U.S.-Mexico Workshop: Vulnerability of Rhodolith Beds to Global Climate Change: Future Research; La Paz, Baja California, October 21-20, 2006

这个名为“Rhodolith床对全球气候变化的脆弱性：未来研究”的美墨研讨会将于2006年10月21日至20日在下加利福尼亚州的拉巴斯举行。该研讨会由圣何塞州立大学的Diana L. Steller博士和Michael S. Foster博士以及墨西哥拉巴斯下加利福尼亚大学的Rafael Riosmena-Rodriguez博士共同组织，旨在汇集来自欧洲、澳大利亚、巴西和墨西哥的研究人员，对最近的研究进行评估，并重新制定关键的研究目标，旨在制定一项协调一致的全球努力，以确定对rhodolith床的威胁(包括生态、生理、古生物学和生态系统服务)以及改善这些影响的策略。红藻是一组分布全球、形态多样、自由生活的珊瑚红藻结节（Corallinales, Rhodophyta），在世界范围内形成广泛的生活床。与珊瑚礁和海带森林类似，rhodoliths创造了一个支持多种物种组合的生物栖息地。此外，由于它们的碳酸钙基础设施，rhodolith床可以作为一个重要的全球碳汇。然而，人们对rhodolith的分类、分布和基本生态学了解甚少。本次研讨会汇集了研究rhodolith的顶尖专家，将有助于加强研究和保护这些脆弱且知之甚少的栖息地的国际协调，提高公众对rhodolith床的存在和重要性的认识，并促进学生研究和国际交流。

This U.S.-Mexico Workshop entitled "Vulnerability of Rhodolith Beds to Global Climate Change: Future Research," will take place in La Paz, Baja California, October 21-20, 2006. The workshop, organized by Dr. Diana L. Steller and Dr. Michael S. Foster of the San Jose State University together with Rafael Riosmena-Rodriguez of the Universidad de Baja California Sur in La Paz, Mexico, aims to bring together researchers from Europe, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico to assess recent research and reformulate critical research objectives directed at developing a coordinated global effort to identify threats to rhodolith beds (including ecological, physiological, paleontological, and ecosystem services) as well as strategies to ameliorate these impacts. Rhodoliths are a group of globally distributed, morphologically diverse, free-livingcoralline red algal nodules (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) that form extensive living bedsworldwide. Similar to coral reefs and kelp forests, rhodoliths create a biogenic habitat that supports a diverse assemblage of species. In addition, due to their calcium carbonateinfrastructure, rhodolith beds may serve as an important global carbon sink. However, rhodolith taxonomy, distribution and basic ecology are poorly understood. By bringing together leading experts on rhodoliths, this workshop will help to strengthen international coordination on the research and protection of these fragile and poorly understood habitats, increase public awareness of the existence and importance of rhodolith beds, and promote student research and international exchanges.