Subscribe Login
+255 24 2233472 / +255 24 2234597 secretary@wiomsa.org
Subscribe Login
+255 24 2233472 / +255 24 2234597 secretary@wiomsa.org

Programme

Programme

The Symposium Programme comprises a combination of plenary and parallel sessions. Prominent experts from within and outside of the region will be invited to attend the symposium and deliver keynote presentations. Posters will be displayed throughout the symposium and a dedicated poster session will be arranged to facilitate discussions with the presenting authors. Day 4 will provide the opportunity for special sessions focusing on particular issues to be held.

Scientific Programme

  • Keynote Presentations
  • Symposium Scientific Programme
  • List of Posters

Special Sessions

During the Symposium there will be special sessions on topical issues that are of global and regional importance. These special sessions could be convened by individuals or organizations. All those who are interested to organized special sessions are requested to submit their general description of their session by 31 August 2017. All the special sessions will be held on 2 November 2017.

Symposium Events

A number of events associated with the Symposium are normally organized before, during and after the Symposium. Organizations, programmes, projects and commercial companies are welcomed to organize or sponsor events. Space will also be available for exhibits by different organisations or programmes.

Three competitions have been organized best student poster; best student oral presentation and best photo competition. Winners of these competitions will be awarded special prizes.

  • Special Sessions
  • Special Events
  • Competitions
  • Exhibition
  • Field Excursions

All interested authors are invited to submit abstracts on the themes listed below. Authors may also submit abstracts on other topics relevant to the wider field of coastal and marine science. The main themes include but are not limited to:

1. Social, ecological, economic and political dynamics of coastal communities

  • Economic/Social/Environmental/Cultural opportunities and challenges of economic activities in the coastal and marine environment
  • Communities’ use of, and dependence on, ecosystem services for livelihoods
  • Interactions between conservation initiatives and poverty reduction strategies
  • Understanding Ecosystem Services
    • Quantifying, valuing and describing patterns of ecosystem service provision from different ecosystems
    • Social and cultural processes underlying ecosystem service provision
    • Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into national development plans
    • The contribution of natural capital to economic development

2. Environmental and Climate Vulnerability, Resilience & Adaptation

  • Implications of changes in major drivers on the coastal and marine environment. Major drivers include: demographic pressure, economic development, socio-political changes and climate change.
  • Combined effects of climate change, land-use practices (e.g. deforestation, coastal development that forms a barrier to mangrove landward migration), and other human impacts (e.g. pollution, eutrophication) on resilience and adaptive capacity.
  • Costs associated with addressing the implications of global change
  • Assessment of carbon stocks

3. Coastal and Marine Living Resources

  • Fisheries: trends, challenges and sustainability
  • Mariculture development: Types, systems and lesson learnt
  • The ecological impacts of fishing
  • Ecosystem-based fishery assessment and management, in theory and practice
  • The biology, ecology and mitigation of fisheries bycatch
  • The economics of WIO fisheries
  • Fisheries stock assessment: Advances and provision of management advice
  • Fisheries value chains and value additions

4. Ecosystems

4.1 Coral Reef Habitats

  • Biodiversity and diversification processes (including biology and reproduction of marine organisms; connectivity of marine populations and community resilience)
  • Functional ecology of coastal ecosystems

4.2 Ecosystems assessment methodologies/modeling

  • Ecosystem assessment and monitoring: roles of bio-indicators, chemical tracers and models
  • Ecosystem modeling and forecasting

4.3 Intertidal and Nearshore Ecosystems (Beaches, Estuaries, Mangroves, Salt Marshes and Seagrass Beds)

  • Biodiversity and diversification processes (including biology and reproduction of marine organisms; connectivity of marine populations and community resilience)
  • Functional ecology of coastal ecosystems
  • Restoration of critical habitats

4.4 Deep sea and offshore/pelagic habitats

  • Biodiversity and diversification processes (including biology and reproduction of marine organisms; connectivity of marine populations and community resilience)
  • Functional ecology of offshore ecosystems

4.5 Primary productivity and biogeochemistry

5. Coastal Governance and Policy

5.1 Coastal & Ocean Governance

  • Integrated Ocean and Coastal Management: Experience from national to regional levels
  • Mechanisms to strengthen fisheries management to meet both socio-economic and environmental conservation objectives
  • Effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of policies and legislation of marine and coastal resources
  • Challenges and opportunities at the Science to Policy interface
  • Contributions on area based management including MPAs, MSPs, EBSAs, PSSAs etc
  • Transboundary governance of marine and coastal resources
  • Co-management of resources: Advances, challenges and opportunities

5.2 Supporting delivery of SDG 14 in WIO region

  • Policy options and information needs to support delivery of SDG 14 at national and regional levels

Ocean/Blue economy

  • Opportunities and challenges of developing large economic initiatives
  • The importance of marine spatial planning in advancing ocean/blue economy
  • National and regional ocean/blue economy initiatives
  • WIO as an emerging important region for offshore oil and gas reserves: opportunities and challenges
  • Areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJs) in the WIO

6. Marine Biodiversity and Threatened Marine Species

  • Marine organisms and bioactive natural substances
  • Ecology and conservation of endangered marine species (e.g. turtles, mammals, sharks, seabirds)
  • Taxonomy and genetic studies
  • Distribution patterns/biogeography
  • Invasive species

7. Physical, meteorological and geological processes

  • Sea/air interactions and upwelling mechanisms
  • Studies and modelling of physical and geological processes
  • Shoreline changes
  • Relationship between physical and ecological processes
  • Trends and projections of extreme events and major oceanographic processes

8. Capacity development and outreach

  • Effectiveness of capacity development, public awareness and outreach initiatives
  • Communicating science to different audiences
  • Involvement of public in policymaking and influencing changes

9. Coastal and marine technologies supporting management

  • Use of drones and a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) in coastal and marine management
  • Geoinformatics for coastal and marine management
  • Remote sensing applications for coastal management
  • Use of Information Communications Technology (ICT) in marine resources management

10. Islands of WIO region

  • Innovative solutions from conservation, restoration and adaptation to climate change initiatives
  • Challenges and opportunities unique to island states