GlobalHAB (IOC-UNESCO and SCOR): International coordination for sound knowledge of HABs to manage their impacts

The 18th International Conference on Harmful Algae (ICHA), From ecosystems to socio-ecosystems, 21-26 October 2018, Nantes, France.-- Networking activities around HABs: GlobalHAB, Global HAB Status report, ICES-WGs and other initiatives.-- 1 pageThe Global Harmful Algal Blooms (GlobalHAB, www.globalhab.info) Programme is aimed at fostering and promoting international cooperative research directed toward improving the understanding and prediction of HAB events in aquatic ecosystems, and providing sound knowledge for policy- and decision-making to manage and mitigate HAB impacts in a changing planet. GlobalHAB is sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). GlobalHAB was launched in 2016 and will last for 10 years. This presentation will summarize the scientific objectives included in the GlobalHAB Themes, which range from small-scale (e.g., cellular) subjects (e.g., biodiversity, adaptive strategies) to studies at ecosystem scale and climate change-related processes. GlobalHAB´s perspective is multidisciplinary, integrating physics, chemistry and biology, and addressing the impacts of HABs on the environment and human societies (including Health, Economy and Socio-cultural aspects). Improved observation within and across the different themes should result in better predictions of HAB events and contribute to the management of their impacts. Ongoing activities to implement these objectives sponsored or co-sponsored by GlobalHAB will also be presented. For instance, a >Best Practice Guidelines for the Study of HABs in the context of Climate Change> is been elaborated as a toolbox to enhance the ability to study the specific effects that climate change may have on the character, frequency and intensity of HABs. GlobalHAB is also participating in the intercomparison exercise on methods to sample harmful benthic dinoflagellates in coordination with IAEA, RAMOGE and NOAA. This illustrates the international nature of GlobalHAB with interaction with other entities (e.g. ICES, PICES, ISSHA, FAO, WHO) and programmes (e.g. GOOS, GO2NE, IPCC) that share objectives on HABs research, management and mitigation. GlobalHAB encourages the participation of the international community. Thus, Scientists are invited to participate in GlobalHAB by designing scientific activities in keeping with the goals and objectives of GlobalHAB, by applying for endorsement of such activities, and by participating in framework activitiesPeer Reviewe