All global developments in marine and fisheries biology will be presented during the 22nd Annual FishBase Symposium, entitled “Fishes in changing ecosystems”, organized by the Laboratory of Ichthyology of the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 September 2024, from 9.00 to 17.30, at the KEDEA of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Distinguished scientists from 20 countries from Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania will present the results of their research related to the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms, mainly fish, and the impact of anthropogenic actions, mainly climate change and fisheries, on population dynamics, marine biodiversity and the balance of marine ecosystems.

Founded in 1990, FishBase is the world’s largest online fish encyclopedia and database, with information on all fish species and more than 1.5 million visits every month. SeaLifeBase was founded in 2005 and contains information on all marine organisms. The Laboratory of Ichthyology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has been participating in the FishBase Consortium since 2004.

Τhe Schedule

The first day of the Symposium (Advances in Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory) will be dedicated to the subversive GOLT theory of fish body growth and the celebration of 25 years since the launch of the international Sea Around Us network (https://www.seaaroundus.org), in which the Laboratory of Ichthyology is a member of the Scientific Council. Sea Around Us contains all fisheries data for every country and marine ecosystem on Earth.

The second day (Fishes in Mare Nostrum) will focus on issues related to FishBase (https://fishbase.se) and SeaLifeBase (https://www.sealifebase.se) and includes the celebration of 20 years of participation of the University of Thessaloniki’s Laboratory of FishBase.

Daniel Pauly in Thessaloniki

The keynote address will be given by the greatest scientist of all time in the field of marine fisheries biology, Professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada and Honorary Doctorate of the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Daniel Pauly. Daniel Pauly has authored more than 1000 scientific publications and about 20 books dealing with the biology of marine organisms and the management of their populations, and was one of the first scientists to raise the alarm about the ecosystemic impacts of overfishing on a global scale.

According to the Director of the Laboratory of Ichthyology and head of the MarinOmics research group, Professor Athanasios Tsikliras, who this year chairs the FishBase Consortium, “the participation of the Laboratory of Ichthyology of AUTh in international networks such as FishBase and Sea Around Us, which is a result of the scientific dynamics and international recognition of public academic and research institutions, aims to rebuild marine populations and ecosystems through sustainable fisheries management, which will improve the health of the seas, mitigate the effects of climate change, while enhancing the incomes of fishermen.”

More information about the Symposium, the programme and online registration at the link: https://bit.ly/2024FBsymposium