SIL 2010 CONGRESS: Cape Town, South Africa (August 16-20)
Special session
The Multifaceted Roles of Lipids in Aquatic Ecosystems; Biochemical
Tracers, Nutrition/Condition indicators and Toxins
Michael T. Arts1 and Michail I. Gladyshev2
1
National Water Research Institute, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario,
Canada, L7R 4A6
2
Institute of Biophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
660036 Krasnoyarsk, Akademgorodok, Russia
Fatty acid profiling has advanced considerably in the past decade leading to a more
routine use of these compounds to assess trophic linkages as well as contaminant
flow/transfers in aquatic food webs. At the same time essential fatty acids and sterols
are increasingly being linked to the health and condition of a wide variety of aquatic
and terrestrial organisms and are being shown to be quite sensitive to natural and
anthropogenic perturbations. Produced at the base of the food chain (algae), ω3 and
ω6 PUFA and phytosterols may undergo significant modification once ingested by
consumers. The extent and mechanisms of these modifications and the degree of
“trophic upgrading” which take place are now the subjects of intense research
worldwide. We are now also becoming aware of “threats” to our access to essential
fatty acids (e.g. overfishing, pollution, exotic invaders) resulting in an increased
awareness of the critical role of these compounds for a sustainable and healthy
aquaculture industry. Finally, it is now also becoming clear that fatty acid-derived
metabolites such as oxylipins may also act as semiochemicals (toxins, phermones,
deterrents, kairmones) in aquatic ecosystems.
We invite presentations that explore these diverse roles of lipids in freshwater
and marine ecosystems. Integrated presentations that link trophic levels and/or
showcase how lipids can be used to assess the effects of climate changes or
contaminant loading are particularly encouraged.
Please contact Michael Arts or Michail Gladyshev to express your intention to take
part in this session and please take a minute to fill in information in the following
table:
Special Session: Water Level Decline and Fluctuations
Last Name
First Name & initial
Organization
Address (with postal
code)
e-mail
Telephone
fax
Tentative Title
Remarks
Send to: Michael Arts (Michael.Arts@ec.gc.ca) or Michail Gladyshev (glad@ibp.ru)