Personal Area Registration Form
Personal Area Registration Form
17-20 May 2026
IST - Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa
17-20 May 2026
IST - Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa

Welcome

XVII International Estuarine Biogeochemistry Symposium

17-20 May 2026, Lisbon, Portugal

 

Bridging Current Challenges and Missing Gaps in Estuarine Biogeochemistry

For decades, coastal environments have been experiencing the consequences of profound and often unpredictable changes. These shifts are driven by climate variability, intensified human activities at the land–sea interface, and both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. As a result, coastal ecosystems are shifting from naturally regulated systems toward conditions increasingly shaped by human influence—a hallmark of the Anthropocene Epoch. An extensive array of contaminants circulates in transition environments through continental runoff, atmospheric deposition, and submarine inputs, which includes trace elements, radionuclides, nutrients and organic matter, and organic micropollutants, as well as inorganic and organic compounds of emerging environmental concern whose biogeochemical behavior remains largely unknown. Therefore, the detection of such contaminants, identification of sources, determination of spatial and temporal distribution, their estuarine and coastal biogeochemistry, and ecological impacts are of utmost importance. Understanding dynamic and complex systems such as estuaries and the transformation, fate, and transport of chemical substances, and the societal impacts, remains a challenge.

The main theme for the XVII IEBS symposium in 2026 is “Bridging Current Challenges and Missing Gaps in Estuarine Biogeochemistry”.

Under this umbrella, we organize this Symposium to advance the state of the art by addressing open questions and showcase interdisciplinary work involving the most diverse professionals: marine (geo)chemists, biologists, toxicologists, ecologists, physicists, modellers, and sociologists.

In this context, we welcome studies that address the sources, behaviour and fate of nutrients, organic matter, greenhouse gases, various organic compounds, historical contaminants and those of emerging environmental concern such as technology-critical elements, microplastics, PFAS, and less studied elements. Highlighting the impacts of global changes on estuarine biogeochemistry, management strides and societal challenges, analytical development and new technologies, as well as data accessibility and modelling limitations, are welcomed.

See you in Lisbon at the XVII International Estuarine Biogeochemistry Symposium (IEBS 2026)!

 

Thematic areas

Authors are invited to submit their papers dealing with biogeochemical, toxicological and methodological studies related to the great diversity of estuaries and bays in terms of their morphology, geographical location, climatic conditions and anthropogenic influences. Specific topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Inorganic and organic contaminants: occurrence, sources, distribution, fate, interactions with aquatic organisms;

  • Adaptation of coastal ecosystems to global change - how do global change threats affect the biogeochemistry of trace elements, nutrients, natural organic matter and greenhouse gases in estuaries and coastal areas?

  • New analytical techniques and approaches for the analysis and monitoring of contaminants: development, optimisation and validation;

  • Microplastics in the marine environment: distribution, impacts and interactions with other constituents;

  • Processes affecting biogeochemistry, exchange and fluxes at estuarine boundaries: sediment-water, air-water, salinity gradient, subterranean estuaries;

  • Coupling Observations: development of hybrid models combining physical, chemical, and biological processes; mesocosms as semi-controlled environments to simulate nutrient loading, salinity shifts, or species interactions;

  • Emerging Technologies: machine learning to handle variability and data gaps; AI and big data analytics to process complex datasets and uncover hidden patterns;

  • Linking Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning and Services: conceptual frameworks connecting biodiversity to ecosystem functioning and human well-being; integration of ecosystem service assessments into biogeochemical studies to highlight societal relevance and guide policy; socioeconomic data to understand human–estuary interactions and support equitable management strategies.