Prof. Wang Hongzhu chaired the opening ceremony of the 15th International Symposium on River and Lake Environments in Cili, Zhangjiajie, Oct 15 and 19.

The 15th International Symposium on River and Lake Environments was held in Cili, Zhangjiajie during Oct 15 and 19. Inland water environments and ecological problems are major threats to both China and the World. It is urgent to figure out scientific and economic measures and schemes to solve these problems. The theme of this symposium "Translational Limnology” is thus of great significance.

The opening ceremony was chaired by IHB Prof. Wang Hongzhu. IHB’s deputy director Prof. Hu Zhengyu gave a welcome speech and introduced the latest progress the Institute has achieved in freshwater ecology. On Behalf of the Government of Cili County, Mr. Xing Chuan, deputy secretary of the CPC Cili County Committee gave a welcome speech. Yang Ping, director of the Bureau of Science and Technology for Resource and Environment, expressed congratulations to the successful opening of the symposium.

6 parallel sessions, namely, river-flood plain management and environmental flows, macrophytes and macroinvertebrates, microorganisms and others, regime shifts and eutrophication remediation, ecosystem health assessment and biodiversity conservation, fish biology and fishery ecology, were featured at symposium.

The opening ceremony of the 15th International Symposium on River and Lake Environments in Cili, Zhangjiajie, Oct 15 and 19.

7 keynote speeches were made by Prof. Brian Moss from University of Liverpool, Prof. Xie Shouqi from IHB, Prof. John M. Melack from University of California, Prof. Shin-ichi Nakano from Kyoto University, Prof. Soon-Jin Hwang from Konkuk University, Prof. Stuart Bunn from Griffith University, Prof. Wang Hongzhu from IHB. Their topics covered issues related to translational limnology, environment safety in aquaculture, inland waters and the carbon cycle, ecophysiology and phylogeography of bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in Asian eutrophic lakes, aquatic ecosystem monitoring, assessment and health enhancement, environmental flows and river health, translational limnology: philosophy, methodology and case study.

160 scholars from both China and the world gave presentations in the oral or poster sessions. 5 presentations made by participating students were chosen by the organizing committee. Two IHB students were given the Best Oral Presentation Award.

IHB Prof. Xie Shouqi gave a keynote speech at the plenary session.

This symposium was jointly organized by the State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), International Society of Limnology (SIL), Government of Cili County, Hunan Province, Jishou University, Hubei Oceanography and Liminology Society. 240 representatives from 13 countries and regions attended this unprecedented event. 54 researchers and students from IHB participated in the symposium.

Since 1984, the International Symposium on River and Lake Environments has been held every two to three year. It is the most significant forum of freshwater ecology in East Asia. Recent years, this symposium has become a world-wide event. IHB successively organized this symposium in 1996, 1998 and 2004 respectively. The symposium not only serves as a platform for the international academic exchanges and cooperation in the relevant fields, but wins international reputation for China as well.