Alan Deidun, a lecturer at the Department of Biology and the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Malta's Junior College, Msida, presented a paper on a proposed beach vulnerability index at the 39th annual congress of the Società Italiana di Biologia Marina (SIBM) held from June 9 to 13 in Cesenatico, Italy.
This was the third time Dr Deidun has taken part in the annual congress of the SIBM, of which he is a member.
This year's congress discussed eco-toxicology and micro-algal blooms, quantitative analyses of man's impact on coastal areas, and the application of biotechnological techniques to aquaculture.
During the research visit, which was partly funded through a Italo-Maltese cultural protocol, Dr Deidun also met Prof. Giulio Relini of SIBM, and Keith Hiscock from the UK's Marine Biological Association regarding the possibility of organising the congress in Malta in 2010.