The first Latin-American Symposium held by the LAOCA Network on ocean acidification will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 24- 26, 2017.
Students and researchers will gather together to work on and discuss ocean observing systems, modeling and regional projections, physiological and ecological effects of ocean acidification (taking into consideration organisms and ecosystems) as well as the human dimensions of this phenomenon.
Dr. Cristián Vargas, member of the organizing committee of this symposium and associate researcher at the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO), underlines the importance of this first Latin-American meeting. “We are talking about a congress that will bring together students and researchers. This is going to be the first version, and our aim is that the entire community working on these topics should get to know each other and strengthen future collaborative projects”, explained the scientist.
IMO postdoc Paulina Aguayo will also take part in this event by giving a presentation on her research on the ecological impact of CO2 increases on microbial communities and their biological response to the situation. Additionally, she will demonstrate methodological approaches to in-situ experiments. Asked to express her thoughts on the congress, Paulina Aguayo revealed that she has great expectations. “The LAOCA Network is very important at a Latin-American level, because it brings together scientists with common interests and objectives regarding ocean acidification; this makes it possible to create a collaborative network and also allows each group to present what they are doing in their countries, showing the results of their research on ocean acidification in Latin America,” said Aguayo.
The deadline for presentations is September 15 and the organizers are especially interested in the participation of students. There are scholarships available for prospective participants and Cristián Vargas points out that they are for both undergraduate and doctoral students. “The idea is that they should also take part in the congress.” For further information, please visit http://laoca.cl/congreso2017 .
