ISDSC5 will be held in the Artis Conference premises (www.parkzalen.nl), Amsterdam from 2-7 April, 2012. The meeting will be a valuable opportunity to demonstrate and apply the latest research results of cold-water coral research on a broad range of topics, ranging from Larval dispersal, Linkages and Connectivity to Coral Biology and Reproduction, from Ocean circulation to Hydrodynamics, from (Paleo)productivity to Reef and Mound structures and from New proxies in paleoceanography to Conservation strategies, National and international Management, Marine Protected Areas and beyond. Workshops will be held inclusive of a video analysis workshop presently under consideration.

ISDSC has become the major conference for all aspects of cold-water coral research. Crossing the boundaries between marine geology, biology, chemistry and physics, the meeting will address key scientific issues such as ecosystem functioning, biodiversity, environmental forcing factors, coral carbonate mound initiation, and their role in past and present biogeography, deep-water reef development and diagenesis as well as more applied aspects including (potential) reservoir capacities of carbonate mounds (under past and present constraints) and the effects of climate change. All the issues will be discussed in a global context alongside dedicated science-policy interface sessions outlining the most recent developments in management and conservation.

The topics to be discussed include four overriding themes:

(1)       Biodiversity and Ecosystem functioning

(2)       Environmental conditions and constraints

(3)       Paleoceanography and climate change

(4)       Policy, Management and Conservation

Early registration (early bird fees apply) and submission of abstracts starts September 2011. Please note that only 250 participants can be accommodated (in plenary session mode). We thus encourage early registration. Reservations will be made upon order of receipt of payment. For detailed information: www.deepseacoral.nl