Dear Colleagues, It is a great honour for the Organizing Committee, to invite any professional or student who shares our mutual interest in Zoology, to the 12th International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions (www.zoologiki.gr/12iczegar) to be held in Athens, Greece, from June 18 to 22, 2012. The Congress is organized by the Hellenic Zoological Society and will be held under the auspices of of the Dept. of Biology of the University of Athens.
The congress' scope includes all issues related to animal systematics, ecology, phylogeny, phylogeography, and population genetics in Southeastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean region. Research concerning all aspects of animal biodiversity (terrestrial, subterranean, freshwater and marine) within a geographical region that includes the Balkan and Italian peninsulas, Asia Minor and Anatolia, as well as the Near East and the Mediterranean coasts of north-eastern Africa, are welcome. The official language of the 12th ICZEGAR will be English. Experience gained from the 11 previous successful congresses of this series during the last 33 years has shown that the meeting can become an important forum for contact and information exchange between scientists working on a wide range of subjects at a region with very high biodiversity. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and collaborate on many basic and applied research subjects, such as conservation biology, biogeography, fisheries, population ecology, phylogenetics etc. Please visit regularly the web-site (http://www.zoologiki.gr/12iczegar) for updated information on all issues related to the congress. Communication via e-mail is strongly encouraged. Proceedings The Editors of the Journal of Natural History, the peer-reviewed scientific journal (current impact factor: 0.782), and the Organizing Committee have reached an agreement for the publication of the contributions that will be presented in the Congress. Those manuscripts meeting the standards of JNH and falling within the scope of the journal will be published in a single volume that will be part of the numbered series (there will be no special issue), and will be introduced by a preface article highlighting the importance and the novelty of the various contributions to the zoological research in the area. The Congress Editorial Board, the Editors of JNH and two international reviewers will review and edit all contributed papers. The final decision as to whether a contribution will be published lies with the journal’s Editor. You can submit the abstract of your communication through the Abstract Submission System at <www.zoologiki.gr/12iczegar/abstracts.php>. Please follow the instructions. Outline of Scientific Program The Congress will focus on various aspects of research carried out in southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Congress will include 7 plenary lectures, 20 regular sessions (in parallel) and 2 poster sessions. Suggestions for topics of sessions, round tables and workshops are encouraged. Seven outstanding scientists have been invited to give a plenary lecture: François Bonhomme (Université Montpellier, FR) Salvador Carranza (Institut de Biologia Evolutiva – CSIC/UPF, ES) Johannes Foufopoulos (University of Michigan, USA) Shai Meiri (University of Tel Aviv, IL) Nikolaos Schizas (University of Puerto Rico, PR) Thomas Schmitt (Universität Trier, DE) Katerina Trantalidou (Ephorate for Palaeoanthropology-Speleology, Min. of Culture, GR) The details of the program are still under consideration. Oral presentations should not exceed 20 min including 5 min for Q/A. The poster sessions will be arranged so that each author will be able to present her/his work in front of the poster. The outline of the program is as follows: Monday, June 18 8.00 – 18:30 Arrival and Registration 18.30 – 19:15 Opening Ceremony 19.30 Welcome Party Tuesday, June 19 9:00 – 9:50 Plenary Lecture, Q/A 10:00 – 13:30 Oral Presentations 13:30 –15:30 Free time 15:30 – 16:20 Plenary Lecture, Q/A 16:30 – 20:00 Oral Presentations Wednesday, June 20 9:00 – 9:50 Plenary Lecture, Q/A 10:00 – 13:30 Oral Presentations 13:30 –15:30 Free time 15:30 – 18:30 Oral Presentations 18:30 – 20:00 Poster Session I 21:00 Symposium Banquet Thursday, June 21 9:00 – 9:50 Plenary Lecture, Q/A 10:00 – 13:30 Oral Presentations 13:30 –15:30 Free time 15:30 – 16:20 Plenary Lecture, Q/A 16:30 – 20:00 Poster Session II Friday, June 22 9:00 – 9:50 Plenary Lecture, Q/A 10:00 – 13:30 Oral Presentations 13:30 –15:30 Free time 15:30 – 16:20 Plenary Lecture, Q/A 16:30 – 20:00 Oral Presentations 20.00 - Closing Ceremony Travel The International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos serves flights from all around the world. Access to Athens (30 km to the centre of the city) is easy via public transport (buses, metro, suburban railway) that operates on a 24-hour basis. Taxis are also available at reasonable prices (around 25 € to Athens centre). An alternative way to reach Athens for those participants coming from Western and Central Europe is to take a ferryboat from an Italian port (Venice, Bari, Brindisi, Ancona) and arrive at Patras. Athens is only 200 km away (around 2 hours driving). Accommodation Hotel prices will be provided in a couple of weeks since at the moment the Organizing Committee together with the authorized travel agency are trying to reach an agreement for lower prices. A detailed note will be sent in a few weeks’ time. Registration Fees Please visit <www.zoologiki.gr/12iczegar/register.php> in order to submit your personal details. You can pay the congress fees either by credit card or by bank transfer. Please fill the appropriate form in the registration page. Members of HZS Non members Students, members of HZS Students, non members Early registration 100 € 150 € 50 € 70 € Normal registration 150 € 200 € 70 € 100 € Please note that in order to be eligible for the reduced student fees, some formal proof of student status is required. Accompanying persons’ fee will be 30 €. The deadline for early registration is April 15th, 2012. The fee covers: (1) the volume of abstracts, (2) welcome party, (3) congress banquet (4) coffee breaks, (5) shuttle transport. The fee for accompanying persons covers all costs listed above. All payments should be made to the Hellenic Zoological Society account that will be available in a few days, either by credit card or by bank transfer (please, do not use cheques!). Important dates to remember Deadline for abstract submission: March 15, 2012 Final acceptance of abstracts: March 31, 2012 Early registration: April 15, 2012 Early cancelation: May 15, 2012 We would like to express our intense wish to welcome all of you in Athens. Sincerely The Organizing Committee
