Workshop announcement

Workshop on the application of genomic tools for biomonitoring of marine environments

Museum of Natural History in Geneva on April 4-5, 2016

Rapidly increasing impact of industrial activities on marine biodiversity strongly affects marine ecosystem health and services. Yet, the growing demand for measuring and mitigating these impacts can hardly be satisfied by classical monitoring based on morphological species identification. New genomic tools based on the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) could potentially overcome these limitations, but their application for biomonitoring is still very limited. The main objective of the workshop is to examine the effectiveness of the eDNA method for seabed monitoring from ecological, legal and socio-economic perspectives. 

The workshop will discuss the need to modify regulatory requirements and legal instruments for incorporating eDNA data into biotic indices. The participants will also learn about the advantages and challenges of using eDNA to explore biodiversity and to value ecosystem services. The event will bring together molecular biologists, ecologists, environmental managers, and policy makers interested in integrating genomic tools in environmental impact assessment of industrial activities in marine environments.

The workshop is a part of the project funded by the Swiss Network for International Studies, in collaboration among others with the International Seabed Authority, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Environmental Law Institute, and Federal Institute of Water (EAWAG), Switzerland. Among the participants there are specialists of the environmental impact assessment in the deep-sea and coastal areas as well as the representatives of environmental agencies and international organisations involved in the conservation of marine environment, such as UNEP, IUCN, CIESM, and JRC.

The workshop is free and open to everyone. You are very welcome to take part in this unique event and if you wish to make a presentation of any project related to the topics of metabarcoding and marine biomonitoring.

Please do not hesitate to contact Jan Pawlowski for further information and registration.