Final Agenda Announced for Penn State International Conference on Pollinator Health

Online, June 11, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Early registration continues for the International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy as conference organizers announce the final agenda.

Hosted by the Center for Pollinator Research in the College of Agricultural Sciences, the conference will be held August 14 to 17 at The Nittany Lion Inn on the Penn State University Park campus. The conference will feature two world-renowned keynote speakers: David Goulson, of the University of Stirling in the United Kingdom, an expert in the behavior, ecosystem services and conservation of bumble bees; and Heather Patisaul, of North Carolina State University, who will share insights into the genomic, neurophysiological and behavioral impacts of environmental contaminants that act as endocrine disruptors in mammals.

Additional symposia will include invited and contributed talks and posters related to pollinator behavior, physiology, host-parasite interactions, conservation, ecosystems services and policy. The full agenda can be viewed at http://agsci.psu.edu/pollinator-conference. To date, presenters from 24 countries will be attending the conference.

Pollinators are essential for both plants and animals in agriculture and natural ecosystems, but there have been dramatic drops in pollinator populations worldwide, according to Christina Grozinger, professor of entomology and director of the Center for Pollinator Research. "Pollinator decline not only has alarmed the scientific community but has gained prominence in the popular press, raising the public's awareness about threats to our ecosystem," she said.

The conference will be preceded by the Pollinator Conservation Short Course on Aug. 14, hosted by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. The Short Course, also at the University Park campus, will feature presentations on creating and protecting pollinator habitat and related research by Penn State scientists.

Conference attendees should register by July 1 to receive a discounted registration fee. A special rate is available for students. The keynote addresses will be free and open to the public. For more information, go to the conference site at http://agsci.psu.edu/pollinator-conference. Follow the event on Twitter using #bee2013.

The conference is supported by Penn State's Center for Pollinator Research, Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural Sciences and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Wyman's, Syngenta, Bayer, Häagan Dazs, Ernst Conservation Seeds, BASF, Project Apis M and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture are also providing financial support.

Penn State's Center for Pollinator Research at http://ento.psu.edu/pollinators is a dynamic consortium of more than 25 faculty members involved in research, education and extension efforts focused on improving pollinator health, conservation and ecosystems services.