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Special Session 1
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Extreme Weather Events DANIEL & ELIAS: Impacts on Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
This Special Session will focus on the environmental impacts of extreme weather events on marine, coastal, and freshwater ecosystems, with particular emphasis on the case of Storms Daniel and Elias. Contributions may address hydrological change, flood impacts, sediment and pollutant transport, ecosystem disturbance, recovery processes, monitoring approaches, and climate resilience.
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Special Session 2
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WFD / MSFD Monitoring Implementation: Challenges and Advances
This Special Session will address scientific, methodological, and policy-related aspects of monitoring inland, transitional, coastal, and marine waters under the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Contributions may focus on monitoring design, indicators, ecological status assessment, data integration, methodological advances, and implementation challenges.
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Special Session 3
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From Genes to Ecosystems: Advancing Aquatic Biodiversity, Biogeography, and Biomonitoring through DNA-Based Studies
Conveners: Zoltán Csabai, Michal Grabowski, Panagiotis Madesis and Alexandros Triantafyllidis
DNA-based approaches have become essential tools in aquatic biodiversity research, offering new opportunities to explore patterns and processes from the genetic level to entire ecosystems. This Special Session aims to bring together researchers working on diverse applications of DNA-based methods in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments, with a particular focus on biodiversity assessment, biogeography, ecology, conservation, and biomonitoring.
Contributions are welcome on DNA barcoding, metabarcoding, megabarcoding, environmental DNA, phylogenomics, population genetics, mitogenomics, and other molecular approaches addressing questions related to aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Topics may include species discovery and integrative taxonomy, cryptic diversity, reference library development, community ecology, trophic interactions, dispersal and connectivity, invasion biology, phylogeography, responses to environmental change, and the implementation of DNA-based tools in monitoring and management.
The session will provide a broad platform for recent methodological advances, case studies, regional initiatives, and conceptual developments, particularly encouraging contributions that combine molecular data with ecological, taxonomic, biogeographical, or environmental information. By covering a wide range of organism groups, habitats, and methodological frameworks, the session seeks to foster discussion, collaboration, and knowledge exchange at the interface of molecular biology, aquatic ecology, taxonomy, and conservation science.
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Special Session 4
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Artificial Intelligence in Marine Sciences in Greece: Current Advances, Challenges and Future Perspectives
Conveners: Dimitris Politikos, Katerina Kikaki and Ioannis Kakogeorgiou
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming marine sciences by enabling the analysis of complex datasets, automating monitoring processes, and supporting the sustainable management of marine and aquatic ecosystems. Recent advances in machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision are driving innovative solutions from ecosystem understanding to operational decision-making.
This Special Session aims to highlight current advances, challenges, and future perspectives of AI in marine and aquatic sciences in Greece. Contributions are invited on innovative methodologies, case studies, and operational applications demonstrating the potential of AI across different marine domains. Topics of interest include:
- AI applications in fisheries science, including stock assessment, species identification, otolith ageing, and ecosystem modelling.
- Remote sensing and computer vision for coastal monitoring, marine habitat mapping, biodiversity assessment, phytoplankton blooms, and pollutant detection.
- Smart aquaculture solutions for fish monitoring, welfare assessment, growth estimation, and farm optimisation.
- Detection, monitoring, and modelling of marine litter pollution and oil spills.
- AI-driven analysis of oceanographic, ecological, and biodiversity datasets.
- AI for marine conservation, ecosystem-based management, and sustainable Blue Growth.
The session seeks to bring together researchers, engineers, data scientists, and marine experts, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge exchange, and discussion on the challenges, opportunities, and future of AI-driven marine research in Greece.
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