The 19th International Symposium on River and Lake Environment was held at Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from November 4 to 8, 2024. (Credit: IHB)

The 19th International Symposium on River and Lake Environment was held at Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from November 4 to 8, 2024.  The symposium was hosted by IHB, and co-organized by the International Society of Limnology, the Chinese Society of Limnology, the Japanese Society of Limnology, the Korean Society of Limnology and the Hubei Society of Oceanology & Limnology. 

This year’s symposium attracted nearly 200 renowned experts and scholars from 16 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, France, Canada, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Under the theme "Rivers and Lakes under Multiple Stressors", participants explored the new knowledge, research findings, and developments in limnology of river and lake ecosystem under multiple stressors.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Prof. XU Jun, deputy director of IHB. Opening speeches were delivered by prominent figures in limnology, including Prof. ZHANG Xiufeng, director of the International Society of Limnology, and Prof. Chi-Yong Ahn, director of the Korean Society of Limnology, and Prof. Urabe Jotaro, director of the Japanese Society of Limnology,

During the five-day symposium, renowned scientists from various countries delivered keynote presentations on the responses of river and lake ecosystems to multiple environmental stressors. Highlights included: Prof. Jim Elser from the University of Montana shared the causes and consequences of stoichiometric imbalance in lakes. Prof. YIN Mingbo from Fudan University shared the diversity of zooplankton from taxonomy to genomics. Prof. Chi-Yong Ahn from Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology shared the biological mechanisms of bloom formation and its control. Prof. WANG Shaopeng from Peking University shared the biodiversity and ecosystem stability across spatial scales and trophic levels. Prof. Yusuke Okazaki from Kyoto University shared the unraveling genomic diversification in lake bacterioplankton through high-resolution eco-genomics. Associate Professor Aurèle Toussaintfrom the Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III shared the functional biogeography of vertebrates in a context of global changes. Prof. Philippe Juneau from the Université du Québec à Montréal shared the plant responses to aquatic contamination, drawing lessons for developing nature-based solutions for water decontamination. Prof. CAI Qinghua from IHB shared the challenge and strategy of river ecosystem research. 

The symposium also provided a platform for researchers and students to present their work through oral and poster sessions, fostering a collaborative environment for emerging scientists. 

Beyond the academic sessions, participants joined a scientific tour on the 8th, including visiting the Museum of Hydrobiological Sciences, and the Baiji Dolphinarium. 

It was announced at the conference that the 20th International Symposium on River and Lake Environment will be held in Japan in 2026, continuing the international collaboration in advancing limnological science and practice. 

Opening speeches (Credit: IHB)

During the five-day symposium, renowned scientists from various countries delivered keynote presentations. (Credit: IHB)

Participants visited the Museum of Hydrobiological Sciences. (Credit: IHB)