184 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 27 · 2017 · 2 LETNO SREČANJE MEDNARODNE ORGANIZACIJE ZA VODNE PTICE THE WATERBIRD SOCIETY (WA- TERBIRD SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING, REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, AUGUST 8-12 2017) Od 8. do 12. avgusta 2017 je v Univerzitetnem središču Askja (po istoimenskem vulkanu) v Reykjaviku na Islandiji potekalo mednarodno srečanje strokovnja- kov za vodne ptice z naslovom »The Waterbird Society Annual Meeting«. Gre za že 41. Srečanje mednarodne organizacije Waterbird Society s sedežem v ZDA. Orga- nizacija Waterbird Society je mednarodna znanstvena, nevladna organizacija, katere cilj je proučevanje in varovanje vodnih ptic. Srečanja smo se udeležili sodelavci iz Krajisnkega parka Sečoveljske soline (KPSS) v okviru Programa Finančnega mehanizma EGP 200-2014 (SI02), CARS- OUT! Okoljsko prijazen obisk zavarovanih območij in Programa Norveškega fi nančnega mehanizma (SI05). V treh delovnih dneh je bilo kar 92 predavanj, od tega dve plenarni. Predstavljenih je bilo tudi 24 prispev- kov na posterjih, med njimi tudi prispevek I. Škornika »Status, distribution and threats of fi ve breeding species in Sečovlje Salina Nature Park: prescription of biodiversi- ty conservation for the area.« Predavanja so potekala sočasno v treh dvoranah. Odvijala so se v sklopu simpozija o galebih in simpozija o mormonu. Obenem so potekala tudi druga predavanja na temo prehranjevanja, selitve, oglašanja, kartirnih popisov, populacijskih trendov, telemetrije, itd. Nadvse poučne so bile strokovne ekskurzije, ki so bile organizirane za udeležence simpozija. Tri ekskur- zije so bile krajše, saj smo jih izvedli zgodaj zjutraj pred samim začetkom predavanj, zadnja ekskurzija pa je bila celodnevna. Prvi dan simpozija smo začeli z zgodnje jutranjo ekskurzijo v Alftanes. Drugi dan smo s čolnom odpluli do otoka Puffi n Island, kjer smo občudovali kolonijo mormonov (Fratercula arctica) in drugih morskih ptic. Zadnja jutranja ekskurzija je bila v Seltjarnarnes, kjer je bilo kljub vetru in mrazu veliko zanimivih vrst. S celodnevno ekskurzijo na polotok Snæfellsnes pa se je končala ornitološka konferenca Waterbirds 2017. Dežela vulkanov je presenetila tudi v ornitološkem pogledu. Tisočere jate pobrežnikov, ki se pripravljajo na svoj odhod, obrežja polna rac, arktične čigre, kolonije triprstih galebov, ki se s svojimi mladiči gnetejo na ozkih skalnih policah strmega klifa tik nad fjordom so le del bogastva, ki smo ga lahko občudovali. Spoznali smo kako se Islandci spopadajo It would be too unfair to expose individual researchers, since there were many exceptional presentations. The participants were received also by the mayor of Piran, Peter Bossman, with a pleasant speech about the beauties of his town and a feast, and he did not forget to promote the visit to the center and to the Sečovlje salt pans. The guests then visited the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park during an organized excursion in the only free afternoon. The researchers of the Marine Biology Station Piran organized also the traditional Yellow Submarine compe- tition on the beach, where younger generations compe- ted in fun games, such as sampling of marine organisms and sediments, while the older ones cheered aloud. There was also a social dinner at the Vinakoper, where the participants had the opportunity to learn more about the tastes of local gastronomy and oenological peculia- rities. This event was also used by the organizers to grant fi nancial awards for the four best poster presentations of young researchers. The winner was a lovely biologist from Saudi Arabia. At the symposium biologists listened to ideas for new researches, they brought new ties, basics for cooperati- on, and some of the lecturers also made them laugh out loud. This is the case of the Croatian professor, dr. Peter Kružić, who fi nished the lecture on coral bleaching in the Adriatic Sea with a photograph of the winning Slo- venian national basketball team, triggering a hurricane applause in the hall and warming the heart of Slovenian researchers. The organization of such symposium is defi nitely Sisyphus’s work. For the fi rst time Slovenia hosted a pan-European congress of this magnitude. For this su- ccess, the merits are of a great crowd of people, part of the organizing and scientifi c committees, which were preparing for the congress for almost a year and a half. Acknowledgment goes also to various local sponsors, who helped the organizers in giving to the participants of the 52nd EMBS nice memories to take home. The Ma- rine Biology Station Piran passed the relay to the next organizer of the EMBS, the Flanders Marine Institute in Oostende, Belgium. Lovrenc Lipej & Martina Orlando-Bonaca DELO NAŠIH ZAVODOV IN DRUŠTEV, 183-185 185 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 27 · 2017 · 2 DELO NAŠIH ZAVODOV IN DRUŠTEV, 183-185 z naravovarstvenimi problemi, kaj za njihovo naravno dediščino pomeni turizem in obiskovanje ter dostop- nost do zavarovanih območij. Iztok Škornik KPSS-SOLINE Pridelava soli d.o.o. Sl. 1: Udeleženci srečanja so imeli priložnost spoznati posebnosti islandske biodiverzitete (Foto: I. Škornik). Sl. 2: Triprsti galeb (Rissa tridactyla) (Foto: I. Škornik).