Preface: phytoplankton responses to human impacts at different scales

Abstract

The 16th workshop of the International Association for Phytoplankton Taxonomy and Ecology (IAP) on phytoplankton responses to human impacts was held at the Agricultural Institute of S. Michele all’Adige— Fondazione E. Mach from 21st to 28th August 2011. The stated IAP objectives are to get together preeminent as well as young scientists and students working on various aspects of phytoplankton taxonomy and ecology to discuss topics of current interest, to jointly examine water samples under the microscope and practice species identification under the guidance of leading experts, and to encourage young scientists to engage in taxonomy research—a field where expertise is vanishing. No doubts that these objectives were achieved in the current workshop with 91 participants from 23 countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Uruguay) attending the workshop, more or less equally divided between professional scientists and students. Grants were provided to encourage the participation of students. The hostel of the institute where the meeting was held provided a spectacular site located in the Adige Valley and surrounded by the Alps. The microscopy sessions in the afternoons were guided by established taxonomists and attended by keen-tolearn young scientists who jointly examined fresh and preserved samples brought by the participants. The IAP was established in 1979, and since then held 16 workshops at different locations (Kristiansen, 1997). Since 1991, each workshop had a well-defined ecological theme, and taxonomic topics. Proceedings of all these workshops have been published as peerreviewed articles. Since the early 1990s these appeared in dedicated volumes of Hydrobiologia: Guest editors: N. Salmaso, L. Naselli-Flores, L. Cerasino, G. Flaim, M. Tolotti & J. Padisak / Phytoplankton responses to human impacts at different scales: 16th workshop of the International Association of Phytoplankton Taxonomy and Ecology (IAP)