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Marine Molecular Ecology

Gordon Research Conference

Impacts of Water Quality and Climate Change on Marine Life

July 23 - 28, 2017

Chairs Stanley Lau and Curtis Suttle

Vice Chairs Madeleine van Oppen and Qinglu Zeng

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Clear Water Bay, Kowloon

Hong Kong, CN

Venue and Travel Information

Hong Kong Advisory Board:Tony F. Chan, Kathryn Song Eng Cheah, Fanny M.C. Cheung, Arthur B. Ellis, Barry Halliwell, Nancy Ip, Jian Lu, Peter Mathieson, Alfonso Ngan, Paul Tam, Benjamin Wah, Henry Wong, Vivian Wing-Wah Yam, Kenneth Young, Albert Cheung-Hoi Yu

Conference Description

This meeting will focus on the impacts of water quality and climate change on marine organisms (from microbes to metazoans) and marine ecosystems (from shallow water to deep sea). Presentation and discussion of current findings will include, but are not limited to, the use of molecular tools to decipher the ecological consequences of the changing marine environment, and the mechanisms behind the physiological and behavioral response of marine organisms to anthropogenic stressors.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Marine Molecular Ecology (GRS)" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

Sunday
2:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff / Welcome from the GRC Chair
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm	Values of Molecular Ecology for Marine Conservation and Restoration Discussion Leader: Jian-Wen Qiu (Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR China)
7:40 pm - 8:20 pm	Paul Barber (University of California, Los Angeles, USA) "Frontiers in the Discovery and Monitoring of Marine Biodiversity Using Molecular Tools"
8:20 pm - 8:35 pm	Discussion
8:35 pm - 9:15 pm	Sophie von der Heyden (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa) "Genes and Conservation: Molecular Approaches for Sustaining Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Genomic Adaptations and Epigenetic Mechanisms Discussion Leader: Pei-Yuan Qian (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR China)
9:00 am - 9:30 am	Timothy Ravasi (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia) "Rapid Transgenerational Adaptation of a Reef Fish to Climate Change"
9:30 am - 9:45 am	Discussion
9:45 am - 10:15 am	Yu-Zhong Zhang (Shandong University, China) "Genomic Basis and Mechanisms for Psychrophilic Bacteria Adaptation to Deep Sea Sediment and Polar Sea-Ice"
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Group Photo / Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:30 am	Jose Eirin-Lopez (Florida International University, USA) "Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Acclimatory Responses to Nutrient Stress in the Staghorn Coral Acropora cervicornis"
11:30 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 12:15 pm	Haiwei Luo (Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China) "New Evolutionary Mechanisms Giving Rise to Marine Bacterioplankton Lineages with Highly Reduced Genomes"
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Impacts on Seasonality and Diurnality of Marine Organisms Discussion Leader: Qinglu Zeng (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR China)
7:30 pm - 8:15 pm	Jed Fuhrman (University of Southern California, USA) "Interactions Among Bacteria, Archaea, Viruses, and Protists"
8:15 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:15 pm	Adam Reitzel (University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA) "Evolution and Function of the Circadian Clock"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Environmental Changes and Holobionts Discussion Leader: Linda Blackall (University of Melbourne, Australia)
9:00 am - 9:30 am	Sean Crowe (The University of British Columbia, Canada) "Microbial Sulfur Metabolisms, Ocean Redox, and the Evolution of Early Animals"
9:30 am - 9:45 am	Discussion
9:45 am - 10:15 am	Monica Medina (Pennsylvania State University, USA) "Regulatory Roles of the Microbiome in the Coral Holobiont"
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:30 am	Sandie Degnan (University of Queensland, Australia) "Genome-Informed Insights into the Function of a Coral Reef Sponge Holobiont"
11:30 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 12:15 pm	Christian Voolstra (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia) "The Metaorganism Imperative - We Are Not Alone"
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm	Poster Session
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Invasive Species Under Climate Change Discussion Leader: Karen Chan (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR China)
4:00 pm - 4:45 pm	Aibin Zhan (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) "Molecular Mechanisms of Local Adaptation in Marine Invasive Species"
4:45 pm - 5:00 pm	Discussion
5:00 pm - 5:45 pm	Melania Cristescu (McGill University, Canada) "Sequencing Our Ways Towards Understanding Biological Invasions"
5:45 pm - 6:00 pm	Discussion
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Molecular Diagnosis of Organismal Responses to Environmental Stressors Discussion Leader: Bayden Russell (Swire Institute of Marine Science, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China)
9:00 am - 9:45 am	Laura Mydlarz (University of Texas at Arlington, USA) "Immunity to Community: Linking Immune Responses in Corals to Ecological Outcomes"
9:45 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:15 am	Makoto Kusakabe (Shizuoka University, Japan) "Identification of Genes Essential to Overcome Salinity Stress in Threespine Stickleback"
11:15 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:15 pm	Vengatesen Thiyagarajan (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China) "Molecular Diagnosis of High-CO₂ Threats to Shellfish Diversity and Aquaculture"
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:00 pm - 7:30 pm	Business Meeting Nominations for the Next Vice Chair; Fill in Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Site and Scheduling Preferences; Election of the Next Vice Chair
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Young Investigator Presentations Discussion Leaders: Matthias Wietz (University of Oldenburg, Germany) and Marli Vlok (University of British Columbia, Canada)
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm	Zachary Gold (University of California, Los Angeles, USA) "Spatial and Temporal Variation of Environmental DNA in Kelp Forest Ecosystems"
7:45 pm - 7:50 pm	Discussion
7:50 pm - 8:05 pm	Haodong Liu (Tongji University, China) "The Interactions Between the Heterotrophic Archaea and Bacteria on Degrading Particle Organic Carbon in Marine Water Column"
8:05 pm - 8:10 pm	Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:25 pm	Ilia Maidanik (Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel) "T7-Like Cyanophage Populations Dominated by the Less Virulent Clade in the Marine Environment"
8:25 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:45 pm	Gideon Mordecai (University of British Columbia, Canada) "Evidence for Previously Unknown Viruses in Salmon from British Columbia"
8:45 pm - 8:50 pm	Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm	Yahala Rina Roterman (Tel Aviv University, Israel) "Has Microbiota Facilitated the Invasion of Spondylus Oysters in the Mediterranean Sea?"
9:05 pm - 9:10 pm	Discussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pm	Jin Sun (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR China) "Mussel Genomes Provide Insights into Adaptation to Deep-Sea Chemosynthetic Environments"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Microbial Interactions Discussion Leader: Feng Chen (University of Maryland, USA)
9:00 am - 9:45 am	Steven Wilhelm (University of Tennessee, USA) "Resolving Hidden Virus-Host Relationships in Environmental Metatranscriptomes"
9:45 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:15 am	Elizabeth Ottesen (University of Georgia, USA) "Deciphering the Responses of Bacterioplankton in Altantic Surface Waters to Saharan Dust Aerosols"
11:15 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:15 pm	Steven Hallam (University of British Columbia, Canada) "Co-Metabolic Innovation Along Eco-Thermodynamic Gradients in the Ocean"
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Threats to Marine Biodiversity Discussion Leader: Madeleine van Oppen (Australian Institute of Marine Science / The University of Melbourne, Australia)
4:00 pm - 4:45 pm	David Baker (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China) "MarineGEO-Hong Kong: Assessing the Impacts of Urbanization on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning"
4:45 pm - 5:00 pm	Discussion
5:00 pm - 5:45 pm	Melody Clark (British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, United Kingdom) "Multi-Omics Approaches to Understanding Responses to Change"
5:45 pm - 6:00 pm	Discussion
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Departure