Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 2005
Dianna K. Padilla and Benjamin G. Miner Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY University of California, Davis, Davis CA
Complex life-histories are common among plants and animals, and are evolutionarily and ecologically important. Among animals, there is evidence that complex life-histories evolved in species that lived in the oceans, and today much of the diversity in life-histories occurs among marine invertebrates. The last review of the field of marine invertebrate life-histories was approximately 10 years ago. Since then there have been important advances in the field. For example, the ecological forces that drive evolutionary shifts in life histories, the developmental mechanisms that allow for these shifts, the ecological and evolutionary roles of dispersal via larvae, and the linking of larval condition with later life-history stages are now the center of new studies not addressed before. Application of this information is currently relevant to a wide range of research areas, including (i) the new field of evolution of development, (ii) interest in phenotypic plasticity and development, and (iii) a focus on the critical importance of dispersal phases of marine animals for the success of marine reserve design and sustainable fisheries. To review and synthesize the recent advances in the field, a symposium entitled "Complex Life-Histories in Marine Benthic Invertebrates" and two associated paper sessions will be held at the annual meetings of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology from January 4-9, 2005 in San Diego CA. The symposium talks will be presented by leaders in the field who will synthesize the recent advances in their respective fields, and provide future directions and challenges. The contributed paper sessions will include presentations by graduate students and recent graduates, highlighting the work of student scientists, facilitating interactions and increasing the impact of the symposium. This award will provide 16 students and recently graduated (<2 years) postdoctoral investigators with $500 travel awards to attend the symposium and present their research in associated sessions. The symposium will attract a large audience interested in the field of complex life-histories in marine invertebrates and provide young scientists with the opportunity to interact with many senior scientists in their field.
