Book of Abstracts, SeventIMCO - Seventeenth International Meiofauna Conference,

Abstract

Preface MARE-Marine Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Évora together with International Association of Meiobenthologists are proud to welcome the 17th International Meiofauna Conference (SeventIMCO). The SeventIMCO is the major assembly to present and share advances in meiofaunal research and this year-2019 it became a historical meiofauna conference celebrating 50 years (1969-2019) anniversary. Previous conferences have been held in Tunis, Tunisia (1969), York, England (1973), Hamburg, Germany (1977), Columbia, USA (1980), Ghent, Belgium (1983), Tampa, USA (1986), Vienna, Austria (1989), Maryland, USA (1992), Perpignan, France (1995), Plymouth, England (1998), Boston, USA (2001), Ravenna, Italy (2004), Recife, Brazil (2007), Ghent, Belgium (2010), Seoul, South Korea (2013) and Heraklion, Crete, Greece (2016). The 2019 edition of SeventIMCO, is hosted by MARE - Marine Environmental Sciences Centre - University of Évora, in beautiful cultural heritage town of Évora, Portugal. This year, 7 keynote presentations, 74 oral presentations and 78 poster presentations are included in the program, which are distributed over 34 countries and 125 corresponding authors. Their contributions are distributed by the following themes, representing emerging topics that meiofauna research: • Advances in taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography. • Meiofauna biodiversity patterns and ecosystem interactions (including Freshwater, Estuarine Coastal and Ocean, Deep sea and Frontiers ecosystems) • Meiofauna in a changing world: meiofauna response to natural and anthro pogenic pressures. • Methodologic advances in meiofaunal studies: New tools and analytical and experimental approaches. • Meiofauna and Science communication to Society We have also organized an initiative: a roundtable meeting. This is a dynamic encounter aimed at connecting early-career scientists with senior scientists to exchange ideas, collaborate and even identify research priorities for the next decade of meiofauna sciences. SeventIMCO addresses various challenges that meiofauna research is facing nowadays providing new frontiers and innovative advances in meiobenthology science, to support management decisions of the sustainable use of the oceans, seas and freshwater ecosystems. Helena Adão Chair of SeventIMCO