Plenary speakers

Plenary speakers


Sonia Barbosa dos Santos – Brazil

South America freshwater limpets: what do we know and what remains to be known?

The small freshwater limpet snails occurring in South America are distributed in eight genera which are differentiated by the shell sculpture and morphology of the soft tissues. In this lecture we will present the state-of-the-art about the group, point out the gaps in knowledge and present perspectives to refine the taxonomy, systematic and geographical distribution of the group.

Julia D. Sigwart – Germany

An integrative approach to global malacology: species, trees, and undiscovered frontier

Studies of mollusc species shaped major advances in many areas of biology, in evolution, ecology, conservation, fisheries, human medicine and bioengineering. New advances in phylogenomics have recently solidified the backbone phylogeny for the phylum. Meanwhile, the vast disparity and species richness within the phylum has left many open questions, and generalised insights in biodiversity struggle to accommodate the true expanse of molluscan diversity. Our research agenda as a global community can put molluscs in their rightful place: centre stage.

Chong Chen – Japan

Feeding on the Earth: Diversity and adaptation of molluscs from deep-sea chemosynthesis-based ecosystems

‘There are shells! They’re big shells, they’re living!’ – exclaimed Jack Corliss on humanity’s first encounter with an active hydrothermal vent ecosystem dominated by the foot-long vesicomyid clam Turneroconcha magnifica in 1977, 2.5 km deep on the Galápagos Rift. Since then, over 600 hot vents have been discovered globally as well as numerous cold seeps and organic falls that host similar deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. Here, I showcase an array unforgettable mollusc species endemic to these ‘extreme’ environments supported by microbes ‘feeding on Earth’ through chemosynthesis. Focusing on a few key taxa such as the ironclad snails Chrysomallon and Gigantopelta as well as abyssochrysoideans like Ifremeria and Rubyspira, I highlight their astounding adaptations that extend the known boundaries of how animals function – revealed by our integrative studies combining morphological and molecular analyses. Regrettably, these remarkable molluscs now face growing threats from deep-sea mining, particularly at vents. I present our collaborative efforts to advocate for their protection through the IUCN Red List, in order to ensure that these molluscs are seen by policymakers and included in conservation and management plans.