International Opisthobranch Workshop - June, 1999

PHOTO: Greek ruins, near Menfi, June, 1999. PHOTO: Bill Rudman.

It is a pleasure to announce that an International Workshop of "Systematic, Phylogeny and Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs" will be held in Menfi (Sicily, Italy) from 10th to 14th June 1999.
During the workshop, guest presentations will be done by Terry Gosliner, Guido Cimino, Chris Todd, Kathe Jensen and Bill Rudman.
The Scientific Committee:
Dr. Renato Chemello chemello@unipa.it
Dr. Juan Lucas Cervera lucas.cervera@uca.es.
The Logistic and Administrative Committee:
Ms. Vanna Rotolo, vannarotolo@futuralink.it
For more information, please go to:
http://www.futuralink.it/vannarotolo   OR    http://www.aicon.com/sim/

Juan Lucas Cervera.

Dr. Juan Lucas Cervera Currado
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Vegetal y Ecologia Facultad de Ciencias del Mar
Universidad de Cadiz
Poligono del Rio San Pedro s/n
Apdo. 40
E-11510 Puerto Real (Cadiz)
SPAIN
Tfno:+34-956-470833/470834
Fax:+34-56-470834/470811
E-mail:mailto:lucas.cervera@uca.es

I would just like to record my thanks to the organisers of the Opisthobranch Workshop in Menfi, Sicily, from which I have just returned. There were about 40 participants from many parts of Europe, North America, Venezuela, and Australia, and the standard of lectures, talks and posters was very high. Mrs Vanna Rotolo, who was in charge of the logistics from Sicily, is planning to publish the abstracts on the Conference website within a short time and I will let you all know when that occurs.

The talks covered a broad range of topics and the participants ranged in experience from seasoned professors to students giving their first presentation in English. A pleasant surprise was the financial and logistical support the organising committee received from the Menfi community. I hesitate to name individuals for special mention, in case of missing someone out, but the Workshop would not have occurred without the work of Mrs Vanna Rotolo of the Instituzione Culturale Federico II, Menfi and her staff, and Dr. Renato Chemello (Palermo) and Dr. Juan Lucas Cervera (Cadiz, Spain) who formed the Scientific Committee.

Many of the participants have promised to provide summaries and photos of their work for the Forum.
Bill Rudman.

PHOTOS:
UPPER: Sardine fishing boats in the Harbour - not only the chromodorids are blue in the Mediterranean. Is this a case of convergence?
MIDDLE: Jean-Lucas Cervera (in white shirt) with 3 happy Californians (Terry Gosliner, Rebecca Johnson, Shireen Fahey).
LOWER: A visit to the Greek Ruins after the workshop finished. (PHOTOS: Bill Rudman).