The 15th International Conference on Environmental Bioindicators (15th ICEBI) discussed environmental bioindicators as early warning signs of climate change and other environmental stressors. The recent meeting (7-9 June 2007) at the City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China was sponsored by the International Society of Environmental Bioindicators (ISEBI), Taylor and Francis Publishing and City University of Hong Kong. It was attended by representatives from 29 countries or special administrative regions, including: Australia; Brazil; Canada; China; Croatia; Cuba; France; Germany; Hong Kong; Italy; India; Indonesia; Israel; Japan; Macau; Monaco; Philippines; Portugal; South Africa; South Korea; Spain; Taiwan; Thailand; Romania; Russian Federation; Ukraine; United Kingdom; and USA.
Besides the well established consequences of sea level rise, other environmental systems are already showing effects of climate change including forest and coral reef ecosystems. Allan Carroll, Pacific Forestry Centre, Government of Canada, Victoria, Canada discussed how the mountain pine beetle is signaling the effects of Climate Change on the Pacific Northwest forests. In combination with past forest management practices the mountain pine beetle has spread throughout British Columbia causing ecological and economic effects. Sessions were also held on environmental bioindicators of mass coral bleaching that has resulted in the decimation of entire reef systems worldwide. Drs. Paul Sammarco of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, and Kevin Strychar of Texas A&M University have shown that zooxanthellae, the symbiotic algae that live in coral tissues and supply the coral with energy, are more sensitive to temperature change than are the corals themselves. But when the algae die or leave the coral causing the bleaching phenomenon, the coral cannot survive.
Bioindicator/biomarker papers were presented on other indicators of environmental stress including; environmentally-caused illnesses; genotypic indicators of tributyltin and PCBs; Asian bird flu indicators; bioindicators of metals and metalloids; genetic biomarkers; microbial indicators for tracking industrial and sewage pollution; government and regulatory policy on the use of bioindicators; and bioindicators of water, air and soil pollution.
View Abstracts
The full abstracts of all papers submitted and accepted can be accessed at: 15th International Conference on Environmental Bioindicators
The 16th International Conference on Environmental Bioindicators is planned for 11-14 November 2008 in Orlando, Florida USA. For further information on the Society, the 16th ICEBI and other environmental bioindicator issues email Ed Zillioux, ISEBI (zillioux@bioindicators.org)
Annual Confrence