📅 Date: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
🕘 Time: 10:00 AM (SAST)
💻 Location: Hybrid Online via Zoom and in-person at the NRF-SAIAB Lecture Room (Somerset Street, Makhanda)
📌 Hosted by: NRF-SAIAB & Water Research Commission (WRC)
🔗 Register Here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/FeMcJVC_SdG4HJJGI7t4cw
The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), in partnership with the Water Research Commission (WRC), invites stakeholders, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and the general public to join a Technical Workshop on Biodiversity Status and Future Research Needs.
This workshop will explore the current state of freshwater and estuarine biodiversity, ecosystem services, and critical future research priorities. The event will feature expert panellists and provide a collaborative platform for knowledge exchange and strategic planning in the biodiversity sector.
Key Themes:
1. Status and threats to aquatic biodiversity (climate change, pollution, habitat degradation, invasive species)
2. Invasive species management and mitigation
3. Role of natural history collections and biobanks in conservation
4. Importance of microbiomes in ecosystem functioning
5. Citizen science and its impact on biodiversity monitoring and the green economy
This is an important opportunity to engage with thought leaders, contribute to strategic discussions, and help shape the direction of biodiversity research in South Africa.
📎 Programme and Concept Note available for download
For more information, please contact: LB.Dlamini@saiab.nrf.ac.za
