research catamaran "MYA": methods, instruments, fishing, dredging for the study of subtidal habitats of the North Sea
- Excursion to tidal flats to study intertidal habitats of the Wadden Sea
- After the excursions, samples will be identified and analysed

Tentative audience of the training course
Participants (the number is restricted to 20) should have a marine life science background at he graduate or postgraduate level. The course will be held in English. Applicants will be elected by a scientific committee consisting of scientists of the organising institutes. The election will be based on the student’s research background and experience, their home ountry and gender balance. Participants are accepted after graduation and with less than 4 ears of professional experience. Not more than 2 students per country are eligible, thus nhancing the exchange of experience between different coastal areas and between Eastern nd Western European countries.

Contact addresses with email:
Dr. Ragnhild Asmus
Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, AWI
Wattenmeerstation Sylt
Hafenstraße 43
25992 List / Sylt
Germany
rasmus@awi-bremerhaven.de

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