Meco project: Dissemination of Results

Session 1: The Mediterranean sand shores - chairman: Naylor E.
10.00 Scapini F. (I), Sandy beaches' diversity
10.30 Oueslati A. (TN) Submerged archaeological structures along the Tunisian coasts: their significance and importance for the understanding of sandy beaches recent evolution.
11.00 coffee break

11.30 Gheskiere T., Scapini F. & Vincx M. (BE), Meiobenthic biodiversity of two Italian sandy beaches with emphasis on the free-living marine nematodes.
12.00 Martin Martin J., Seva E., Pastor A. & Martin C. (ES), Erosion dynamics and its relationship with vegetation structure and composition in the dunes of the Maremma Park.
12.30 Pastor-Lopez A. & Candela-Quesada J., (ES), Potential biomass accumulation and productivity of Guardamar-La Marina sand dunes. Ecological and management implications.

13.00 lunch

Session 2: The MECO experience of integrated research - chairman: Bayed A.,
14.30 Caffyn A. (UK), A framework for the analysis of socio-economic aspects of sandy beach environments.
15.00 Gueddari M. & Oueslati A. (TN), The recent evolution of the Kneiss archipelago and its surroundings: a geomorphological and sedimentological approach.
15.30 El Agbani M. & Dakki M. (MA), Importance of Moroccan sand beaches for hibernating migratory water fowl from western Palearctic.

16.30 Schembri P.J., Azzopardi M., Deidun A. & Saliba S. (MT), Low faunal diversity on Maltese sandy beaches: fact or artefact?
17.00 Colombini I., Fallaci M., Scapini F. & Chelazzi L. (I) , Comparative biodiversity analysis in sandy littoral ecosystems of the South Western Mediterranean.
17.30 Chaouti A. & Bayed A. (MA), Specific and functional diversity of benthic macrofauna of the Mediterranean Smir lagoon (Morocco).
18.00 Marques J.C. et al. (PT), Biology, population dynamics and productivity of Talitrus saltator at Cabedelo (Western coast of Portugal), Uccellina (Italy) and Zouara (Tunisia). A comparative study between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations.

Day 3. Saturday 20th Oct - Aula Magna, Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare, v. Cocchi 4

Session 3: The North-Atlantic sand shores - chairman: Jaramillo E.
9.30 McLachlan A. (OM), opening lecture: Some ideas concerning biodiversity on sandy beaches.
10.00 Bayed A. (MA) Mesologic and biologic typology of macrofauna of the beach ecosystem of the Atlantic Moroccan coast.
10.30 De la Huz C., Lastra M. & Lopez J. (ES), The relationship between the physical gradients and macrofauna on the exposed sandy beaches of Galizia (NW of Spain).

11.30 Lastra M., De la Huz C., Aerts K. & Veloso S. (ES), Morphodynamic environment and macrofauna communities of exposed sandy beaches on the Atlantic coast of Spain.
12.00 Degraer S. Volckaert A. & Vincx M. (BE), Macrobenthic zonation patterns along morphodynamical continuum of macrotidal, low tide bar/rip and ultra-dissipative sandy beaches.
12.30 Beyst B. & Mees J. (BE), The influence of beach morphology on hyperbenthic surf-zone communities.
13.00 Menn I. (DE), Food web structure at cold temperate sandy shores: comparison between an eroding and an accreting beach.

14.30 Weslawski J.M., Malinga B., Kotwitcki L., Szymelfenig M., Opalinski K. W.& Jankowska K. (PL), Functioning of highly impacted Baltic sandy littoral ecosystem.
15.00 Frost M.T., Attrill M.J. & Rowden A.A.(UK), Large scale patterns in community composition on sandy beaches (Orkney and Northern Scotland, Britannia in Northwest France).
15.30 Storey C. (IRL), The ecology of Machair dune systems; environmental impacts on the North West coast Ireland.

1. Abeso E., Martin C. & Seva E. (ES), Landscape structure and anthropization processes in the uardamar- La Marina dunes revegetation 1901-2001.
4. Incera M., Cividanes S.P., Lastra M. & Lopez J. (ES): Temporal and spatial variability of sedimentary organic matter in sandy beaches on the Galician coast (NW Spain).
5. Martin Cantarino C. (ES), The importance of historical data in the understanding of coastal environmental processes: landscape transformation during the 20th c. in the coastal region of Tetouan (Northern Morocco).
6.Penchaszadeh P.E., Marcomini S., Lopez R & Luzzatto D. (AR): Beach morphodynamics and clam (Donax hanleyanus) densities in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
7. Rodriguez J.G., Lastra M. & Lopez J. (ES): Variability of meiofaunal community structure along a morphodynamic and exposure gradient in sandy beaches of Northern Spain.
8. Ronel N. (ZA): The swash exclusion hypothesis redefined.
9. Sims-Castley R. & Schoeman D. (ZA): Incidental effects of harvesting methods on the unexploited component of a beach clam population in South Africa.
10. Urban-Malinga B., Kotwicki L., Wiktor J. & Opalinski K. (PL): Energy flow and community composition of an arctic sandy beach (Bear Island, Spitsbergen).

Day 4. Sunday 21st Oct - Aula Magna, Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare, v. Cocchi 4

Session 5: the Indo-Pacific sand coasts - chairman : Defeo O.
9.00 Dugan J. E. & Hubbard D.M.(CA, USA), Investigating the role of higher trophic levels on exposed sandy beaches: relationships among shorebirds, invertebrate macrofauna and morphodynamics in California.
9.30 Dugan J.E., Hubbard D.M. & Page H.M. (USA), Ecological effects of grooming on exposed sandy beaches in Southern California.
10.00 Jaramillo E. & Contreras H. (CL), Macroecological patterns of the Chilean sand beach macrofauna.
10.30 Contreras H. (CL), Latitudinal variability in natural history of sandy beach crustaceans along the Chilean coast.

11.30 Jones A.R., Murray A. & Marsh R.E. (NSW, AU), Recovery of populations of sandy-beach exoedicerotid amphipods following an oil spill in Sidney Harbour.
12.00 Murray A., Tzioumis V. & Jones A.R. (NSW, AU), Variation in the histories of two species of exoedicerotid amphipods living in sandy beaches near Sidney, Australia.
12.30 Schlacher T.A. & Wos M. (QLD, AU), Coupling between the physical environment and biological assemblages: storm-induced changes of sandy beach and its fauna.
13.00 Hacking N.(AU), Effects of freshwater flow on the community ecology of sandy ocean beaches in Eastern Australia.

13.30 lunch

14.30 Calliari L.J. & Speranski N.(BR), Homogeneity of Southern Brazilian Beach System.
15.00 Cardoso R.S. & De Feo O. (BR), Macroecology of population dynamics and life history traits of the mole crab Emerita Braziliensis in the Atlantic coast of South America.
15.30 Defeo O. & Rueda M. (UY), Spatial structure, sampling design and abundance estimates in sandy beach macroinfauna: some warnings and new perspectives.

16.30 Ronel N. (ZA), Factors affecting faunal communities on sandy beaches: a new insight.
17.00 Veloso V.G. & Cardoso R.S.(BR), Effects of morphodynamics on the secondary production of the macrofauna of two sandy beaches on the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.
17.30 Lercari D. & Defeo O. (UY), Community and population responses of sandy beach macrofauna to freshwater discharge.
18.00 Da F. Klein A.H., Santana G.G., Diehl F.L. & de Menezes J.T. (BR), Beach safety management: design, implementation and results of five years work in coastal beaches of Santa Catarina State, Brazil.

Day 5. Monday 22nd Oct - - Aula Magna, Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare, via Cocchi 4

Session 7: General overviews, comparative studies and methodologies:
chairman: MacLachlan A.

9.30 Defeo O. & Lercari D. (UY), Factors, processes and mechanisms affecting populations in sandy shores: an overview.
10.00 Schoeman D.S., Wheeler M., Pienaar K. & Wait M. (ZA), Have the methods used to sample the intertidal zones of exposed sandy beaches coloured our perspective of their ecology? If so, where do we go from here?
10.30 Anastacio P. M., Gonçalves S.C., Pardal M.A., Marques J.C. (PT), A model for amphipod (Talitrus saltator) populations dynamics.

11.30 Fonseca J.C. et al. (PT), Biochemical analysis in sand beach arthropods.
12.00 Elvira De Matthaeis, Valerio Ketmaier, Felicita Scapini (I) Beaches, Genetic Resources and the Island Model
12.30 Scialpi A., Intieri M.C:, Scapini F. & Buiatti M. (I), Molecular markers as an indicator of environmental impact on biodiversity of sandy beaches.

14.30 Jaramillo E., Contreras H. & Duarte C. (CL), Locomotor activity of upper beach arthropods in North central Chile.
15.00 Marchetti G.M. & Scapini F. (I) Statistical analysis of environmental effects on orientation.
15.30 Nardi M., Scapini F. & Morgan E. (I), A tool for comparative studies: analysis of circadian rhythm characteristics in different populations of Talitrus saltator.
16.00 Naylor E.(UK), closing lecture: Ontogeny of behavioural adaptations in some beach crustaceans.

16.30 coffee break

Session 9: round table on methods - chairman: Colombini

Day 6. Tuesday 23rd October

Session 10: A case study - one day guided visit to the coastal natural park of Maremma by Piussi P. and Innamorati M. (I)