Workshop: Life in the Sub-Surface: Habitats, Species, Metabolism and Survival Strategies
Conference Handbook
Please find the handbook for the meeting here.
General information
The Workshop “Life in the Sub-Surface: Habitats, Species, Metabolism and Survival Strategies” will take place from 25th to 27th October 2023 in Angra do Heroismo, Terceira, Açores. It will be co-organised by the European Astrobiology Institute, the Instituto de Investigação e Tecnologias Agrárias e do Ambiente (IITAA) at the University of the Azores and the Centro Cultural e de Congressos in Angra do Heroismo.
The duration of the workshop will be three full days with arrival of participants on 24 October in the afternoon and departure on 28th October morning. The workshop is open to all interested students and scientists.
This workshop is organised by the European Astrobiology Institute.
Registration and Abstract Submissions
The deadline for abstract submissions ons has passed but we still have possibilities to include some presentations. So feel free to send applications.. Please refer to the corresponding pages for more details.
For Abstract Submission, download the abstract template here and send the abstract to wgeppert@fysik.su.se.
=> Selected speakers will be notified soon.
For Registration, click here. Registration deadline is 1 August 2023.
Themes
The workshop will cover the following subjects:
- Characteristics of (potential) sub-surface habitats on Earth and beyond
- Early evolution of subsurface life including its possible role in emergence of life
- Diversity, metabolism and survival strategies of subsurface life on Earth
- Possibility of extraterrestrial sub-durface life and its detection.
- Gaps in the knowledge about subsurface life
- Subsurface environments and extremophiles on the Azores.
Structure of The Workshop
October 25th
- Scientific Sessions during the day
October 26th
- Morning and early afternoon: Scientific sessions in the morning
- Early afternoon: Discussion about “Gaps in the knowledge” in the afternoon, which will form the basis of a review article/white paper/strategy
October 27th
- Morning: Talks about the geology of the Azores as well as subsurface environments , field sites extremophiles on the Azores
- Afternoon: Excursion to the Algar de Carvão volcano chimney. The Gruta de Natal Lava cave and the Furnas de Enxofre solfatare field. We will have a dinner at an Azorean restaurant.
There will be generous discussion times after each session to foster identification of the “Gaps in the knowledge” about subsurface life.
Outreach work
The future EAI project team “Astrobiology and Art” will organise a multimedia event on the first day. There will be a speleological society “Os Montanheiros” will organise an exhibition of life in Azorean lava caves.
Field trip
We will organise a field trip to the islands of Terceira, Pico, Faial and São Miguel whee we will visit lava caves, hot springs, solfatares and other astrobiologically relevant sites. A programme of the field trip can be found here. If you are interested in participating please send a mail to Wolf Geppert (wgeppert@fysik.su.se).
Invited Speakers
Henrik Drake
Linnaeus University, Sweden
Ernst Hauber
German Aerospace Centre, Germany
Alexandra Hillebrand-Voiculescu
Emil Rakovita Institute of Speleology, Romania
Andreas Pflitsch
Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
Alexis Templeton
University of Colorado, USA
Frances Westall
CNRS, France
Scientific Organisation Committee
The following scientists are serving on the Scientific Organisation Committee:
- Emmanuelle Javaux, University of Liège, Belgium
- Anna Neubeck, Uppsala University, Sweden
- Diana Northup, University of New Mexico, USA
- Karen Olsson Francis, Open University, UK
- Wolf Geppert EAI Chair
Participation Fees (note that the quoted accommodation fees cover lodging from 24 to 28 October AND the registration)
- These rates include
- Accommodation as specified from 24 October 2023 (arrival) to 28 October 2023 (departure)
- Breakfasts (only for hotel guests, we provide groceries for people living in the hostel), coffee breaks starting from 24 October dinner until breakfast 28 October 2023
- Coffee breaks
- Conference material
The excursion fee covers the excursion, entrance fees and the dinner.
For a list of institutions participating in the European Astrobiology Institute, click here. Sadly, we cannot financially support attendees to the conference.
Invite speakers will be offered free lodging at Terceira Mar Hotel and meals.
Instructions for payment will be given to participants in due course.
Participants from Institutions Inside EAI
-
2-6 person rooms with Shared Facilities €130
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Double en suite room in Terceira Mar Hotel*** €190
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Double en suite room in Hotel Monte Brasil** €170
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Single en suite room in Terceira Mar Hotel*** €280
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Single en suite room in Hotel Monte Brasil** €240
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Day Guests €40
Registration and coffee breaks
-
Conference excursion and dinner €50
Not included in the room booking
Participants from Institutions Outside EAI
-
2-6 person rooms with Shared Facilities €240
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Double en suite room in Terceira Mar Hotel €300
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Double en suite room in Hotel Monte Brasil €280
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Single en suite room in Terceira Mar Hotel €390
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Single en suite room in Hotel Monte Brasil €350
Registration, coffee breaks and accommodation
-
Day Guests €150
Registration and coffee breaks
-
Conference excursion and dinner €75
Not included in the room booking
Conference Venue
Centro Cultural e de Congressos de Angra do Heroísmo
Canada Nova de S/N, 9700-130 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Terceira, Portugal
25th - 27th October 2023
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
The main organiser of the event will be the European Astrobiology Institute will be Dr. Wolf Geppert from Stockholm University. For scientific questions he will serve as the main contact person. For administrative issues (e.g. payment) please contact Mariette Vandermersch. The organisers are looking forward to welcoming you at the course.
