Background and Purpose Environmental concerns are increasingly global in nature and extent. The international movement of people, goods, and services, and the resulting global economy, both contribute to global environmental impacts and offer opportunities to mitigate them. Despite these growing challenges and opportunities, ecological research remains focused at local levels, with collaboration limited by national borders and funding. New initiatives are required to increase the utility and availability of environmental research to managers and policymakers in public and private sectors. Increased collaboration among environmental scientists is required to address emerging issues associated with human migration, invasive species and the global transformation of agricultural and industrial production systems. In response, the Ecological Society of America (ESA), is organizing a conference designed to develop strategies to increase international access to ecological knowledge and to increase collaboration among environmental scientists. This conference, Ecology in an Era of Globalization, will be held in Merida, Mexico, January 8 – 12, 2006, co-hosted by the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán and the Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de Yucatán.   Printer Friendly Version