Martin Wikelski 0950470 Integrative Migration Biology Symposium
Most people are familiar with the phenomenon of migration, though they may not realize how important it is. Migration has been called a keystone behavior by some researchers because of the large effects that migratory animals have on their ecosystems. One of the main goals of this meeting is to bring together researchers who are trying to understand how and why animals migrate so that biologists can understand, for example, how to conserve salmon in the Pacific Northwest and how migrants may affect the spread of the avian flu. The best way to answer these important questions is to perform integrative research on migration, which combines, among other things, multiple scientific disciplines (such as meteorology, genetics, physiology, and behavior), many different species, and laboratory-based and field-based studies. This meeting and the associated travel grants are designed to attract students and post-doctoral researchers interested in migration from all over the world, which is appropriate since migration is a global phenomenon. The meeting will allow these young investigators to mingle with the speakers and other researchers who are committed to performing integrative migration biology. The students will also have the opportunity to present their own research in coordinated sessions. Individuals who are not able to attend the meeting will be able to gain insights about migration biology through papers authored by the speakers and published in the journal, Integrative and Comparative Biology, a high-impact, well-read journal. Overall, this meeting is designed to increase the visibility of integrative migration biology and promote integrative projects that will lead to a deeper understanding of a phenomenon that has puzzled both children and adults everywhere for hundreds of years: how and why do animals migrate?
In order to migrate, animals themselves must integrate many aspects of behavior, physiology, genetics, and morphology. Consequently, the study of animal migration has become incredibly diverse as it now spans across a vast spectrum of disciplines. Such diversity has created the need for forums in which researchers can meet and discuss their research. We held a two-day symposium (Integrative Migration Research Symposium) as part of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology’s (SICB) annual meeting in January 2010. Our goal was to bring leading and young scientists in migration research from around the world together to discuss the present and future of migration research as an integrative discipline, foster future collaborations, and provide scientists starting their career a venue to discuss their research with these leaders. The symposium hosted 10 leading scientists from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel. Thanks to funding from NSF, SICB and MIGRATE (Migration Interest Group: Research Applied Toward Education), we were also able to invite 20 young scientists in the early stages of their career from around the world. The talks covered a broad range of topics in migration research and reflected the true integrative nature of migration. Topics included how migratory animals navigate, migration theory and evolution, the effects of climate and weather on migration patterns, technological advances in the study of migration, the importance of studying migration throughout the entire year, the physiological demands of endurance flight associated with migration, and the challenges we face in the conservation of migratory animals. The symposium additionally attracted many speakers that presented their research at the symposium. The symposium enabled researchers that do not normally attend the same scientific meetings to meet and forge future collaborations. It also provided an opportunity for young scientists to discuss their research and career goals with leading migration research scientists. Here are some comments received from student attendees: […] attending the SICB-meeting in general and presenting a talk in the Integrative Migration Biology Symposium in particular was very successful, exciting and useful for me; Beyond presenting my own work, I benefited from a wide range of high quality talks presented within the IMB symposium and at the SICB conference in general; With the contacts I made during the SICB conferences, but especially during the Integrative Migration Biology Symposium I have developed a useful plan for my future work. Several publications ensued from this symposium including one multi-authored paper on the challenges and ‘big questions’ of future integrative migration research.
