The conference „Science in the service of nature – Focus on the Conservation Genetics and Combating Invasive Alien Species” was organized on September 25-26 2017 in the
Natural Sciences Education and Research Centre of the University of Szczecin, Szczecin/Poland.
The conference was co-organized by the
University of Szczecin, the
Coalition Clean Baltic, the
West-Iceland Nature Research Centre, the
West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, the
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
and the
Polish Society for Conservation Genetics LUTREOLA.
The aim of the conference was a transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience on the best practices in the field of nature conservation based on the achievements of conservation genetics and the prevention of threats to native ecosystems by invasive alien species, as well as promotion of cross-sectoral and international co-operation in the aforementioned areas.
The conference gathered more than 60 participants, representing nature conservation services, scientists, foresters, decision-makers, students, representatives of NGOs and others interested in the subject matter of the conference from Poland, Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands, Turkey and Vietnam.
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The conference programme included 19 lectures and 8 poster presentations, divided into two topic areas – “Conservation genetics – from theory to practice” (1
st
day of the conference) and “Identification of risks and management of invasive alien species” (2
nd
day of the conference).
Opening lecture on the 1
st
conference day was given by Mikhail Durkin, CCB’s Executive Secretary – “Environmental DNA and protection of the migratory fish species”, while Nina Ljungquist was a lecturer of the 2
nd
conference day, with presentation entitled “Invasive alien species – how do they affect us?”.
The
Conference Programme
is available
here.
The Book of Abstracts (in both, Polish and English) is available at
here.
The conference “Science in the Service of Nature – focus on the conservation genetics and combating invasive alien species” is organized in the frames of the
international projects –
“Science in the service of nature – gene pools conservation of endangered and threatened mammalian species by knowledge transfer and experience sharing on the best practices in conservation genetics of teriofauna”
and “
Exchange of knowledge, experiences and best practices in study and control of the invasive alien species populations in Iceland and Poland”, financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA) 2009-2014 and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (Poland).