| CLIOTOP (CLimate Impacts on Oceanic TOp Predators) is a ten year
program implemented under the international research program GLOBEC,
a component of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP).
CLIOTOP is devoted to the study of oceanic top predators within their
ecosystems and is based on a worldwide comparative approach, i.e.
among regions, oceans and species. It requires a substantive international
collaborative effort. The project aims at identifying, characterising
and modelling the key processes involved in the dynamics of oceanic
pelagic ecosystems in a context of both climate variability and
change and intensive fishing of top predators. The goal is to improve
knowledge and to develop a reliable predictive capacity for single
species and ecosystem dynamics at short, medium and long term scales.
CLIOTOP is based on the idea that the variety of climatic and oceanographic
conditions in the three oceans (Atlantic, Indian and Pacific) provides
a unique opportunity for large-scale comparative analysis of open
ocean ecosystem functioning.
Conference sessions:
The symposium will consist of plenary and poster sessions:
Working group sessions:
- WG1 - Early life history of top predators
- WG2 - Physiology, behaviour and distribution of top predators
- WG3 - Trophic pathways in open ocean ecosystems
- WG4 - Synthesis and modelling
- WG5 - Socio-economic aspects and management strategies
Crosscutting sessions:
- Climate change and top predator/pelagic ecosystems
- Meso-scale issues (including downscaling and upscaling from
and to the global scale) in CLIOTOP
- Global change implications for management and conservation strategies
of top predators
- Future scientific challenges: what is needed from the field,
what is needed from the models, where are the gaps
Proceedings
Authors whose papers are accepted for presentation at the conference
will be invited to prepare a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed
journal. Special consideration will be given to comparative studies
between regions or species and papers dealing with an integrated
approach, combining observation/experiments and modelling.
Grants
Total or partial grants are expected to be available for students
and researchers from developing countries.
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