VIII International Conference on Aquatic Connectivity: Connectivity across water realms for ecosystem resilience
Last week, the 8th IMARCO 2026 conference took place in Vigo, Spain, bringing together researchers working on aquatic connectivity across freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems. For the first time, the traditionally marine-focused conference opened its scope to the freshwater realm, creating a space to explore connectivity across the entire aquatic continuum.
Although connectivity is studied in very different environments, the conference highlighted many shared questions around how aquatic ecosystems function, how species move through them, and how human pressures affect these connections. Diadromous species, which move between freshwater and marine environments during their life cycle, provided a particularly strong link between the two realms.
From the Blue Rivers Foundation team, Jesse O’Hanley gave a keynote presentation on “From headwaters to high seas: Frameworks for prioritizing river connectivity restoration.” He explored how river connectivity restoration can be prioritised more effectively by combining ecological information, species movement patterns, restoration costs and other management constraints. His work highlights the importance of moving beyond simple estimates of habitat gain to identify restoration actions that deliver the greatest benefits for aquatic communities.
Carlos García de Leániz, also from BRF, presented research on “Fish in warmer, more fragmented rivers: Rethinking river connectivity under climate change.” The study examined how fish passability at barriers is influenced by factors including fish size and swimming capacity, barrier characteristics, water temperature, and river discharge. The results highlight the need to account for climate change and uncertainty when assessing river fragmentation and planning connectivity restoration.
The conference provided a valuable opportunity to connect research across aquatic environments and highlight the importance of connectivity for resilient and healthy aquatic ecosystems, from headwaters to the high seas.