LTER Bulgaria International Scientific Conference 2026: Registration and Abstract Submission are Now Open

The International Scientific Conference of the Bulgarian Long-Term Ecosystem Research Network (LTER-BG) will take place on 14–17 October 2026 at Hotel Cherno More in Varna, Bulgaria.

Under the title “Long-Term Ecosystem Research: Contributions, Challenges and Future Perspectives”, the conference will mark 20 years of LTER-Bulgaria as part of eLTER. It will bring together scientists, environmental experts, practitioners, decision- and policy-makers, stakeholders, and coordinators and team members from LTER sites and platforms.

Based on the WAILS concept (Whole system Approach for In-situ research on Life-sustaining Systems) by eLTER RI, the conference will provide a platform to share scientific findings, reflect on past achievements, examine current challenges, and discuss future perspectives for long-term ecosystem research. Particular attention will be given to the role of long-term observations in understanding ecosystem dynamics, resilience and responses to global environmental change, biodiversity loss and sustainability transitions.

Scientific contributions are invited across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, critical zone and socio-ecological systems. The main conference topics include:

  • Monitoring and Understanding Ecosystem Dynamics

  • Ecosystem Services and Stakeholder Engagement in Long-Term Ecological Research: What We Lose When We Win

  • Ecosystem Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions

  • Emerging Technologies in Ecosystem Research, Data Management and Open Science in eLTER.

The programme will address long-term evidence of ecosystem change and functioning under changing climatic conditions; standardised observations and whole-system research; ecosystem service trade-offs and stakeholder engagement; restoration pathways and nature-based solutions; and the growing role of remote sensing, sensors, artificial intelligence, semantics, FAIR principles and interoperability in the future of ecological data infrastructure.

Abstracts should be submitted in English through the ARPHA platform by 15 July 2026. See instructions for authors. Accepted abstracts will be published in the Book of Abstracts of the Conference and receive DOI. The deadline for conference registration is 31 August 2026.

The conference is organised by the Bulgarian Long-Term Ecosystem Research Network (LTER-BG), the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBER-BAS), the Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO-BAS), the University of Forestry (UF) and the Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (FRI-BAS), with the support of eLTER RI and Pensoft Publishers.

LTER-BG receives funding through the National Roadmap for Research Infrastructure (2020–2027), coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Visit the conference webpage: https://lterbg26.eu/ to learn more about the programme, abstract submission, registration and practical information.