Dear Colleagues, I am writing to the ECOLOG listserver to kindly ask for your collaboration in finding an expert on environmental effects of offshore gas exploitation and production. The Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (www.isees.org.il<http://www.isees.org.il>) that I am chairing (the Israeli "small scale ESA/BES" equivalent) is organizing within the framework of its 40th Annual Conference and expert panel about the environmental effects of Mediterranean gas exploration, exploitation and transport. The 40th Annual Conference will take place at Tel Aviv University during October 16th to 18th , 2012.
In the last few years important gas reserves where found at the Israeli territorial Mediterranean sea. Gas companies are currently making the necessary preparations to start the production stage of the gas exploitation. Nevertheless, very few knowledge is available about the environmental effects this activity is having, and will have in the marine environment. One of the central topics that the conference will tackle this year, relates to the environmental effects of marine gas extraction, exploration and transport from the Mediterranean sea to the Israeli sea shore. This activity will have huge environmental impacts to the marine and coastal environment in Israel, but as above mentioned very few knowledge is on this aspect is locally available. It is important to mention that to the best of our knowledge there are particular differences between gas and oil extraction, what makes this topic of specific expertise. We will be happy to learn from an expert knowledge and experience about the potential conflicts and ecological and environmental effects of offshore sea gas exploration and extraction will have in the region. In case that you are familiar of a professional/academic with this particular type of expertise for the Mediterranean sea or other marine environments, we will be happy to invite him/her as a keynote for the conference. Please send me his/her name and address and we will contact the potential keynote speaker. Furthermore, we will most pleased to receive information/publications/references (preferably peer-reviewed info) about the potential environmental effects of offshore gas exploitation and production on the marine and coastal ecosystems. Thank you very much for your collaboration and look forward for hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Marcelo Prof. Marcelo Sternberg Department of Molecular Biology & Ecology of Plants Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel TE: +972 3 640 5877 (office) 640 7468 (lab) Fax: +972 3 640 9159 E-mail: [email protected] Skype: marcelo.sternberg Website: www.marcelosternberg.shorturl.com Chairman of the Israel Society of Ecology & Environmental Sciences www.isees.org.il<http://www.isees.org.il>
