Themes

(c)Ifremer-Olivier Dugornay

This 14th ITRS organisers have curated a selection of themes and sub-themes to highlight the diversity of current research on temperate reef ecology, with a particular focus on temperate reef conservation, their importance for biodiversity and coastal ecosystems and the challenges they face with climate change.

A few key words illustrate each sub-theme, so that everyone can find the best audience to present their work to and contribute towards creating a program that we hope will be as interesting and enjoyable as possible.

Conservation & Management

  • Habitat restoration, Rehabilitation & Enhancement
    active restoration (nature-inclusive/inspired design), passive restoration initiatives (habitat restoration), future-proofing
  • Science to policy
    temperate reefs in European directives, regional seas conventions, ...
  • Ecosystem services
    immaterial i.e. supporting identities, inspiration), material (i.e. food, kelp harvesting,construction) and regulating (i.e. blue carbon, water quality) services
  • Macroalgae and Ecosystem Services (sponsored by Annals of Botany)

Diversity & functioning

  • Macroecology
    theoretical work on community assembly rules and ecosystem dynamics - characterising and explaining statistical patterns of abundance - distribution and diversity for the purposes of pursuing generality
  • Reef-associated Biodiversity
    species assemblages/lists of associated species, species richness, genetic diversity, habitat facilitation
  • Biology & Ecophysiology
    regional adaptation and plasticity of organisms to changing climates
  • Invasion Ecology
    non-native species on natural and artificial reefs
  • Biogeochemical Cycling
    fluxes, trophic networks, food sources and regulation of diversity/abundance
  • Macroalgal Traits
    habitat (e.g. reef legacy effects) and species traits

Under-explored Temperate Reefs

  • Biogenic Reefs
    reef underdogs (including conference logo species: abalones/goose barnacles/worm reefs) - secondary engineer species
  • Ocean sprawl
    proliferation of artificial, possible ecogineered structures, in coastal and offshore marine environments
  • Novel approaches
    innovative/new tools and variables (i.e. drones, hyperspectral imagery, soundscapes) - emerging tools and methods
  • Under-explored Reefs

Global Impacts & Trajectories

  • Broad-scale Spatial Patterns
    biogeography, species distribution modelling, range shifts
  • Long-term Temporal Trends
    time series
  • Climate Change Refugia
    areas buffered from contemporary climate change over time
  • Resistance, Resilience and Phase Shifts
    shift to turf/soft sediment/urchin barrens, drivers of dramatic community changes and potential for reversibility, multiple stressors
  • Extreme Events
    ecological responses to heatwaves/cold snaps/tsunamis/earthquakes/anoxia
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