IHB convened the 2026 Biodiversity and Ecology Forum on January 30. (Credit: IHB)

The Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences convened the 2026 Biodiversity and Ecology Forum on January 30, gathering nearly 200 participants including academicians, leading researchers, and students from across China.

The forum featured distinguished attendees from IHB, including three academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: CHEN Yiyu, ZHU Zuoyan, and HE Shunping. Senior officials from Hubei Province's science, agriculture, and environmental departments also attended and delivered remarks. The event was chaired by XIE Shouqi, IHB deputy director.

In his welcome address, IHB director MIAO Wei emphasized the fundamental role of biodiversity in ecosystem stability and sustainable development.

"Biodiversity is the foundation upon which healthy ecosystems and sustainable development are built," Miao said.

He outlined the Institute's recent breakthroughs, including contributions to the Yangtze River's ten-year fishing ban program, progress in restoring natural reproduction of the Yangtze sturgeon, and the development of comprehensive protection systems for the Yangtze finless porpoise. Miao also highlighted IHB's pioneering work in frontier initiatives such as the "Fish 10,000 Genomes Project."

"Global biodiversity continues to face significant challenges," Miao noted. "We hope this forum will spark innovation and build consensus, injecting new momentum into China's biodiversity governance and conservation efforts."

The forum featured academic presentations from a range of distinguished researchers. Speakers included WANG Wen, Professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University; LAI Ren and SHI Peng from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and WANG Ertao from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. IHB was represented by professors MEI Jie, JIN Junyan, XIONG Jie, LIU Xing, and YANG Liandong.

Presentations covered recent advances and innovative explorations in their respective fields, including biodiversity maintenance mechanisms, species adaptive evolution, and the genetic foundations of innovation.

A group photo of all the attendees. (Credit: IHB)