The 5th Regional Symposium of the International Fossil Algae Association was principally organised by Davide Bassi and Anna Fugagnoli of the Dipartimento delle Risorse Naturali of the University of Ferrara. This symposium follows the tradition of successful regional meetings previously held in Granada (1989), Munich-Vienna (1993), Cracow (1997) and Cluj-Napoca (2001). Presentations were offered in three sessions: general themes, calcareous red algae and calcareous green algae. A total of 31 presentations were made over two days. Delegates from several countries (Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Croatia, Israel, China, U.S.) attended the symposium. Two workshops were held, one focusing on the classification criteria of Dasycladales and Bryopsidales (Halimedaceae) green algae (chairman Ioan I. Bucur) and the second dealing with the palaeobiogeography of calcareous algae(chairman Juan C. Braga). Titles of the presentations can be found at the 5th Regional Symposium site, Scientific Programme. The abstract book has been published in the Annali dell’Università di Ferrara, section Museologia Scientifica e Naturalistica, volume 1.
A post-meeting field excursion focused on shallow water carbonates including Middle-Upper Eocene calcareous algae and larger foraminifera (Colli Berici, Monti Lessini, north-eastern Italy), Lower Jurassic microbial structures, dasycladaleans, larger foraminifera, and dinosaur footprints (Rovereto and Altopiano di Lavarone, Trento area), and dasycladaleans at the K/T boundary (Friuli and western Slovenia areas).The field excursions were organised by the University of Ferrara, the Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, the University of Naples FedericoII, the University of Trieste, the University of Tübingen, the Slovenian Geological Survey, and the Slovenia Academy of Sciences. The field trip guide-book is published in the Studi Trentini di Scienze Naturali, Acta Geologica, supplement 80 (2003).
Davide Bassi and Anna Fugagnoli
Figure caption: Some participants at the 5th Regional Symposium of the IFAA held in Ferrara (Italy).