The small things that rule the world: conserving the world's invertebrates
12 Feb 2013 – 6:00 pm - 7:45 pm
This event has taken place
Invertebrates – or what we often refer to as creepy crawlies - are all around us. Depending on the species in question, they are loved and feared in more or less equal measures. Invertebrates are essential to the functioning of our planet, yet projections are that a large proportion of species will decline, many to extinction, over the next few decades. Providers of food, clean water, and medicine, invertebrates exhibit a huge variety of biological features. As we continue to erode our natural capital, we focus on what the likely impacts of a declining invertebrate fauna will be for humans. Effective communication of their importance is often difficult in the face of more ‘high-profile’ stories involving large, charismatic species of bird or mammal. This event puts into the spotlight the sheer diversity of invertebrates, and their importance to our daily lives. How are invertebrates faring in the current extinction crisis – and what are we set to lose if trends continue?
Talks - audio and presentations
Spineless - invertebrates as our natural capital (13.9 MB) - 
Monika Böhm, Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Zoology (6.7 MB)
The plight of freshwater invertebrates (16.1 MB) - Mary Seddon, Chair of the IUCN SSC Mollusc Specialist Group, IUCN (2.8 MB)
Challenges and opportunities in invertebrate conservation (12.7 MB) - Sarina Jepsen, Endangered Species Program Director, Xerces Society
This meeting will be chaired by Ben Collen, Institute of Zoology
3 course dinner with the speakers
A dinner will follow this Science and Conservation Event and everyone is welcome. Dinner places cost £35 per person including two glasses of wine and reservations should be made before 5pm on Wednesday 6 February.
This event in the 'Wildlife Conservation' series will begin at 6.00pm (doors from 5.00pm) and talks are scheduled to finish at 7.45pm; admission is free and open to everyone (no advance booking or registration required). This event will be held in the ZSL Meeting Rooms and seats will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Further Information: please contact Megan Orpwood-Russell, Scientific Meetings Coordinator, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY.
Tel:+44 (0)20 7449 6227. Fax: +44 (0)20 7449 6411. E-mail: megan.orpwood-russell@zsl.org.
ZSL Science and Conservation Events: An essential part of ZSL's work is to communicate relevant, high-quality zoological and conservation science. The integrated ZSL Science and Conservation Events programme includes Symposia, and the new 'Wildlife Conservation' and 'Communicating Science' series. Topics cover a wide variety of zoological and conservation themes, and international experts present and discuss their research.
Related links
ZSL Science and Conservation Events
Map showing ZSL Meeting Rooms
Directions to ZSL London Zoo
