Mediterranean Seagrass Workshop

This year, the Mediterranean Seagrass Workshop (MSW) will be hosted by the Department of Biology between May 29 and June 3. The MSW will be held at the Corinthia Jerma Palace in Marsascala.

Dr Joseph Borg, member of the organising and scientific committee, is representing the University of Malta. MSW 2006 is the first meeting that focuses on Mediterranean seagrasses. Previous meetings workshops on Posidonia oceanica beds, have focused mainly on Posidonia oceanica.

MSW 2006 will include a wide range of topics encompassing biological, ecological and management aspects of Mediterranean seagrasses. The Mediterranean constitutes one of the oldest cradles of civilisation, while its waters harbour a high biodiversity; a large percentage of the marine species (around 20%) in the region are endemic.

However, extensive coastal development, coupled with the heavy pressure of anthropogenic activities on its waters, have led to loss of marine habitat in the region.

Being located in shallow coastal areas close to human settlement, seagrasses are bearing the brunt of disturbance from anthropogenic activities, with the result that degradation and loss of seagrass habitat is widespread in the Mediterranean Sea.

MSW 2006 aims to bring together seagrass biologists from all over the Mediterranean to discuss current knowledge of the state of seagrasses, and to present aspects of their latest research. For these aims to be achieved, a main objective of MSW 2006 will be to attract participants from North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, since data on seagrasses from these regions are lacking.

It is for this reason that the organising committee chose the Maltese Islands, located at the centre of the Mediterranean, as the venue for MSW 2006. More information is available from Lucienne Bugeja, conference manager, Foundation for International Studies, on 2123-4571 or by e-mail at mswinfo@um. edu.mt.