The call for abstracts has now closed. Thank you to everyone who has submitted an abstract. ICHA 2014 is shaping up to be a great conference with nearly 500 abstracts submitted. We will be contacting all authors by 15th July to advise on the status of their abstract.
| CRITICAL DATES | |
|---|---|
| First circular and call for abstracts: | 10 Jan 14 |
| Registration opens | 31 Mar 14 |
| Abstract submission deadline: | 3 June 14 (by 5.00pm NZ time). |
| Notification to authors of acceptance: | 15 Jul 14 |
| End of early-bird registration: | 15 Aug 14 |
| Conference: | 27–31 Oct 14 |
The theme of the conference is “Advancement Through Shared Science” in recognition of the multidisciplinary nature of the field and the important role that international collaboration has played in the understanding of HAB phenomena and the mitigation of their effects.
The organising committee invites the submission of abstracts on the following topics
- Freshwater and marine HAB biogeography: Regional events, population dynamics, biosecurity and alien species, modelling and prediction.
- Freshwater and marine benthic HABs : Harmful and nuisance algae in tropical, temperate and high latitude benthic environments (ciguatera cyanobacteria, macrophytes, diatoms)
- HAB biology and ecology: Physiology, life cycles (cysts), food chains, allelopathy, mixotrophy, , parasitism/symbiosis, bacteria and viruses, culturing
- Algal toxins: Chemistry/biochemistry, metabolism and analytical methods
- Toxicology: Balancing safety and sustainability: mechanism of toxicity, international regulation and mitigation of algal toxins in food and water.
- Taxonomy, systematics and genomics: Morphological and molecular taxonomy, functional genomics and genetic diversity.
- HAB Technologies: Biosensors and techniques for cell and toxin detection and quantification.
- HABs and societies: Impact of HABs on aquaculture, fisheries, recreation and public health.
- Surveillance and management: Monitoring and remote sensing, management and mitigation of HABs
- HABs in a Changing World: Eutrophication, land use, climate change, ocean acidification and HABs
PRESENTATION TYPES
Submissions are invited for the following presentation types. Submitters will be required to indicate on the submission form which type of presentation they wish to make and the topic it relates to. The presenter of each communication (oral or poster) must be a registered participant.
Oral Papers
Papers will be scheduled within either of two concurrent sessions. Each paper will be allocated 15 minutes presentation time with 5 minutes for questions. No more than one oral presentation can be given by one individual.
Posters
Posters must adhere to the described format (poster guidelines) and should not exceed dimensions of 1189mm tall X 841mm wide (A0 Portrait). Posters will be displayed in areas immediately adjacent to the rooms where the oral sessions will be held and will be available for viewing at all times for the duration of the conference. Authors will be required to be available at designated times during intermissions to discuss their poster with other delegates. Posters that only repeat an oral presentation will not be accepted.
Speed talks
Selected poster presenters will have the opportunity to make a brief oral presentation of their material in special sessions of “Speed Talks” prior to poster viewing sessions. The format is not finalised but may involve 3 minute talks with a maximum of 3 slides and automated slide change at 1 min intervals. The duration will be strictly enforced. Presenters are encouraged to think of novel ways to present their research. People submitting posters should tick the appropriate box on the submission form if they wish to present a “Speed Talk”. Because the number of “Speed Talks” that can be presented will be limited a selection process may be necessary.
ABSTRACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the conference organising committee who will do their best to accommodate the wishes of the submitters for oral or poster presentations. However, it is expected that due to the large number of submissions that some requests for oral presentations will have to be assigned as posters. If your submission is not accepted for an oral presentation it is not a reflection of the quality of your submission but rather due to time constraints and the need to ensure all aspects of the conference topics are adequately covered. The organisers reserve the right to reject submitted abstracts that are poorly written, do not follow the submission guidelines and/or are outside the scope of the conference. Only abstracts from authors who have sent in the registration forms and who have paid the appropriate registration fee will be included in the programme and the book of abstracts. The only exceptions are authors who have applied for an ISSHA Travel Grant or who have unusual circumstances and have been in contact with the organisers ([email protected]) beforehand.
The receipt of your submission will be acknowledged immediately by e-mail and authors will receive notification of acceptance of their abstract by 15 July 2014 at the latest. Once abstracts have been accepted they will be uploaded to the conference web site.
Accepted presenters are expected to register and pay the registration fee for either the full conference, or for the day of their presentation, by the early bird date of 15 August 2014.
THE MAUREEN KELLER STUDENT AWARD
Students are the future of the Society, and ISSHA wish to promote their contributions during the ICHA.
The name of this award was given to honor Dr Maureen Keller (1954-1999), from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (USA), for her contribution to the ecology and physiology of harmful algal species and her dedication to laboratory cultures during her short career.
The Maureen Keller Award is given to outstanding graduate student oral and poster communications at the ICHA. Conference participants are chosen in advance to review students’ presentations. The evaluations are processed by the ISSHA Awards Committee and awardees are announced during the ICHA banquet. Please indicate on your abstract submission whether you wish to be considered for this award.
