The coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province, is holding the 2014 World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Oct 12-16, which has attracted more than 300 marine scientists from 55 countries around the world, with the theme, "Life in a changing ocean".

The conference will have 12 sessions and organizers have invited Sun Song, head of the Chinese Science Academy's Oceanology Institute to chair the conference, whose main aim is to bring together scientists and the public for discussions and to increase people's awareness of the issues relate to, and importance of, biodiversity in the marine environment.