The IMBIZO-II conference convened by the Integrated Marine Biogeochemical and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) program will be held in October 2010 in Crete, Greece. This conference will be structured around three workshops that focus on the following topics: (1) the effect of varying element ratios on community structure at low trophic levels and food quality at mid and high trophic levels, 2) large-scale regional comparisons of marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem processes research approaches and results, and 3) sensitivity of marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles to enhanced stratification. The National Science Foundation will sponsor the participation of 5 early career scientists in this meeting. This will provide them with an opportunity to learn about new linkages between food webs and biogeochemical cycles, interact with senior scientists, and forge new collaborative efforts.
The Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) project, which is co-sponsored by the International Geosphere-Biosphere (IGBP) Program and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), holds bi-annual meeting, an IMBIZO (Zulu word meaning meeting or gathering), which consists of three concurrent, interacting workshops focused on specific topics. The workshop topics are selected by the IMBER science community and are intended to highlight emerging and important research topics. Each workshop is tasked with producing synthesis products. The second IMBIZO was held in Crete, Greece, 10-14 October 2011. The focus for this IMBIZO was on, Integrating Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems in a Changing Ocean: Regional Comparisons. The three workshops for this IMBIZO were: Workshop 1: The effect of varying element ratios on community structure at low trophic levels and food quality at mid and high trophic levels, Workshop 2: Large-scale regional comparisons of marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem processes - research approaches and results, Workshop 3: Sensitivity of marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles to enhanced stratification. These workshops are designed to foster synthesis across IMBER regional and national programs and to focus on important linkages between food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Each workshop had two co-conveners. For the IMBIZO II, one of the co-conveners for each workshop was US scientist. The workshop co-conveners organized the workshop and developed the workshop synthesis products . This project facilitated partication for the US co-conveners for Workshops 1 and 3. A primary focus for this project was ensuring participation at the IMBIZO II by early career scientists from US institutions. This project facilitated participation by six US early career scientists in the IMBIZO II. Each of the selected individuals made either an oral presentation as part of the workshop he/she attended or made a poster presentation at the general IMBIZO II poster session. Two of the selected US early career scientists received Best Poster Awards for their presentations. The products from the IMBIZO II now in development are special issues of the Journal of Marine Systems and Progress in Oceanography. These peer-reviewed scientific journals provide the mechanism for distributing the results of the IMBIZO II workshop presentations and discussions to the wider scientific community. The funding provided by the National Science Foundation facilitated participation in an international science conference by early career scientists, thereby providing these individuals the opportunity to experience international science and to learn about advances in marine science that are being made as part of IMBER programs. These individuals are potentially the next generation of leaders in marine science and entraining them in international science at an early stage can only benefit them and the larger science community. More information on the IMBER IMBIZO II is available at: www.imber.info/index.php/Meetings/IMBIZO/IMBIZO-II
