Conveners:

Dr. Debashish Bhattacharya, Rutgers University, United States.	Dr. Assaf Vardi, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.

Description: Single cell research has revolutionized human health research and microbial biology. The impact on algal biology has been more muted but is rapidly increasing with the implementation of exciting technologies now allowing examination of algal cell lifestyle in unprecedented resolution. In this symposium, we will present the latest research in algal single cell work that includes diverse approaches to elucidate algal-pathogens and algal-symbionts interactions as well as tracking metabolic rewiring and physiology states of individual microalgal cells.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Ligia Collado-Vides, Florida International, University, United States.	Dr. Thierry Thibaut, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie, France

Description: The proliferation in recent years of ephemeral, seasonal or persistent macroalgal bloom are reported in different oceans and coastal waters of the world, both tropical and temperate, showing that macroalgal blooms are a global problem and the symptom of the current situation of the oceans and coasts. The magnitude and frequency of these macroalgal blooms are reaching regional oceans and affecting the livelihood and economy of several countries. This symposium will bring a global perspective of macroalgal blooms highlighting the local impacts of global stressors such as global increase in temperature and nutrients.  It will also address some solutions and opportunities these massive blooms can bring to local economies.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Philippe Potin, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ. Paris, France.	Dr. Leila Hayashi, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Description: The symposium focuses on future directions in seaweed cultivation, with special reference to upscaling production from small- to medium-scale food production systems to a truly “marine agronomy”. Examples will be presented on major crops species such as Kappaphycus/Eucheuma and Saccharina. In addition, the importance of considering the tacit knowledge together with the formal knowledge, based on the experience of producers, is present here.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Erasmo Macaya, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.	Dr. Giuseppe Zuccarello, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Description: The southern hemisphere is an area taken up by vast oceanic expanses and scattered landmasses, and yet contains some remarkable macroalgal diversity. The distribution, connectivity, and speciation of algae in this area is more poorly known than the northern hemisphere. This symposium will highlight recent research on the algae of the southern hemisphere. Highlighting the unique biogeography of the area and forces that contribute to algal diversity and evolution in this half of the planet.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Ester Serrao, Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.	Dr. Daniel Reed, Marine Science Institute University of California, Santa Barbara, United States.

Description: This session will focus on the ecological properties of macroalgal forests that contribute to their many valued goods and services. Keynote speakers will explore the capacity of macroalgal forests to sequester carbon and the potential for restoration and aquaculture to enhance it, and the feasibility and challenges of macroalgal reforestation in enhancing their resilience to future disturbances. Topics for contributed talks that are of particular interest include: (1) the capacity for restoration and aquaculture to augment different ecosystem services provided by macroalgal forests, (2) challenges and tradeoffs for maximizing different ecosystem services in restoration and aquaculture, (3) life history and ecological traits that influence the choice, efficacy and spatial scale of different restoration methods, (4) genetic considerations for restoration and ocean cultivation, and (5) the use of restored forests and ocean farms for conserving genetic diversity and improving resilience.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Simon Dittami, CNRS/Sorbonne University, France.	Dr. Suhelen Egan, University of New South Wales, Australia.

Description: This symposium covers studies dealing with the algal symbiome – that is (micro)-organisms that form long-lasting or recurring associations with micro- or macroalgae from pathogens to organisms that live in mutualistic relationships with their hosts. Contributions can include diversity assessments of the symbiome, functional studies on interactions, and conceptual advances. Model systems include but are not limited to viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi, oomycetes, and endo- and epiphytic algae.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Hwan Su Yoon, Rutgers University, United States.	Dr. Gwenael Piganeau, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, France.

Description: Genome sequences have revolutionized our understanding of algal diversity and evolution. Advances in sequencing, combined with extensive sampling efforts of natural populations, have now opened up phycology to population genomics approaches. This symposium welcomes recent genomic and population genomic studies providing novel insights into population diversity and evolution to advance our understanding of algae and aquatic ecosystems.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Guillermo Díaz-Pulido, School of Environment & Science, Griffith University, Australia.	Dr. Marguerite Koch-Rose, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, United States.

Description: Ocean acidification can affect the physiology and ecology of microalgae and macroalgae in different ways. While greater inorganic carbon may enhance CO2 and HCO3- available for photosynthesis and growth, a lower pH of seawater has also been shown to affect calcification in some species. Ecological consequences of ocean acidification are less understood but include shifts in community structure and composition, and changes in species interactions and ecosystem functioning. This symposium provides an excellent opportunity to have a dynamic discussion on the roles of inorganic carbon uptake mechanisms and other traits on algal physiological processes. We aim to develop a synthesis of our collective understanding on how ocean acidification is and will affect algal species and the potential to affect open-water and benthic ecosystems.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Professor Juliet Brodie, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.	Dr. Pavel Skaloud, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Description: Given the representation of algae across the tree of life and their immense diversity on Earth, we need algal taxonomy as never before in the quest for knowledge and novel application. From traditional taxonomy through classical molecular taxonomy to phylogenomics, the subject is evolving fast. That comes with its own challenges but also a huge incentive to develop a strategy to maximise consensus and output into the future.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Marie-Laure Guillemin, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile.	Dr. Stacy Krueger-Hadfield, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States.

Description: The evolution of alternation between haploid and diploid phases in life cycles is a major question in evolutionary biology as it is central to our understanding of the origins of eukaryotic sex. Far from being intriguing exceptions, complex life cycles, characterized by discrete stages that differ in form or function, are especially diverse among the algae. The different stages in a complex life cycle are intimately linked, whereby ecological and evolutionary impacts on one stage may cascade through the entire life cycle. The purpose of this session is to bring together evolutionary ecologists to share the latest theoretical and empirical developments to shed light on the evolutionary consequences of life cycle complexity in micro- and macro algae.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Stephen Mayfield, University of California San Diego, United States.	Dr. Martin Jonikas, Princeton University, United States.

Description: Synthetic biology is defined as the science of redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities or make new products. Synthetic biology in algae has the added characteristic of harnessing the power of sunlight, and utilizing atmospheric carbon dioxide, to solve problems in medicine, manufacturing, and agriculture. This symposium will cover recent advances in algal synthetic biology and the new era of photosynthetic bio-manufacturing.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Satoshi Nagai, Japan Fisheries Research, Japan.	Dr. Oscar Espinoza González, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, IFOP, Chile.

Description: The symposium aims to gain better insight into all aspects of HAB occurrences in freshwater and marine environments, i.e. cell biology, physiology, ecology, taxonomy and toxicology, molecular biology, oceanography, remote sensing, modelling, countermeasures, and risk management. The goal of the session is to summarize the current achievements in the HAB research, discuss pending issues and future perspectives.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Catriona Hurd, University of Tasmania, Australia.	Dr. Elisa Schaum, University of Hamburg, Germany.

Description: In this session, we will explore how multiple environmental drivers interact to shape physiology, ecology, life-cycles, and evolutionary trajectories of aquatic primary producers. Across scales - from the smallest viruses to the large seaweeds - the keynote speakers  will investigate the chances and challenges that photosynthesising organisms experience in changing oceans.  We especially encourage the submission of contributed talks tackling the responses of micro- and macroalgae, including molecular, physiological, and ecological approaches, to help to predict how they will react in a future ocean.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Nelso Navarro Martínez, Laboratorio de Ecofisiología y Biotecnología de Algas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Magallanes, Chile.	Dr. Louise A. Lewis, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, United States.

Description: The symposium ‘Algae at the extremes' highlights species exhibiting adaptations to extreme desiccation, ranges of salinity, temperature, and light levels. A special focus will be on comparisons of more extreme and non-extreme species, and the potential challenges of these species due to climate change.

Keynote Speakers

Conveners:

Dr. Dagmar Stengel, National University of Ireland, Ireland.	Dr. Celine Rebours, Møreforsking AS Norwegian Maritime Competence Centre (NMK), Norway.

Description: The diversity and plasticity of algae allows their potential utilisation in a wide range of applications across many commercial sectors, offering potential solutions to many global and societal challenges; however the sustainable production of high quality algal biomass remains a challenge.
This symposium will discuss and review the recent advances and current trends in applied micro- and macroalgal research and innovation including biodiscovery. Oral and poster presentations are invited on topics including: algae as sources of bioactive ingredients for high-value applications (food/feed ingredients, pharmaceuticals, biostimulants, cosmeceuticals, biomedical devices); recent advances in phycocolloid research; integrated environmental technologies such as CO₂ capture and waste water treatment; biorefinery processes; sustainability; developments in regulation and standardisation of algal use and products.

Keynote Speakers

Description:  This Symposium will include those contributions whose research area, in the opinion of the author, is not included in the symposiums described above.