Full information and a registration form can be found on the Information and Registration Form
Presentation
Those wishing to present should submit an abstract by Thursday 1st December 2016 (Word document, 1 side of A4, Arial font, 1.5 spacing). All abstracts submitted will be accepted. Please indicate whether you prefer oral or poster presentation, but note that oral slots are limited and so we may have to make a selection.
Cost
Registration, which includes tea, coffee and lunch, is free for registered students who present their work and also for RSC members. Other delegates will be charged a nominal fee of £15 to help cover costs. Registration deadline: Wednesday 7th December 2016
Invited speaker: Professor Colin Moffat, Head of Science, Marine Scotland:
Nano to micro – small size, large issue.
As humans we continue to develop products which improve our quality of life. However, there can be unintended consequences. These often become apparent sometime after the product has been introduced. Since our seas and oceans are the repository for products and chemicals, any unintended consequence is ultimately observed in our marine ecosystems. Micro-plastics (plastic items smaller than 5 mm in one dimension) are being detected in marine organisms and the wider marine environment. At the same time, nanomaterials (defined as having at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nm), including metal oxide nanoparticles, have widespread applications; silver nanoparticles are present in deodorants, zinc oxide nanoparticles are present in paint and cosmetics while titanium oxide nanoparticles are commonly found in sunscreens. It is not known how organisms will cope with high discharges of anthropogenic nanomaterials into the environment. Furthermore, although our seas and oceans are in constant flux, anthropogenically forced climate change is a fact. This produces a stress on the biota which is one of many stressors, the cumulative impact of which is unclear. Recent research suggests that both microparticles and nanoparticles are adding to the anthropogenic impact on our seas and oceans. This will be discussed with respect to providing relevant evidence that will allow the necessary guidance to be provided to those regulating emissions and discharges. However, there is also the need to inform the wider public such that they can make informed decisions about the products used based on the potential impact of their use on the environment.
Colin is Head of Science at Marine Scotland where his interests are in the impact of contaminants on biota, their movement through food webs and ultimately whether or not there is a long-term consequence, especially at the population level. This requires assessment criteria and Colin has led on the production of assessment criteria at an international level. He has also led on the production of assessments, including a decadal assessment of the status of the North-East Atlantic. Colin is currently working on a further assessment of the North-East Atlantic due for publication in 2017 – this assessment will use recently developed indicators of pressure.
Presentation
Those wishing to present should submit an abstract by Thursday 1st December 2016 (Word document, 1 side of A4, Arial font, 1.5 spacing). All abstracts submitted will be accepted. Please indicate whether you prefer oral or poster presentation, but note that oral slots are limited and so we may have to make a selection.
Cost
Registration, which includes tea, coffee and lunch, is free for registered students who present their work and also for RSC members. Other delegates will be charged a nominal fee of £15 to help cover costs. Registration deadline: Wednesday 7th December 2016
Invited speaker: Professor Colin Moffat, Head of Science, Marine Scotland:
Nano to micro – small size, large issue.
As humans we continue to develop products which improve our quality of life. However, there can be unintended consequences. These often become apparent sometime after the product has been introduced. Since our seas and oceans are the repository for products and chemicals, any unintended consequence is ultimately observed in our marine ecosystems. Micro-plastics (plastic items smaller than 5 mm in one dimension) are being detected in marine organisms and the wider marine environment. At the same time, nanomaterials (defined as having at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nm), including metal oxide nanoparticles, have widespread applications; silver nanoparticles are present in deodorants, zinc oxide nanoparticles are present in paint and cosmetics while titanium oxide nanoparticles are commonly found in sunscreens. It is not known how organisms will cope with high discharges of anthropogenic nanomaterials into the environment. Furthermore, although our seas and oceans are in constant flux, anthropogenically forced climate change is a fact. This produces a stress on the biota which is one of many stressors, the cumulative impact of which is unclear. Recent research suggests that both microparticles and nanoparticles are adding to the anthropogenic impact on our seas and oceans. This will be discussed with respect to providing relevant evidence that will allow the necessary guidance to be provided to those regulating emissions and discharges. However, there is also the need to inform the wider public such that they can make informed decisions about the products used based on the potential impact of their use on the environment.
Colin is Head of Science at Marine Scotland where his interests are in the impact of contaminants on biota, their movement through food webs and ultimately whether or not there is a long-term consequence, especially at the population level. This requires assessment criteria and Colin has led on the production of assessment criteria at an international level. He has also led on the production of assessments, including a decadal assessment of the status of the North-East Atlantic. Colin is currently working on a further assessment of the North-East Atlantic due for publication in 2017 – this assessment will use recently developed indicators of pressure.
