After a hiatus of two years, due to the pandemic, this year saw the return of in-persona meetings. This included the SPP 1158 topic workshop on "Polar Genomics", which was held in Bielefeld from 16th till 18th of May 2022. Organized by Joe Hoffman and his team from the University of Bielefeld, the aim of the workshop was to bring together international researchers working on the genomics of polar organisms. Over the course of two and half days, 37 participants from six countries presented and discussed objectives, approaches and recent progress using genomic methods to study patterns of biodiversity, adaptations to the polar environment and responses to environmental changes in polar organisms. Presentations covered all organismal levels, from bacteria, algae, lichens, invertebrates, fish and birds to mammals, from terrestrial to marine habitats. Plenary lectures were delivered by Melody Clark (British Antarctic Survey/UK), Charlotte Havermans (AWI/Germany), and Kenneth M. Halanych (University of North Carolina Wilmington/USA).
The workshop presentations and lively discussions were complemented by a field trip to the Naturschutzgroßproject Senne near Bielefeld and an evening lecture on Ernest Shackletons polar adventures by Oliver Krüger, Bielefeld University.
