The presentation schedule is now available for download!

Background

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are a global environmental issue in both marine and freshwater ecosystems and have had significant impacts on global ecosystems and economies. AIS are spread through a wide range of vectors including shipping, stocking, and live trade. Minimizing the ecological and economic impacts of AIS involves understanding the risks they pose and the preventative and control actions required to minimize those risks. AIS are known to have multiple synergistic impacts on ecosystem health and may be contributing factors to numerous other stressors including harmful algal blooms and fish kills.  The high volume of international marine traffic that passes through the Sea of Oman presents an obvious risk for AIS as evidenced by the rise in the frequency of algal blooms in the Sea of Oman.

The goals of this conference are to bring together leading researchers from across the world to share the current state of knowledge on the risks, impacts and control measures needed to manage AIS with special attention to ballast water management strategies. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Sultanate of Oman and the Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management Society are jointly convening this important event for the Gulf Region as well as for the international community.  This is the first time that such an event is being organized in the Middle East and we cordially invite all researchers, managers, students to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

It is our pleasure to invite you to come to the conference. If you are interested in participating, please fill out the Intent to Participate form.