GUIDANCE FOR PRESENTERS

Long presentations are allotted 12 minutes in total: 9 minutes for your talk, 2 minutes for audience questions, and 1 minute for transition between speakers.

Short presentations are four-minute talks designed to highlight your key ideas, key findings, and their broader implications, followed by a one-minute transition period. We recommend using no more than three slides to clearly and effectively convey your message, though the final number of slides is at your discretion.

Video presentations match the duration of a short talk, with four minutes allotted for the presentation followed by a one-minute transition, and allow presenters to incorporate varied media such as high-resolution video, animation, and narration. Presenters are encouraged to use these tools creatively to communicate the study’s purpose, results, and implications in an engaging and accessible way for both scientific peers and broader audiences. While presenting in video format may require stepping outside familiar presentation norms, the benefits are considerable, including opportunities for creative expression that bridge science and art, expanded outreach through social media and other platforms, and the ability to use underwater footage to enhance understanding of marine mammal habitats and behavior, potentially inspiring new research ideas.

Posters serve as extended abstracts that present key findings through clear text and engaging visuals. A well-designed poster typically includes a title, author list, background, methods, one to three main results, conclusions, and acknowledgements.

Explores the diverse ways marine mammals use sound for communication, navigation, and foraging. This theme includes studies on vocal repertoires, echolocation, acoustic ecology, and the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine mammal behavior and survival.

Highlights research on the form and function of marine mammal systems, including adaptations to aquatic life, thermoregulation, diving physiology, and sensory function.

Showcases advances in understanding marine mammal cognition, learning, social structure, and culture. Submissions may highlight long-term behavioral studies, tool use, and the transmission of behaviors across generations.

Highlights the role of public participation and education in advancing marine mammal science and conservation. Topics may include community science initiatives, educational programs, and collaborations with local and Indigenous communities.

Addresses applied science and policy aimed at safeguarding marine mammal populations. Topics include population monitoring, threat mitigation, recovery planning, and evaluation of conservation strategies at local, regional, and global scales, encompassing both in situ and ex situ conservation.

Covers the relationships between marine mammals and their environments, including habitat use, foraging ecology, prey dynamics, migration, and ecosystem roles from rivers to the open ocean.

Presents innovative tools and approaches that advance marine mammal research, including the use of drones, passive acoustics, biologging, artificial intelligence, and other novel analytical frameworks.

Focuses on evolutionary history, phylogenetics, genomics, and molecular ecology. Contributions may address population genetics, adaptations to changing environments, and the identification of new lineages or cryptic species.

Examines the interconnected health of marine mammals, humans, and ecosystems. This theme encompasses disease ecology, toxicology, zoonotic diseases, and the role of marine mammals as sentinels of ocean health.

Explores the complex relationships between people and marine mammals, from bycatch and vessel interactions to ecotourism and traditional knowledge. This theme considers both the challenges and opportunities for coexistence.