XXIII Congress of the Iberian Association of Limnology
AIL 2026 BILBAO
URA, NATURA, KULTURA
Description
CASTELLANO / EUSKARA / ENGLISH / PORTUGUÊS
Since 1981, the Iberian Association of Limnology (AIL) has been promoting meetings among researchers and managers of continental water bodies—such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, and reservoirs—with the aim of updating existing knowledge, fostering research, and enhancing the transfer of scientific knowledge to society. The University of the Basque Country (EHU) is organising the XXIII AIL Congress in Bilbao, from 22 to 26 June 2026. The organising committee invites all interested participants to take part and contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in limnology, as well as to its application for improved environmental and social management. The congress will include plenary sessions with invited speakers, parallel thematic sessions, special sessions, poster sessions, courses, workshops, technical field trips and social events.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
- Arturo Elosegi (President)
- Maite Arroita (Secretary)
- Aitor Larrañaga (Treasurer)
- Idoia Biurrun
- Luz Boyero
- Leire Méndez
- Sergio Seoane
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
- Romina Alvarez Troncoso (Universidade de Vigo)
- Pepe Barquín Ortíz (Universidad de Cantabria)
- Jhon Donato-Rondón (Universidad Nacional Colombia)
- Andrea C. Encalada (Universidad de San Francisco de Quito)
- Claudia Feijoó (Universidad Nacional de Luján)
- Verónica Ferreira (Universidad de Coimbra)
- Anna Freixa (Institut Catalá de Recerca de l'Aigua, ICRA)
- Rosa Gómez Cerezo (Universidad de Murcia)
- Vítor M. Costa Gonçalves (Universidade dos Açores)
- Cayetano Gutiérrez Cánovas (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)
- Cláudia Pascoal (Universidade do Minho)
- João Pestana (Universidade de Aveiro)
- Andreu Rico (Universitat de València)
PLENARY SESSIONS
- Naiara López Rojo (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) - University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Francia)
- Francisco J. Oficialdegui (Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), España)
- Patricia Mª Rodríguez González (Universidad de Lisboa, Portugal)
- Victor Saito (Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brasil)
- Lifetime achievement award in limnology (Manuel Augusto Simões Graça)
- Award for the best thesis in limnology (2024 and 2025 calls)
THEMATIC SESSIONS
General sessions
- SG01. Biology and conservation of freshwater organisms
- SG02. Ecology of rivers, estuaries, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands
- SG03. Processes and functioning of freshwater ecosystems
- SG04. Ecohydrology and underground water
- SG05. Aquatic ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment
- SG06. Microbial ecology
- SG07. Global change: climate change, human impacts, past and current
- SG08. Invasive species and ecosystem functioning
- SG09. Ecosystem restoration
- SG10. New methodologies and techniques in limnology
- SG11. Ecosystem services and assessment methods
Special sessions
- SE01. Freshwater ecosystem functioning in a rapid-changing world. Ariadna García-Astillero, Guillermo García-Gómez, Ignasi Arranz Urgell y Javier Sánchez-Hernández
- SE02. The dark side of stream ecology: Advancing our understanding of the hyporheic zone role for stream biogeochemistry. Clara Mendoza-Lera, Marina Victoria Ríos y Julia Pasqualini
- SE03. Miguel Alonso, the naturalist and his lagoons. Antonio Camacho, Concha Duran, Manuel Toro y Francesc Mesquita
- SE04. Collaborative networks in limnology. Javier Pérez, Cayetano Gutiérrez-Cánovas y Juan Rubio-Ríos
- SE05. Research and management challenges on non-perennial rivers. María Mar Sánchez-Montoya, Núria Bonada, Núria Cid, Pablo Rodríguez-Lozano y Daniel von Schiller
- SE06. Bridging science and society in Limnology: citizen science, education and stakeholder participation. Maria Soria, Meritxell Abril y Pau Fortuño
- SE07. Molecular ecology and biodiversity: new perspectives in aquatic ecosystems. Jon Garrastatxu, Álvaro Fueyo, Alba M. Losa y Nieves López-Rodríguez
- SE08. Freshwaters from the Macaronesia: water resources, biodiversity and conservation management. Núria Cid, Raúl Acosta, Margarita Florencio y Pedro Raposeiro
- SE09. From limnology to technological innovation: Nature-Based Solutions as contributors to the European Water Resilience Strategy. Ainhoa Gaudes, Julio C. López Doval y Lluís Bertrans Tubau
- SE10.Cross-scale biogeochemical–microbial interactions in freshwater ecosystem functioning. Nuria Perujo y Anna Freixa
- SE11. Advancing equity and inclusion in limnology: achievements and future challenges. María Sánchez-Montoya, Mireia Bartrons, Anna Freixa y Maria Anton-Pardo
- SE12. Conservation and restoration of small water bodies: advances & challenges. Serena Sgarzi, Lena Fehlinger y Sandra Brucet
- SE13. Latin American wetlands: biodiversity, sustainable management, and socio‑environmental challenges in the 21st century. Sylvina Casco
- SE14. Reservoirs at risk: emerging challenges and solutions for water quality management. Sara C. Antunes, Sara Rodrigues, Jesús Delegido y Catarina Guimarães
- SE15. Dispersal y freshwater ecosystems: quantification, mechanisms, and applications. José María Fernández-Calero y Núria Bonada
ACTIVITIES
Courses (in parallel)
- Course 1. Species distribution models. Janine Pereira da Silva and Federica Rossetto
- Course 2. Remote sensing of inland waters made easy with Google Earth Engine. Camille Minaudo
- Course 3. From papers to people: science dissemination across academia and society. Kamil Hupalo, Maria Soria and Pau Fortuño
Technical workshops (in parallel)
- Workshop 1. Sharing (in)experience in DIY environmental sensors. Cedric Tentelier
- Workshop 2. Inclusive science communication: practical tools for research and leadership. Gender and Science AIL Group
- Workshop 3. eDNA in action: advancing implementation for a future-ready WFD. Jovenomics
- Workshop 4. Psychosocial barriers to the transition toward sustainability. Laura Vozmediano
- Workshop 5. Not a service: the symbiosis of scientific illustration. Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte
- Workshop 6. The art of asking questions: an introduction to quantitative surveys in socio-limnology. Pablo Rodriguez Lozano
Technical field trips (in parallel)
- Field trip 1. Bilbao's water. Bilbao Bizkaia Water Consortium
- Field trip 2. Restoration of Basque aquatic ecosystems. URA, Basque Water Agency
- Field trip 3. The Artibai river and its basin. Provincial Council of Biscay
- Field trip 4. Artikutza and the Enobietako dam. Donostia-San Sebastián City Council.
REGISTRATION AND ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
Objectives
- Communicating scientific discoveries arising in the field of freshwater ecology.
- Promoting interaction among people working on freshwater ecology topics.
- Training individuals who are beginning to work in freshwater ecology.
Activity directed to
- University student
- Teachers
- Professionals
Organised by
In collaboration with
Directors
Comité Organizador AIL26
Speakers
Naiara López Rojo
Université Grenoble Alpes, LECA, France
Her research focuses on how different components of global change alter the functioning of fluvial ecosystems and biotic communities. During her PhD, he analyzed the effects of riparian vegetation biodiversity loss (species richness, phylogenetic diversity and functional traits) on the functioning of headwater streams, particularly leaf litter decomposition, nutrient cycling and associated invertebrate communities, through laboratory experiments under controlled conditions (microcosms and mesocosms). She has also participated in projects assessing the effects of pollutants, such as fungicides and microplastics, on ecosystem functioning and the survival of invertebrates and amphibians. He later joined INRAE (France), where she investigated the effects of flow intermittency and drying on fluvial ecosystem functioning, with a particular focus on carbon emissions, stream metabolism and links with microbial diversity. More recently, she has become part of the Core Team of a global project investigating biodiversity patterns in intermittent rivers across multiple biological levels. Her current research examines how hydrological variability and drying regimes influence the functional and biotic dynamics of fluvial ecosystems.
Francisco J. Oficialdegui
Doñana Biological Station (EBD–CSIC). Spain
Dr. Francisco J. Oficialdegui holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Seville and completed his doctoral thesis at the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC). During his postdoctoral stage, he worked at several Spanish institutions and at universities in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, and has also carried out consultancy work for companies and international organizations such as the European Commission and the IUCN. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at EBD-CSIC under a competitive contract funded by the Government of Andalusia. His research focuses on freshwater biological invasions, integrating ecological, molecular and socio-economic approaches. Using freshwater crayfish as a main study model, he analyzes introduction pathways and routes from historical, social and molecular perspectives; assesses ecological and socio-economic impacts; investigates disease dynamics in aquatic ecosystems and their consequences for biodiversity; and develops tools to support management and decision-making. His current research lines include prioritization strategies in invasive species management and the study of invasive species with commercial value, given their close ecological, economic and social interconnections.
Patricia Mª Rodríguez González
University of Lisbon. Portugal
Patricia María Rodríguez González is a professor at the Instituto Superior de Agronomy of the University of Lisbon. She conducts her research at the Centre for Forest Studies and the Associated Laboratory TERRA, focusing on the ecology of riparian and wetland ecosystems, particularly the characterization, modelling, assessment and monitoring of riparian vegetation. Her current research lines include: i) studying riparian vegetation responses to abiotic (e.g. hydroclimatic) and biotic factors (biological invasions, emerging diseases) across different spatial scales, using functional approaches such as functional ecology, dendroecology and ecohydrology; and ii) applying this knowledge to the ecological restoration of river ecosystems. She is also interested in education and scientific knowledge transfer. Beyond academia, she has collaborated with public administrations on the implementation in Portugal of the Water Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive, the Ramsar Convention and the National Restoration Plan. She is co coordinator of the Portuguese Ecological Restoration Network and leads the Working Group on Education and Training of the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe.
Victor Saito
Federal University of São Carlos. Brazil
Victor Saito is an ecologist whose research integrates community ecology, ecosystem functioning and network theory to understand how freshwater systems respond to environmental change across broad latitudinal gradients. His work focuses on trophic networks in fluvial ecosystems, combining field measurements with advanced analytical approaches to quantify energy flow through aquatic food webs under contrasting environmental conditions. By linking organism traits, body size distributions and food web structure, he investigates the mechanisms that organize biodiversity from tropical to temperate regions and how these mechanisms change with temperature, land-use change, urbanization and the spread of non-native species. His studies show how environmental alterations affect key ecosystem processes such as energy flows, secondary production and the stability of trophic interactions. Through projects integrating experiments, field data and mathematical models, his work provides new insights into the resilience and functioning of fluvial ecosystems in a rapidly changing world.
Registration fees
| Registration | Until 30-04-2026 | Until 15-06-2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 260,00 EUR | 300,00 EUR | |
| 130,00 EUR | 150,00 EUR | |
| 380,00 EUR | 470,00 EUR | |
| 300,00 EUR | 360,00 EUR | |
| 455,00 EUR | 560,00 EUR | |
| 260,00 EUR | 300,00 EUR |
Venue
Bizkaia Aretoa-UPV/EHU
Avenida Abandoibarra, 3. 48009- Bilbao
Bizkaia
Bizkaia Aretoa-UPV/EHU
Avenida Abandoibarra, 3. 48009- Bilbao
Bizkaia
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Agenda 2030 is the new international development agenda approved in September 2015 by the United Nations. This agenda aims to be an instrument to favour sustainable human development all over the planet, and its main pillars are the eradication of poverty, a reduction in equality and vulnerability and fostering sustainability. It is a unique opportunity to transform the world up to 2030 and guarantee human rights for all.
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