Speaker: Martin Thiel, Managing Director MarineGEO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), Edgewater, USA and Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Catolica del Norte (UCN), and Center for Ecology & Sustainable Mangmt. of Oceanic Islands (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile

Topic: Monitoring Coastal Habitats with Professional Scientists and with Volunteers – Opportunities and Challenges

Coastal habitats across the globe experience major changes due to human activities. Understanding how the ecological communities respond to these threats requires large-scale observations and experiments. International networks of scientists and volunteers offer the opportunity to provide answers needed for the conservation of coastal habitats and communities. This seminar will share some examples and achievements about collaborative research in benthic communities, but also discuss some of the challenges in coordinating large international networks. Building on the lessons learned, a vision for the future of international research networks will be developed.