The Tour du Valat, Research centre for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, CEFE-CNRS (Montpellier) and IMEP (Aix-Marseille) are launching a series of conference every two years targeting young scientists concerning ‘Conservation Sciences in the Mediterranean Region’. The first conference will take place in December 8-10, 2011 in the Tour du Valat, Camargue, France. The deadline for handing in abstracts is the 22nd October 2011 so there is still time to participate.

The main objective of this conference is to create a scientific dynamism around the Mediterranean basin about the stakes of conservation sciences.  Exchanging scientific knowledge and experiences should permit us to face the conservation challenges. It  aims at scientific excellence by inviting high ranking lecturers, directed by Jacques Blondel as president of the scientific council, and by selecting high quality presentations. The conference will also stimulate informal exchanges between young scientists with invited lecturers at the Tour du Valat estate, with its important biological value.   This will also be an opportunity to increase exchanges around the Mediterranean basin, by favouring access of young scientists from the south of the Mediterranean and by grouping the scientific and organisational committees from the two largest centres for Mediterranean ecology in France, IMEP in Aix-Marseille and CEFE/CNRS in Montpellier.