Pride-RCMNS Conference 2018
By Mariam Chanishvili
Tuesday, August 7
The conference - “Ecosystem isolation and connection: rise and demise of biota in the Ponto-Caspian region” - will take place on 26-29 August 2018 in Tbilisi at Georgian National Museum.
The event, organized by the Interim colloquium of Regional Committee on Mediterranean Neogene Stratigraphy (RCMNS) and EU Pride, aims at bringing together geologists, biologists, and climatologists from the region and from beyond.
The conference will have invited keynote speakers, integrated science talks where various researchers combine their background to shed light on specific topics, regular session talks, and posters. The participation of scientists and students from the region itself are mostly encouraged.
Geological and climatic drivers of biodiversity in the Ponto-Caspian in the Neogene and Quaternary, Rise and fall of Ponto-Caspian biodiversity – origins and controls, Neogene and Quaternary Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Southern Caucasus and the role of invasive species in the current Ponto-Caspian biodiversity crisis are among four session topics.
Keynote speakers feature professors and scientists from different countries, such as Hungary, Georgia, Spain - Orsolya Sztanó, Oriol Oms, Henri Dumont, M.G. Karpinsky, David Lordkipanidze and David Tarkhnishvili.
The discussion panel will follow the event.
“The Black Sea, Caspian Sea and satellite basins (Ponto-Caspian basins) have undergone substantial hydrological and environmental changes since the Pliocene. The interaction between climatic and tectonic activity led to regional landscape restructuring and changes of the basins’ water budgets, which in turn caused numerous connection/disconnection events. However, the origin, time and impact of these climatic and environmental changes are still a matter of debate,” reads the description of one of the sessions.
Georgian National Museum (GNM) was established at the end of 2004 and preserving the nation's rich, authentic content of cultural heritage provides learning experiences for everyone.
Through the museum collections, exhibits, programs, and partnerships at International and national levels, GNM serves as an essential and trusted source providing opportunities for lifelong learning and global understanding.
