The First Iranian Marine Biology Symposium (The 1^st IMBS) will be organized by the School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, and will take place in Tehran on February 18-20, 2019. The IMBS aims to become the leading bi-annual symposium to gather scientists, researchers, students, and governmental/non-governmental organizations/agencies charged with marine ecosystems, providing them with an opportunity to present their recent findings and current policies from basic to applied sciences, and environmental- and climate-related changes.

The symposium scopes include, but are not limited to:

• Session 1: Taxonomy and phylogeny of marine organisms

• Molecular species identification of marine microbiomes, plants, and animals
• Biogeography or phylogeography of microbiomes, plants, invertebrate and vertebrates
• Evolutionary biology of marine organisms

• Session 2: Biology and ecology of marine microbiomes, plants, invertebrate and vertebrates

• Ecological and developmental biology in marine organisms
• Integrative biology of marine organisms (reproduction, growth, development, …)
• Invasive species: Biology, risk assessment and management

• Session 3: Biological diversity, functional morphology, and food web in marine ecosystems

• Conservation of marine biological diversity and resources
• Marine food chains, fishery and mariculture
• Marine genetic resources
• Morphological diversities in marine organisms at different evolutionary scales
• Genome banking of economically important and endangered marine organism

• Session 4: Impacts of climate change and human activities on marine ecosystems

• Impacts of environmental contaminants on integrative biology of marine organisms
• Climate- and mariculture-related changes in marine ecosystems and biological resources
• Effects of climate change on environmental disasters including oil spills and pollution
• Environmental risk assessment: Exposure assessment, policy and management
• Ocean acidification and its impacts on organisms and communities

• Session 5: Fishery, mariculture, and marine biotechnology

• Mariculture of marine organisms including economic and ornamental important species  
• Fishery and sustainable mariculture development (cage culture, seed collection, …)
• Marine microbiomes as a source of natural products
• Marine drug discovery and production
• Socio-economic impacts of fishery and mariculture

• Special panel 1: Roles of marine ecosystem in Carbon sequestration
• Special panel 2: Biological conservation of endangered marine organisms

The Symposium will be held under the auspices of the following organizations:

• University of Tehran
• Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute
• Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science,
• Department of Environment, vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Iranian Fishery Organization
• Iranian Public Universities
• Islamic Azad University

We are doing our best to provide you with a memorable event, and looking forward to welcoming you to the 1^st IMBS in Tehran!