We are very pleased to announce that the First Circular for IPC11 is now available at http://ipc11.intphycsoc.org. There you will find details of the Congress, including early bird registration.

The overall theme of the Congress is “Challenges of the molecular era for algal research and the promise of bioprospecting”, but as usual, contributions on all aspects of phycology will be welcome. The format of the Congress will follow the established pattern, with a mix of plenary talks, symposia devoted to particular topics, sessions of contributed papers, and poster sessions. Four plenary speakers will present cutting edge phycological research, while a range of symposia with invited speakers have been agreed and are currently being organized. Related contributed talks will be welcome, as will talks on any other phycological topics, which will be grouped into separate themed sessions. As the Congress venue is located in the Baltic Sea coastal region there is a special symposium on Baltic Sea phycology, and the special focus of the local organizing team will also be reflected in a rarely presented symposium on paleontological perspectives in phycology. There are also opportunities for holding workshops either during the weekend before or after the Congress, or during the Congress (e.g. on Wednesday, when there will be no oral or poster sessions).

The Congress promises an excellent scientific programme with plenty of opportunities to enjoy Szczecin and the beauty of the surrounding countryside. The local organizing committee has also made every effort to keep costs reasonable.

The convener of the local organizing committee, Prof. Andrzej Witkowski (University of Szczecin) and the other members of the committee are ready to help you with any questions about the conference or with preparatory work for the Congress. Prof. David Mann and the IPS’s Prof. Juliet Brodie are also available to help you in making your attendance at the IPC 11 possible.