Pre-conference workshops
Four workshops will be held before the conference (October 25th—26th) at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.
Workshop 1：Cephalopod fisheries management, underlying triggers and assumptions for data-limited stock
Organizers:
Vladimir Laptikhovsky, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Graham J Pierce, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas
Cristina Pita, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas
Jean-Paul Robin, University of Caen Normandy
Katina Roumbedakis, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas/Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional
This Workshop is planned to attract fisheries ecologists, stock assessors, conservationists, among other experts, that will work together aiming to review the most relevant conservation measures that might be used for management of data-limited cephalopod fisheries. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and collaborative exercises, this workshop will foster a transdisciplinary dialogue, aiming to build capacity for sustainable cephalopod fisheries governance. The workshop will consider the successful cases of management to reveal the “secret of success” in supporting sustainable harvest of these resources in combination with underlying approaches to the stock assessment and respective trigger points used in decision making with an exercise to co-define indicators of sustainability for small-scale octopod fisheries. Outcomes of the workshop will include a set of recommendations for improving management practices in cephalopod fisheries and strategies to address knowledge gaps, ensuring the long-term sustainability of these vital marine resources. A result of the workshop might be a collection of publications in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal , dedicated to cephalopod fisheries management under data-limited scenarios, like “Fisheries Research”, where a similar collection of crustacean papers was recently published as “Lobster and Crab Biology and Management 2023” (https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/10GCFKB7RHP)
Workshop 2: Cryptic biodiversity of cephalopods: state-of-the-art and future trend
Organizers:
Fernando Á. Fernández-Álvarez. Marine Science Institute of Barcelona
Gustavo Sánchez. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Christian Ibañez. Universidad Andres Bello
Cryptic biodiversity poses one of the greatest problems for the assessment of the diversity of the Earth. It refers to the phenomenon where two or more species are morphologically similar that they are mistakenly classified as a single species. This similarity can arise from selective pressures that lead to convergent morphologies or from overconservative taxonomic practices, where differences in various traits are overlooked and considered variations within a single species. The traditional way of thinking that the ocean is a continuum devoid of physical barriers for genetic exchange makes the appearance of cosmopolitan morphologically-similar cryptic species complexes more common, as similar groups from distant places had been traditionally lumped together in a single species. This has especially impacted groups like cephalopods, where cryptic biodiversity has been increasingly reported. Coleoid cephalopods, with their soft and flexible bodies, often lack clear morphological markers, making it challenging to distinguish among closely related species. In some cases, there is ethological, biochemical, morphological differences among putative cryptic species. However, the primary driver of cryptic biodiversity discovery has been the advent of affordable molecular techniques, such as DNA barcoding. In this workshop, we propose to review the knowledge on cryptic biodiversity among extant members of the class Cephalopoda Cuvier, 1797, identify emerging trends in this discipline and discuss the best approaches (e.g., species delimitation) to characterize the actual diversity of the group accounting for described and undescribed cephalopod species diversity and formally describe the last when possible. The aim of this workshop is to write a multiauthor review article on this topic.
Workshop 3: Cephalopod Health Management
Organizers:
Mehmet Arif Zoral, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Zdenek Lajbner, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Lucia Zifcakova, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Cephalopods are increasingly emerging as a subject of basic research and of commercial endeavors. Due to their complex behavior and make up they are a prime subject for the study of intelligence through the lens of neuroscience and behavioral sciences as well as constituting a significant resource within the fishing industry. Some cephalopods show a potential for commercial aquaculture due to their ease of domestication, high growth rate, and sufficient large final size for market in short time in both artificial and semi-artificial settings. Our group has been able to maintain one inbred lineage of oval squids for ten generations under laboratory settings. In 2010, as part of the cephalopod research's growing interest, the European Union parliament has integrated cephalopods into its animal welfare legislation, underscoring the importance of promoting the general health and well-being of these animals. To meet this objective, it is essential to conduct further robust scientific research and investigation into cephalopod health. Given the rapid increase of studies on cephalopods, the need is pressing especially regarding the health management of cephalopods in captivity and laboratory settings. There is also a lack of research addressing the overall health and wellbeing of these animals in laboratory conditions, despite a large body of literature on other topics of cephalopod biology. The workshop aims at convening researchers and experts including aquatic pathologists, veterinarians, marine biologists, and aquaculturists to advance discussions on cephalopod health management. The workshop will also shed light on the infectious pathogens and stress factors that impact cephalopods and their relevance to the seafood production and ornamental trade. Also, the workshop will emphasize the diagnostic skills, health assessment techniques, and preventative strategies, including biosecurity measures and control procedures to address health issues in cephalopods in diverse environments. The workshop will conclude with the writing of at least one review publication on health management in cephalopod captivity or aquaculture.
Workshop 4: Artificial Intelligence: Unlocking New Frontiers in Cephalopod Research
Organizers:
Hassan Moustahfid: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Catalina Perales-Raya: Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, CSIC)
Cephalopods are among the most ecologically and economically important marine organisms. They play a key role in marine food webs and are significant targets in global fisheries. However, despite their importance, studying cephalopods poses unique challenges due to their diversity, complex behaviors, and often elusive nature. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are offering innovative solutions to these challenges and opening new avenues for cephalopod research and management.
This workshop will explore the transformative applications of AI in cephalopod science, focusing on how AI tools are revolutionizing the field. An example is species identification through deep learning algorithms that analyze image and video data for more accurate cephalopod taxonomy. AI is also being explored for age-growth studies by automating the analysis of hard structures, which can support our understanding of cephalopod life cycles and population dynamics. Modern machine learning tools have also been developed in neuroscience for quantitatively analyzing the complex behaviors of cephalopods, resulting in high-dimensional datasets attempting to form accurate and interpretable descriptions of these behaviors. Additionally, AI tools could be used to analyze genomic data, shedding light on cephalopod evolutionary history, genetic diversity, and population structure. Another key focus of the workshop will be AI’s potential for ecological modeling and fisheries management. AI models are helping predict species abundance, migration patterns, and population dynamics, aiding in the understanding of how the species respond to environmental pressures like climate change and fishing. AI also supports ecosystem-based management by integrating complex data sets to generate decision-support models for conservation and resource management.
These AI-driven approaches allow for faster, more accurate data collection and analysis, uncovering new insights into cephalopod biology that were previously out of reach. Attendees are invited to share their experience on this emerging topic, engage in active discussion on the latest AI developments applicable to cephalopods, and explore collaboration opportunities. We aim to highlight interdisciplinary approaches, where AI is helping to decode large-scale biological data and predict ecological trends that can inform better management and conservation strategies.