From 2 to 4 September, Vigo will bring together researchers and international experts for the VIII International Marine Connectivity Conference (iMarCo 2026), a scientific meeting co-organised by the Universidade de Vigo and the Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC). The conference will address connectivity between rivers, estuaries, seas and oceans, and its importance for biodiversity, conservation and the resilience of aquatic ecosystems.

Under the theme “Connectivity across water realms for ecosystem resilience”, the conference will broaden iMarCo’s traditional marine focus towards an integrated perspective of the so-called Aquatic Nexus, incorporating connectivity between marine and freshwater ecosystems.

IIM-CSIC plays a key role in both the organisation and scientific programme of the conference

IIM-CSIC is making a significant contribution to the conference at multiple levels, from its organisation and scientific coordination to the presentation of research results. The institute is represented on the local organising committee by Alexandre Alonso Fernández (INMARE) and Laura García Peteiro (EsMaBa), who are working alongside Andreu Blanco Cartagena and Carlos García de Leaniz (Universidade de Vigo) to coordinate the event. IIM-CSIC researchers are also actively involved in the conference’s scientific committees, helping to shape the thematic content of the programme. Among them are Sofía Consuegra (AquaBioTec) and Gonzalo Mucientes (INMARE), who contribute to the scientific coordination and evaluation of conference sessions with the organizing comitteee. Beyond these organisational responsibilities, IIM-CSIC scientists will contribute extensively to the scientific programme through a range of presentation formats, including oral presentations, speed talks and posters, showcasing research spanning marine biodiversity, ecosystem connectivity, species movements and sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.

A cross-cutting perspective on ecosystem connectivity

The scientific programme is structured around three main sessions. The first, “The aquatic NEXUS, from freshwater to marine effective connectivity”, will explore the links between freshwater and marine systems, including the processes connecting rivers, wetlands, estuaries and coastal areas, and their importance for biodiversity and species’ life cycles.

The second, “Drivers of ecosystem connectivity in a changing environment”, will examine how changing environmental conditions, species distributions, habitat fragmentation, pollution, human activities and invasive species are altering ecosystem connectivity and their capacity to adapt.

The third session, “Species on the move: Movement as a driver of ecological connectivity”, will focus on the role of aquatic animal movement in connecting ecosystems, as well as on the use of tracking technologies to understand species movements, habitat use and connectivity pathways. This knowledge is particularly relevant for improving conservation and management strategies for coastal ecosystems and fisheries resources.

The programme will also feature four keynote lectures by Audrey M. Darnaude (CNRS, France), Jesse O’Hanley (University of Kent, United Kingdom), Esben Moland Olsen (Institute of Marine Research, Norway) and Anna M. Addamo (Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italy), who will provide different perspectives on marine and freshwater connectivity, movement ecology, ecosystem conservation and resilience.

A shared institutional opening

The opening session will take place on Wednesday 2 September, at 9:15 a.m., in the auditorium of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Vigo (MARCO).

The session will feature, in the following order, contributions from Andreu Blanco Cartagena, Chair of the Local Organising Committee; Elsa Vázquez, Dean of the Faculty of Marine Sciences at the Universidade de Vigo; and Beatriz Novoa, Director of the Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC). The opening will reflect the close collaboration between the two institutions co-organising the conference.

Following the opening session, the first keynote lecture will be delivered by Audrey M. Darnaude, researcher at MARBEC (Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD), on marine biodiversity, biosphere functioning and the challenges of functional marine connectivity at the land-sea interface.

The celebration of iMarCo 2026 will turn Vigo into an international meeting point for research on aquatic ecosystem connectivity over three days, promoting knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of new strategies for the conservation and sustainable management of marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Further information

Official iMarCo 2026 website:
https://imarco2026.es/es

Full iMarCo 2026 programme:
https://imarco2026.es/program