Services (IPBES; http://ipbes.net). The message from Prague was presented at the EU High-level
Meeting: “Visions for Biodiversity Beyond 2010 – People, Ecosystem Services and the Climate Crisis”
held in Strömstad, Sweden in September 2009.
The European Section has appointed some new committee chairs and other assignments. A new
member of the SCB-ES Board of Directors – Rob Marrs (University of Liverpool) will lead the Education
Committee, Gábor Lövei will chair the membership committee, and Nuno Curado will chair the Student
Affairs Ad-Hoc Committee for the coming three years. During 2010 and 2011 Barbara Mihok will run the
secretariat of the Europe section. She is based in Hungary and can be reached at europe@conbio.org.
A new Ad-Hoc committee focusing on conservation biology research in the Mediterranean region has
been formed. The Mediterranean basin is characterized by rainless summers, ancient cultures, and an
ecological orientation towards the sea. Phenomena such as wildfire, anthropogenic landscapes, rapid
urbanization, cultural landscape conservation, and a shared marine environment are common to
conservation biologists in the region. EU funding agencies have long recognized these common interests;
hence there are specific programs (such as MedWet and ENPI) which focus on multinational cooperation
for conservation issues of mutual concern in the Mediterranean basin. Linda Olsvig-Whittaker at the Israel
Nature and Parks Authority in Jerusalem, Israel will chair this new committee. She can be reached at
email: Linda.Whittaker@npa.org.il. If you are interested in joining this committee, please contact her.
Tasks for this new committee include identification of common themes, interests and goals, establishing
research networks, and regional planning of conservation efforts. The Mediterranean ad hoc committee
aims at becoming a bridge to the African, Asian and Marine Sections, and admits participation from
members who are not in Europe, but do work in the Mediterranean region.
Linda Laikre
Marine
2nd International Marine Conservation Congress
Victoria, Canada 14-18 May 2011
“Making Marine Science Matter”
The Marine Section of the Society for Conservation Biology (with the assistance of the Society for
Conservation Biology’s Social Science Working Group) will be hosting the Second International Marine
Conservation Congress (IMCC2) from 14-18 May 2011 at the Victoria Convention Center, British
Columbia, Canada.
New themes for this conference include:
• Innovative techniques and technology for marine conservation;
• The Human dimension for marine conservation;
• International treaties and marine conservation; and
• The changing Arctic
Themes that were launched at the First International Marine Conservation Congress and which will
continue to be priority areas for the second Congress include:
• Marine conservation awareness and outreach;
• Climate change and the oceans;
• Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture;
• Conservation at the land/sea interface; and
• Marine Protected Area effectiveness and Marine Spatial Planning
In addition to IMCC2, there will be opportunities for 4 days of pre-congress workshops and symposia (10-
14th May 2011) at the University of Victoria, British Columbia.
During interactive symposia and workshops, we will challenge participants to go beyond one-way
communication. Each of these sessions will address specific topics within major themes and develop
innovative solutions to current conservation challenges. Symposium organizers will invite a select group
of speakers and devise creative ways to facilitate discussion. Workshops will consist of multi-disciplinary
