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Organizer: Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia
Organizing committee: Ľubomír Kováč, Andrej Mock, Peter Ľuptáčik, Igor Hudec, Marcel Uhrin, Vladimír Papáč, Zuzana Višňovská, Peter Hlaváč
Scientific committee: David C. Culver (USA), Louis Deharveng (France), William F. Humphreys (Australia), William R. Jeffery (USA), Remko Leijs (Australia), Oana T. Moldovan (Romania), Tone Novak (Slovenia), Pedro Oromí (Spain), Martin Plath (Germany), Valerio Sbordoni (Italy), Boris Sket (Slovenia), Eleonora Trajano (Brazil).
Conference participants. Photo: V. Kalinčáková.
1 Andrej Mock 2 Marconi Souza Silva 3 Matheus B. Mescolotti 4 Bernd Hauser 5 Christian Juberthie 6 Pierre J. Strinati 7 Valerio Sbordoni 8 Marina Cobolli 9 Monika Balogová 10 Dajana Hmura 11 Maja Hodžić 12 Ana Sofia P. S. Reboleira 13 Janice Muriel-Cunha 14 Elżbieta Dumnicka 15 Horst Wilkens 16 Luiza B. Simões 17 Marcella P. Uchoa 18 Kym M. Abrams 19 Rachael A. King 20 Florian Malard 21 Ioana N. Meleg 22 Cornelia Spengler 23 Maria Avramov 24 Lou Maurice 25 Peter Ľuptáčik 26 Remko Leijs 27 Thami G. Silva 28 Anđela Ćukušić 29 Stuart Halse 30 Tamara Ćuković 31 Ana Komerički 32 Helena Bilandžija 33 Jana Bedek 34 Vladimír Košel 35 Jean-Jacques Geoffroy 36 Hans S. Reip 37 Elke Aden 38 Ulrike Strecker 39 Jaroslav Smrž 40 Michal Rendoš 41 Alena Nováková 42 Vladimír Šustr 43 José D. Gilgado 44 Alexander M. Weigand 45 Sanja Gottstein 46 David Eme 47 Ľubomír Kováč 48 Gregor Aljančič 49 Magdalena Năpăruş 50 Zuzana Višňovská 51 William Jeffery 52 Thais G. Pellegrini 53 Iva Njunjić 54 Marko Lukić 55 Martina Pavlek 56 Lucie Volná 57 Beata Adamczyk 58 Giuseppe Messana 59 Oana T. Moldovan 60 Stefano Taiti 61 Maria E. Bichuette 62 Pedro Oromí 63 Lívia M. Cordeiro-Borghezan 64 Karel Tajovský 65 Somayeh Esmaeli-Rineh 66 Vahid Akmali 67 Branko Jalžić 68 Aleksandra Kilian 69 Jaroslav Svatoň 70 Roman Ozimec 71 Mladen Kučinić 72 Slavko Polak 73 Erika L. S. Taylor 74 Marcus P. A. Oliveira 75 Rodrigo L. Ferreira 76 Vladimír Papáč 77 Traian Brad 78 Alica Chroňáková 79 Edita Miková 80 Peter Fenďa 81 Marcel Uhrin 82 William F. Humphreys 83 Eleonora Trajano 84 Marie-José Turquin 85 Marcus V. Dominguez 86 Laura Epure 87 Jonas E. Gallão 88 Rodica Plăiaşu 89 Steven J. Taylor 90 Horton H. Hobbs III 91 Hans J. Hahn 92 Tanja Pipan 93 Peter Trontelj 94 David Culver 95 Daniel W. Fong 96 Vlastimil Růžička 97 José G. Palacios-Vargas 98 Ian Moody 99 Jason Corbett 100 Robert A. Susac 101 Barbara Zakrzewska 102 Maja Zagmajster 103 Ivica Barač, and 104 Valerio Ketmaier. Sketch: P. Ľuptáčik.
The Conference was held at the university campus in Košice City centre under the auspices of the International Society for Subterranean Biology. It hosted 116 participants from 20 countries: Brazil (16), Slovakia (14), Croatia (11), Slovenia (11), Czech Republic (10), Germany (8), USA (7), Australia (6), Italy (6), Romania (6), France (4), Bosnia and Herzegovina (3), Iran (3), Mexico (2), Poland (2), Spain (2), Switzerland (2), Great Britain (1), Portugal (1) and Serbia (1).
The Society supported altogether 10 young participants with travel grants: Kym Abrams (Australia), Jana Bedek (Croatia), Livia Cordeiro-Borghezan (Brazil), Teo Delič (Slovenia), Somayeh Esmaeili (Iran), Marjeta Konec (Slovenia), Ioana Meleg (Romania), Thais Giovanni Pellegrini (Brazil), Ana Sofia Reboleira (Portugal) and Erika Taylor (Brazil).
“Subterranean realm – fragile ecosystems and unique biodiversity: towards new concepts” was a central topic of the event highlighting the necessity of complex study of subterranean environments. The scientific program was divided in seven symposia offered in advance:
• Subterranean Biodiversity
• Adaptation, Development, Physiology and Behaviour
• Phylogeography, Phylogeny and Evolution
• Microbiology and Geomicrobiology and Sedimentology
• Population and Community Ecology of Subterranean Organisms
• Subterranean Ecosystems
• Conservation of Subterranean Life
In total 70 oral presentations, 67 posters and 1 video document were presented during four conference days. Young participants were awarded by Scientific Committee of the Society: Alexander M. Weigand for the best oral presentation and Dajana Hmura for the best poster. Gregor Aljančič and Magdalena Năpăruş were awarded for oral presentation with important message to conservation of subterranean life. The other details on the conference are provided on the web page www.icsb2012.eu, including video records of the oral presentations.
Other events included welcome reception in Guest House Grand and Košice downtown visit by walk with guide. During the mid-conference excursion the participants visited two important show caves of Slovakia – Dobšinská Ice Cave and Demänovská Cave of Liberty. Museum of the Liptov Village in Pribylina displayed the typical folk architecture. The conference finished with the social dinner at House of Art.
General Assembly of ISSB elected new members of the Council Board and approved candidature of Mexico for organization of the next conference. It will be held on August 31–September 5, 2014 in Juriquilla campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Querétaro state. The main organizer is José G. Palacios-Vargas (UNAM).
See you in Mexico in 2014!
On behalf of organizing committee of the 21st ICSB conference
Ľubo Kováč