Conservation of freshwater mollusks is essential to maintain the important ecosystem functions and services they provide. Nonetheless, they are at risk as evidenced by their rapid and extensive global decline due to multiple causes, mainly of anthropic origin. Conservation strategies to stop this negative trend and maximize current biodiversity are urgently needed but are hampered by the lack of key information. Although in recent decades there have been an increasing number of studies on the ecology and conservation of these animals, the integration of knowledge acquired by different research groups is a key step for improving our efforts. Such integration would also help policy makers establish guidelines, which can be applied in conservation management of these animals and their natural habitats. The Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) can be a reference for everyone but, to date, the Society is primarily serving members in the United States and Canada. This recognition prompted the idea of expanding the Society's role on other continents, starting in Europe. Europe has been chosen because of the large number of active freshwater malacologists working in a number of countries. The organization of a FMCS Meeting outside of North America aims to expand the membership, share research and data with international colleagues, and foster wider collaboration. It is under this perspective that this event was organized this time in Italy - hopefully, the first of a series of FMCS-sponsored international meetings. The goals of this first international meeting are: 1. To start bringing together international experts in the biology and conservation of freshwater mollusks that will create a network of knowledge with the final goal of developing collaborative projects and, eventually, global directives for the protection and conservation of this important faunal group. 2. To provide, with this first step, an incentive for non-North American freshwater malacologists to become members of FMCS and participate in planned activities, Symposia, publications, and Workshops. 3. To start organizing local malacologists -- e.g. initially from Europe, but to be expanded to other continents around the world -- to provide structure and communication about resources, questions, advocacy, and collaboration. This will facilitate developing techniques to address similar problems encountered across freshwater molluscan research. 4. To start holding international meetings focused on all freshwater mollusks around the world. The two recent international freshwater bivalve meetings (Bragança, Portugal in 2012 and Buffalo, New York in 2015) were both exciting and fun with good participation. With this 2018 meeting in Europe, we want to start building an international network that includes all freshwater mollusks. In this context we would like to express our appreciation to our sponsors and organizing institutions and our gratitude to keynote speakers, authors, session chairpersons and all attendees whose contribution have made the meeting a success. We are honored to host you at the 1st FMCS Europe conference in Verbania, Italy.
1st Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Meeting in Europe: Bridging the gap - Book of Abstracts
Nicoletta Riccardi;
2018
Abstract
Conservation of freshwater mollusks is essential to maintain the important ecosystem functions and services they provide. Nonetheless, they are at risk as evidenced by their rapid and extensive global decline due to multiple causes, mainly of anthropic origin. Conservation strategies to stop this negative trend and maximize current biodiversity are urgently needed but are hampered by the lack of key information. Although in recent decades there have been an increasing number of studies on the ecology and conservation of these animals, the integration of knowledge acquired by different research groups is a key step for improving our efforts. Such integration would also help policy makers establish guidelines, which can be applied in conservation management of these animals and their natural habitats. The Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) can be a reference for everyone but, to date, the Society is primarily serving members in the United States and Canada. This recognition prompted the idea of expanding the Society's role on other continents, starting in Europe. Europe has been chosen because of the large number of active freshwater malacologists working in a number of countries. The organization of a FMCS Meeting outside of North America aims to expand the membership, share research and data with international colleagues, and foster wider collaboration. It is under this perspective that this event was organized this time in Italy - hopefully, the first of a series of FMCS-sponsored international meetings. The goals of this first international meeting are: 1. To start bringing together international experts in the biology and conservation of freshwater mollusks that will create a network of knowledge with the final goal of developing collaborative projects and, eventually, global directives for the protection and conservation of this important faunal group. 2. To provide, with this first step, an incentive for non-North American freshwater malacologists to become members of FMCS and participate in planned activities, Symposia, publications, and Workshops. 3. To start organizing local malacologists -- e.g. initially from Europe, but to be expanded to other continents around the world -- to provide structure and communication about resources, questions, advocacy, and collaboration. This will facilitate developing techniques to address similar problems encountered across freshwater molluscan research. 4. To start holding international meetings focused on all freshwater mollusks around the world. The two recent international freshwater bivalve meetings (Bragança, Portugal in 2012 and Buffalo, New York in 2015) were both exciting and fun with good participation. With this 2018 meeting in Europe, we want to start building an international network that includes all freshwater mollusks. In this context we would like to express our appreciation to our sponsors and organizing institutions and our gratitude to keynote speakers, authors, session chairpersons and all attendees whose contribution have made the meeting a success. We are honored to host you at the 1st FMCS Europe conference in Verbania, Italy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
