Eventtype: Conference/Workshop
Period: 2006-05-08 - 2006-05-12
Location: Liège, Belgium
Periodicity: Yearly
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- Université de Liège; Faculté des Sciences; Département d'Astrophysique, Géophysique et Océanographie; GeoHydrodynamics and Environmental Research group (GHER), more, organiser
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Description:Zooplankton occupy a key role in pelagic ecosystems, since they control phytoplankton biomass, size composition and diversity. Through their grazing activity, zooplankton contribute to export organic matter to the deep sea and the benthos, by faecal pellets production and vertical migrations, thus exerting a control on biogechemical cycles. Zooplankton abundance and diversity largely determine the diversity, abundance and recruitment of fish and other large animals. Many key zooplankton related processes involved in the dynamics of phytoplankton and fish have been neglected, and pathways in the food web incorrectly identified. The spatial heterogeneity of zooplankton distributions has rarely been investigated in terms of ecosystems. A holistic approach to pelagic ecosystems requires not only information on fluxes and biomasses, but also realistic identification of pathways among the dominant state variables of ecosystems. The sharp seasonal, inter-annual and spatial variability of zooplankton, which is controlled by natural variability and climatic changes, is being recognised as a key factor in the dynamics of ocean resources.
The 38th International Liège Colloquium on Ocean Hydrodynamics will provide the opportunity for reviewing recent developments on:
- Roles of the different zooplankton components in controlling pelagic food webs: respective roles of micro-, meso- and macro-zooplankton, gelatinous predators, and mixotrophs.
- Influence of long-term changes in physics (circulation) and climate on the abundance and diversity of zooplankton organisms.
- Influence of small-scale physical variability on the behaviour, population dynamics and spatial distribution of zooplankton.
- Roles of zooplankton diversity and abundance on the recruitment of fish; Ichtyoplankton.
- Influence of fish predators on the structure and diversity of zooplankton and pelagic systems.
- Effects of zooplankton dynamics on biogeochemical fluxes.
- Recent developments in ocean dynamics/zooplankton modelling.
- Adaptation to extreme environments (e.g. deep sea, sea ice).
- New technologies (e.g. genetics, sampling).
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