Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) annual meeting

We invite you to submit abstracts to the session "Organisms: biogeochemical indicators of environmental change" at the upcoming Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) annual meeting to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from August 3-6, 2010. The deadline for abstract submission is April 15, 2010.

Session Description:
There is extensive evidence that the earth is undergoing rapid warming. Massive ice shelf collapses present obvious signs of warming in the Antarctic coastal regions, but evidence on the continent is not as dramatic. Some organisms may be sensitive to seemingly minor climate changes and alter their abundances in ways that amplify environmental change. Other organisms can respond to environmental changes in subtle ways by shifting latitudinal ranges over a sustained period, for instance. This session aims at integrating the wealth of descriptive and observational information regarding species distributions, ecosystem dynamics, and the interplay between physico-chemical and biological systems. Studies based on either current or ancient ecosystems are sought for this session. Presenters are encouraged to project our current understanding of Antarctic ecosystems into a future of changing climate and to discuss potential research avenues for monitoring and predicting ecosystem changes.

Additional information about the SCAR meeting is available at:
http://www.dna.gov.ar/scar2010/