ICES Annual Science Conference, Berlin

The ICES Annual Science Conference 2009 promises to provide outstanding papers from world-renowned researchers, presented in 19 science theme sessions. The conference will focus on new approaches to the study of ecology and biodiversity, current ICES ocean-change science, conclusions for future climate-related research, progress on implementing the ecosystem approach to management and reducing uncertainty, and finally the renewed attempts to include social and economic approaches in ICES science. The ASC will also address some of today’s most challenging scientific issues, issues that urgently require solutions for better management of our seas tomorrow.

On behalf of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheryand the GermanScientific Commission (DWK), we are honoured to invite you to Berlin for ASC 2009.

We, the ICES Secretariat, the Ministry as local host, and the von Thünen Institute, shall do our very best to provide optimal conditions for an inspiring scientific event. We hope that Berlin as German capital and the Estrel Convention Centre will prove to be a unique location for this meeting of the ICES community. We expect to spend an exciting few days with you all in Berlin.

Moreover, we hope that you will draw inspiration from the extraordinarily high level of marine science that the conference will offer. We also expect contributions from the major German Marine Research institutes, cooperating under the umbrella of the KDM (Consortium of German Marine Research Institutes). We very much look forward to hearing the theme session contributions and the conclusions drawn in pursuit of the further development of marine science.