International Conference on Marine Invasive Species:

Management of Ballast Water and Other Vectors

Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
February 17-19, 2014

Background

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are a global environmental issue in both marine and freshwater ecosystems and have had significant impacts on global ecosystems and economies. AIS are spread through a wide range of vectors including shipping, stocking, and live trade. Minimizing the ecological and economic impacts of AIS involves understanding the risks they pose and the preventative and control actions required to minimize those risks. AIS are known to have multiple synergistic impacts on ecosystem health and may be contributing factors to numerous other stressors including harmful algal blooms and fish kills. The high volume of international marine traffic that passes through the Sea of Oman presents an obvious risk for AIS as evidenced by the rise in the frequency of algal blooms in the Sea of Oman.

The goals of this conference are to bring together leading researchers from across the world to share the current state of knowledge on the risks, impacts and control measures needed to manage AIS with special attention to ballast water management strategies. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Sultanate of Oman and the Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management Society are jointly convening this important event for the Gulf Region as well as for the international community. This is the first time that such an event is being organized in the Middle East and we cordially invite all researchers, managers, students to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Themes

1. Vectors & Pathways
• studies on the movement of marine invasive species
• includes natural and anthropogenic mechanisms, such as ballast water, organisms in trade, hitchhikers and biofouling

2. Climate Change & Other Stressors
• studies on the effects and interactions of multiple stressors on marine invasions
• includes stressors such as human development, ocean acidification, and habitat degradation

3. Impacts
• studies to understand the impacts of marine invasions
• includes ecological, economic and human health impacts

4. Risk Assessment
• methods to quantify or prioritize risk of marine invasions
• includes species and pathway based assessments

5. Management Strategies
• assessment of tools and technologies to manage marine invasions through early detection, rapid response or vector management
• assessment of legislative and policy approaches and implementation

Please note that there is no registration fee for students who want to participate in the Conference.

Details are on the conference website: http://conferences.aehms.org/MIS-Oman/ and please direct any questions to the Conference Co-Chairs and Secretariat.