Malacological Society of Australasia

Understanding Molluscan Biodiversity in our Region into the 21st Century.
4th - 8th December, 2000
The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

This was the second of the Society's 3-yearly meetings aimed at bringing together people working on molluscs in the Australasian and Indo-west Pacific regions. A major focus for the meeting was to investigate new and improved ways of sharing and disseminating information and data throughout the region. The very successful meeting attracted over 220 participants from more than 20 countries. It was organised in a partnership with the Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, University of Sydney and the Society would like to thank all the volunteers from the University and the Society who ensured the meeting ran so smoothly.

As well as general papers and posters, there were three main symposia:

1. Describing Molluscan Biodiversity - taxonomy and phylogeny and their role in biodiversity studies.
Organisers: Dr Winston Ponder, Dr Peter Middelfart, Dr Jeffery Stilwell.

2. Assessing Molluscan Biodiversity - ecology, life history and genetics.
Organisers: Dr Gee Chapman, Prof. Mike Johnson

3. Humans and Molluscan Biodiversity - impacts, commercial utilization, pests and diseases.
Organisers: Dr Wayne O'Connor, Dr John Walker, Dr Geoff Baker .

The meeting convenors were:
Dr Winston Ponder, Australian Museum, Sydney.
Dr M.G. Chapman, Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, University of Sydney.