World Seagrass Conference &
9th International Seagrass Biology Workshop

Please now go to the conference site:
http://www.sc.psu.ac.th/seagrass/
for up-to-date details.

We are pleased to announce that a World Seagrass Conference (WSC) and the 9th International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW9) will take place on the Indian Ocean in southern Thailand in November, 2010. In order to accommodate as many interested seagrass participants as possible, we are offering: (I) World Seagrass Conference, an all-encompassing international meeting (November 21–25, 2010) in Phuket and (II) ISBW9 to address regional seagrass issues (November 27–30, 2010) in Trang. Both locations feature fascinating seagrass ecosystems; Phuket is a world-renowned diving area and Trang has Thailand’s largest seagrass beds.

I. World Seagrass Conference (WSC)

Similar to Seagrass 2004, WSC will be open to all and will include invited plenary lectures and oral and poster presentations. Seagrass scientists, coastal managers, and both government and NGO personnel as well as students, are invited to attend the conference and present their research, technical developments, management and consultancy experiences, as well as community outreach and education. The expected cost for WSC is US$200 which includes registration, lunches, two dinners and a half-day field trip to the seagrass meadow in Phuket (hotel and travel are separate).

II. 9th International Seagrass Biology Workshop (ISBW9)

ISBW9 will follow the WSC and consist of a smaller group of participants, including both international seagrass experts and regional scientists and practitioners, to address problems of seagrass conservation and restoration, which so far are little known across Southeast Asia and South Asia. Following the WSC, the participants in ISBW9 will be provided with transport south to Trang for the additional three day workshop. Seagrasses in Thailand and the surrounding region are declining and are severely threatened due to coastal development, aquaculture and fishing practices. ISBW9 will specifically work towards increasing both the knowledge and awareness of seagrass conservation and restoration among workers in Southeast Asia and South Asia and across the Indo-Pacific bioregion, areas which largely share the same seagrass threats and impacts. The expected cost for the workshop is US$350, which includes travel to Trang from Phuket, lunches, two dinners and a full day excursion to the nearby seagrass meadow (again, hotel and travel separate).

Southern Thailand on the Andaman Sea is known for its rich and diverse biota and culture; the area is an international tourist destination. There are 12 species of seagrasses reported from Thailand, from the largest of the tropical species, Enhalus acoriodes, to more commonly known species like Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Halophila spp. and others. Both the WSC and ISBW9 will be hosted by Prince of Songkla University, Southern Thailand.

At this stage, if you are interested in WSC and/or ISBW9, please respond by filling out the short Call for Interest form (form.doc or form.pdf) and send it back by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it before September 30, 2009. We will add you to the mailing list and you will receive further information as the venture develops. If you have any inquiries about the WSC and/or ISBW9, please contact me by e-mail any time.

Yours Sincerely,
Anchana Prathep, Ph.D.
International Organising Committee, Chair of the WSC–ISBW9 Organising Committee
Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Important Dates for the WSC and ISBW9