The Tour du Valat hosted the Third Mediterranean Conference for Young Scientists, dedicated to Conservation sciences in the Mediterranean Region, from 22 to 24 March 2016.
This series of conferences is held at the Tour du Valat, in the heart of the Camargue. It is organized in close collaboration with the Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE-CNRS) from Montpellier and the Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Écologie marine et continentale (IMBE) from Marseilles, and is financed by the French Society of Ecology (SFE).
This third edition provided an opportunity for almost 50 young researchers working in Conservation Sciences around the Mediterranean region to present their work to other scientists, in a friendly setting favorable to informal exchanges and discussions. Representatives from about 10 Mediterranean countries were present.
The Conference also presented the opportunity to offer the first Alan Johnson Award. This award acknowledges high quality research in applied conservation science by a young researcher.
This first prize was awarded to Flavio Monti (CEFE-CNRS and University of Ferrara, Italy), for his presentation entitled « Negative impact of a marine protected area upon an emblematic Mediterranean raptor population ».
Second prize was awarded to Philippe Lambret (Tour du Valat), and third place was a tie between Clare Therville’s (IRSTEA Montpellier) and Simon Veron’s (MNHN). The jury appreciated the presentations and the rich exchanges between the participants.
The next Conference will take place in 2018.