Sana’a, Yemen, October 2007
Owing to its rich biodiversity and a very high degree of endemism, Socotra is often termed the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”. Since the 1990s, the Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt and the University of Sana’a, in conjunction with regional and international partners, have conducted biodiversity research in the Socotra Archipelago. These projects produced a wealth of data, which have been analysed by scientists from a wide range of disciplines. Working on various plant and animal taxa produced results, which are, at first glance, occasionally contradictory to each other. At this stage, it seemed timely to meet, compare results, discuss methodologies and come up with a synoptic view of the biogeography of this unique archipelago.
The workshop provided the opportunity for botanists, terrestrial and marine zoologists, and palaeoclimatologists engaged in research on Socotra to present results and develop a synoptic view of the historical biogeography of the Archipelago based on common data interpretation. An adequate use of geological and palaeoclimatic data for the interpretation of biological patterns and processes received special attention.
The results of this workshop will serve as a case study for biogeographic research in the region and a model for an integrated approach towards complex scientific issues in the biological and geological sciences. It will help in transferring knowledge and upgrading the scientific capacity in biogeography research in the region. Proceedings of the workshop will be published in 2008 in a peer-reviewed journal.
