DOT 14

The 14th meeting of German speaking ostracodologists 

“The Recent and Fossil Meet Kempf Database”

The regular meetings of German speaking ostracodologists are usually rather small conferences, taking place on a yearly basis to strengthen the network of participating researchers. Especially newcomers benefit from these events by personally meeting, and talking to, old stagers of ostracodology. In general, conferences of ostracodologists are interdisciplinary in that palaeontologist and biologists of a multitude of working fields come together to discuss their ongoing research on Ostracoda. 

The 2012 German meeting, number 14 of its kind, added a new spice to the dish. Supported by funds of the German Research Foundation DFG, Finn Viehberg (Universität zu Köln) und Renate Matzke-Karasz (LMU München), together with the newly founded Society of Friends of the International Research Group on Ostracoda e.V., invited the entire ostracodologists‘ community to join the International German Ostracodologists’ Meeting (IGOM) in Cologne (11- 14.10.2012). 

Ultimate cause for the exceptional format was the 80^th birthday of Eugen Karl Kempf, nestor of German ostracod science. Among ostracodologists, Prof Kempf is renowned for the always close-to-complete relational database of ostracod literature, the Kempf Database Ostracoda KDO, which was started in the early 1960ies already. The multitude of spin-offs (books and CDs) are often referred to as the Kempf Index. Any information request sent to Eugen privately or via OSTRACON, the community’s discussion list, was and still is being replied by Eugen in his typical, competent, and all-embracing manner. Beside, the meanwhile well-established regular meeting of German speaking ostracodologists has been launched by Eugen in 1988 in Cologne. 

Consequently, the motto of IGOM 2012 was „Fossil and Recent meet Kempf Database“. Following the special expertise of Prof Kempf, the main topic of contributions was databases. Emphasis was given on problems around merging existing smaller regional databases on ostracod (palaeo)ecology from both sides of the Atlantic to create a bigger pool of information, eventually to be used for solving problems around climate changes in past, present and future. 

Three of five plenar talks, presented by Brandon Curry (USA), Dave Horne (UK) und Alison Smith (USA) dealt with database issues, while two others, given by Koen Martens und Isa Schön (Belgium), informed us on models of speciation in ancient lakes and on the potential of up-to-date genetic investigations in ostracods. Altogether 22 talks and 18 posters presented new insights into taxonomic, genetic and palaeo)ecologic studies in Ostracoda, clearly focusing on Quaternary to Recent faunas. Of the total of 64 participants, more than half came to Cologne from abroad. 

Finn Viehberg and Burkhard Scharf (Bremen) led the conference field trip to the Laacher See, famous lake in the Eifel volcanic region, southwest of Cologne. Geological explanations as well as demonstration of limnological techniques and sediment core probing completed the conference by some practical exchange. A guided visit to the almost 1000-year-old Laach monastery nearby finally added a historical – and clearly meditative – aspect before participants said farewell. 

IGOM 2012 was a big success – instructive and innovative, in a very inspiring atmosphere. Extended abstracts of conference contributions are to be found in the journal Kölner Forum für Geologie und Paläontologie (21/2012). A conference proceedings volume is scheduled for 2013 within the journal Crustaceana. (ISBN: 9789004287600)

Many participants of IGOM expressed their hope that the positive and creative spirit of IGOM will be kept alive so that it can be further developed during the 17. International Symposium on Ostracoda in July 2013 in Rome. 

(Report: Peter Frenzel, Renate Matzke-Karasz & Finn Viehberg)