The unsung heroes of (not only) aquatic ecosystems
Amphipods, commonly known as "gammarids," are tiny crustaceans found in almost every aquatic environment on Earth – from the ocean depths and polar regions to high mountain streams and even forest floor. Despite their small size, they play a crucial ecological role as unsung heroes of many food webs, providing a vital link in the food web, connecting detritus with larger predators such as fish, birds and marine mammals. Furthermore, their sensitivity to environmental changes – particularly pollution and habitat degradation – makes them invaluable bioindicators for assessing the health of aquatic ecosystems, reinforcing their importance not only for science but also for environmental conservation and humanity.
International family of amphipodologists
The event, which ran from 1 to 5 September 2025, fully deserved its international appeal, bringing together 90 participants – leading amphipodologists from 20 countries, from Norway to Australia and from Brazil to Japan. This international forum highlighted the universal importance of amphipod research in various fields, from marine and freshwater ecology to evolutionary biology.
The programme of the event was intense, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge and emerging research on amphipods. Participants presented their latest findings in 31 full oral presentations and 22 short flash talks, as well as 30 posters, which sparked numerous and inspiring face-to-face discussions among the event participants.
Scientific discoveries: from genes to global ranges and macroecology
The scientific part of the conference was divided into eight main thematic sessions, demonstrating the holistic nature of contemporary amphipod research. Scientists delved into the fundamentals of taxonomy, systematics and morphology, while also exploring complex topics such as molecular diversity and phylogenetics, as well as the intricacies of amphipod speciation and evolution. Interesting sessions focused on the ecology of amphipod assemblages and habitat interactions, their impact on the environment, population dynamics, and the critical issue of nature conservation and human impact on the ecosystems in which amphipods live. Biogeography and behavioural studies were also discussed.
A series of five extremely interesting plenary lectures was one of the key points of the conference. The lectures were delivered by the leaders in the field:
- Thierry Rigaud (Université de Bourgogne, France) inaugurated the plenary session by presenting fascinating co-evolutionary relationships in a lecture “Gammarids and their parasites as models for co-evolution and co-differentiation?”
- Mark Costello (Nord University, Norway) presented a large-scale perspective on biodiversity in a speech "Advances in biogeography may explain patterns in biodiversity," linking spatial patterns of organism distribution to the evolutionary processes.
- Jan Marcin Węsławski (Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland) offered a fascinating regional perspective, sharing an intriguing story in “Gammarus story from the North Atlantic.”
- Chema Martin-Duran (Queen Mary University of London, Great Britain) passionately presented the complex mechanisms that shape the body plan of invertebrates in a presentation “An EvoDevo approach to understand phenotypic evolution."
- Fabricia Ronco (University of Basel, Switzerland) closed the plenary sessions by presenting a fascinating insight into the intricate processes shaping eco-functional diversity in her lecture “Tracing morphological evolution over the course of the adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes from Lake Tanganyika”.
Building bridges: social events, trips
The spirit of cooperation extended far beyond the lecture halls, thanks to a carefully curated programme of social events designed to foster cooperation and foster friendships among the participants. It all began on Sunday evening (31 August) with a welcome reception at our Training and Conference Centre, allowing early arrivals to greet each other and engage in conversation in a relaxed atmosphere. Mid-week, on Wednesday, 3 September, the participants swapped the lecture hall for hiking boots for a field trip, providing a well-deserved break and a chance to breathe in the natural beauty of Central Poland, with a forest walk, a kayaking trip on the Pilica River, and a visit to World War II bunkers in Konewka. The evenings provided further networking opportunities, including an informal barbecue and bonfire evening at our second training and conference centre, located on the edge of Łagiewnicki Forest, and a gala conference dinner at the Soplicowo restaurant. This dinner allowed the event participants to experience the traditional cuisine of four cultures (Polish, Jewish, German, and Russian) that shape the unique history of Lodz. The dinner was preceded by a guided tour of the city's historic centre, showcasing its architecture, street art and vibrant atmosphere.
Scientific workshops
The meeting culminated in specialised scientific workshops. The participants moved to the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology on Friday afternoon, after the closing ceremony. Here, intensive work continued throughout Saturday and Sunday, 6 and 7 September, with the event participants choosing between the MEDAMP workshop, devoted to building a reference DNA barcoding library for amphipods from the Mediterranean Basin, and the TALITRAITS workshop, focusing on integrating taxonomic systems with ecological research, using the example of terrestrial amphipods from the family Talitridae as an example. The workshops aimed to develop specialised research techniques and foster cooperation among the participants.
The XX ICA 2025 succeeded not only in presenting the latest discoveries in amphipod research, but also in actively shaping new perspectives in amphipod research that will be pursued in the coming years.
Source: dr hab. Anna Jażdżewska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz (Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology at the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz)
Edit: Mateusz Kowalski (Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz)
