GUIDANCE FOR PRESENTERS
Below you will find guidelines for the 4 different presentation formats.
We are excited to host SMM2024, which will be an exclusively in-person conference. Gathering in person presents a unique opportunity for our members to re-engage as a global community. Recordings of daily plenaries and most presentations will be available shortly after the conference.
CONFERENCE LOGO DOWNLOAD
Click to download the appropriate hi-resolution SMM2024 logo for your presentation:
SMM LOGO DOWNLOAD
Click to download the appropriate hi-resolution SMM logo for your presentation:
GUIDANCE FOR PRESENTERS
ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATIONS
Acceptance emails for abstracts will be sent on May 15, 2024. Authors will now have until end of day June 12, 2024 to confirm their participation.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DEADLINE
All presenters are required to complete conference registration before the early bird registration deadline of end of day July 24, 2024.
TRAVEL GRANTS
If you applied for an international low-income country/region travel grant OR student travel grant via the abstract application:
The International Relations Committee (IRC) and the Student Members-at-Large (SMaLs) will send grant allocation decisions by June 10, 2024, before the deadline for accepting or declining your presentation offer. Please watch for an email from international@marinemammalscience.org or smal@marinemammalscience.org. If you no longer require a travel grant, please contact the IRC or SMaLs as soon as possible so they can allocate the funds to others.
PRESENTATION FORMATS AT-A-GLANCE
Long presentations are each allotted 12 minutes: nine minutes for your presentation, two minutes for questions and one minute for transition.
A short presentation (also known as speed talk) is a four minute presentation during which you may present key-ideas, results and their meaning/implication. As a guide, three slides should be sufficient to allow you to get your point across.
Posters are an extended abstract with easily readable text and graphics. Posters typically include a title, authors, background, methods, 1-3 results, conclusions and acknowledgements.
A video presentation is of the same length as a speed-talk (four minutes), but created using various media such as high-resolution video, animation and narration. Authors of video presentations should use these various media in a creative manner to clearly express the purpose of the study, results and their implication and to be understood not only by scientific peers but also by a wider audience.
CONFERENCE TOPICS
There are 10 major topics for SMM2024, each accompanied by a brief description. Among these are two new topics about which we are particularly excited: ‘Out of the Blue’ encourages sharing of unexpected or unprecedented, interesting events relating to marine mammals, and ‘Science on a Shoestring’ invites submissions and awards attention on innovative marine mammal science being completed on a low budget.
Research pertaining to the study of the form, function and structure of marine mammals and their features, including aspects of outward appearance.
Studies of marine mammal behavior as an evolutionarily adaptive trait or in the context of anthropogenic influences and research that focuses on culture in marine mammals. This may include studies closely tied to behavior, cognition, and psychology.
Research on climate change effects on marine mammal populations, species and their habitats. Studies may relate to movements, vital rates, polar ecology, or changes in metocean conditions and physical habitat alteration.
Research on the status, conservation, and management of marine mammals, their habitats and ecosystems. Research pertaining to non-fishery related management, law andpolicy, industrial activity and impact assessments can be submitted under this topic.
A broad topic of empirical and applied research in all areas of marine mammal ecology and evolution. Studies relating to population biology (e.g., studies on population abundance, demographics, and genetic structure) and interactions between populations and their environment(e.g., habitat and distribution, trophic interactions), as well genetics, genomics and eDNA should be submitted under this category.
Research relating to direct and indirect marine mammal interactions with large- and small-scale (commercial, recreational, or artisanal) fisheries. This topic may include studies on behavior and welfare, social, economic, institutional, and cultural issues, management applications, legislative and policy frameworks, and fisheries technology.
Research relating to animal welfare and health of both wild and captive animals. This may include studies investigating unusual mortality events, live strandings, disease transmission and toxicology. Additionally, we encourage submissions on standard operating procedures on health assessments and incident responses that ensure good animal welfare outcomes.
One of our new conference session topics for unexpected or unprecedented, interesting events relating to marine mammals.
Another new topic of innovative science conducted on a low budget. Research topics can align with any of the other topics listed above.
Research that describes, explains, or predicts human behavior in relation to marine mammals. Studies in this topic may relate to social, cultural and economic value placed on marine mammals. Abstracts relating to outreach, education and citizen science should be submitted in this category.
SPEAKER AND PRESENTATION PRIVACY POLICY
Conference abstracts which have been accepted for presentation may be made available online and also may be viewable to the public following the conference.
Images of conference posters images may be made available to conference participants online and may also be viewable to the public following the conference.
ETHICS AND PERMITS
All presentations must include relevant Ethics and Permits information pertaining to the data used in the research.
WITHDRAWAL
If you need to withdrawal your abstract for any reason, authors are responsible for notifying the Scientific Program Committee immediately at abstracts@marinemammalscience.org. Please include the title of the abstract along with your submission ID in your notification.
ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATIONS
Acceptance emails for abstracts will be sent on May 15, 2024. Authors will now have until end of day June 12, 2024 to confirm their participation.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DEADLINE
All presenters are required to complete conference registration before the early bird registration deadline of end of day July 24, 2024.
TRAVEL GRANTS
If you applied for an international low-income country/region travel grant OR student travel grant via the abstract application:
The International Relations Committee (IRC) and the Student Members-at-Large (SMaLs) will send grant allocation decisions by June 10, 2024, before the deadline for accepting or declining your presentation offer. Please watch for an email from international@marinemammalscience.org or smal@marinemammalscience.org. If you no longer require a travel grant, please contact the IRC or SMaLs as soon as possible so they can allocate the funds to others.
PRESENTATION FORMATS AT-A-GLANCE
Long presentations are each allotted 12 minutes: nine minutes for your presentation, two minutes for questions and one minute for transition.
A short presentation (also known as a speed talk) is a four minute presentation during which you may present key-ideas, results and their meaning/implication. As a guide, three slides should be sufficient to allow you to get your point across.
Posters are an extended abstract with easily readable text and graphics. Posters typically include a title, authors, background, methods, 1-3 results, conclusions and acknowledgements.
A video presentation is of the same length as a speed-talk (four minutes), but created using various media such as high-resolution video, animation and narration. Authors of video presentations should use these various media in a creative manner to clearly express the purpose of the study, results and their implication and to be understood not only by scientific peers but also by a wider audience.
CONFERENCE TOPICS
There are 10 major topics for SMM2024, each accompanied by a brief description. Among these are two new topics about which we are particularly excited: ‘Out of the Blue’ encourages sharing of unexpected or unprecedented, interesting events relating to marine mammals, and ‘Science on a Shoestring’ invites submissions and awards attention on innovative marine mammal science being completed on a low budget.
Research pertaining to the study of the form, function and structure of marine mammals and their features, including aspects of outward appearance.
Studies of marine mammal behavior as an evolutionarily adaptive trait or in the context of anthropogenic influences and research that focuses on culture in marine mammals. This may include studies closely tied to behavior, cognition, and psychology.
Research on climate change effects on marine mammal populations, species and their habitats. Studies may relate to movements, vital rates, polar ecology, or changes in metocean conditions and physical habitat alteration.
Research on the status, conservation, and management of marine mammals, their habitats and ecosystems. Research pertaining to non-fishery related management, law andpolicy, industrial activity and impact assessments can be submitted under this topic.
A broad topic of empirical and applied research in all areas of marine mammal ecology and evolution. Studies relating to population biology (e.g., studies on population abundance, demographics, and genetic structure) and interactions between populations and their environment(e.g., habitat and distribution, trophic interactions), as well genetics, genomics and eDNA should be submitted under this category.
Research relating to direct and indirect marine mammal interactions with large- and small-scale (commercial, recreational, or artisanal) fisheries. This topic may include studies on behavior and welfare, social, economic, institutional, and cultural issues, management applications, legislative and policy frameworks, and fisheries technology.
Research relating to animal welfare and health of both wild and captive animals. This may include studies investigating unusual mortality events, live strandings, disease transmission and toxicology. Additionally, we encourage submissions on standard operating procedures on health assessments and incident responses that ensure good animal welfare outcomes.
One of our new conference session topics for unexpected or unprecedented, interesting events relating to marine mammals.
Another new topic of innovative science conducted on a low budget. Research topics can align with any of the other topics listed above.
Research that describes, explains, or predicts human behavior in relation to marine mammals. Studies in this topic may relate to social, cultural and economic value placed on marine mammals. Abstracts relating to outreach, education and citizen science should be submitted in this category.
SPEAKER AND PRESENTATION PRIVACY POLICY
Conference abstracts which have been accepted for presentation may be made available online and also may be viewable to the public following the conference.
Images of conference posters images may be made available to conference participants online and may also be viewable to the public following the conference.
ETHICS AND PERMITS
All presentations must include relevant Ethics and Permits information pertaining to the data used in the research.
WITHDRAWAL
If you need to withdrawal your abstract for any reason, authors are responsible for notifying the Scientific Program Committee immediately at abstracts@marinemammalscience.org. Please include the title of the abstract along with your submission ID in your notification.
GUIDANCE FOR LONG, SHORT AND VIDEO PRESENTATIONS
PRESENTATION LENGTH
Long Presentations
Long presentations are each allotted 12 minutes: nine minutes for your presentation, two minutes for questions and one minute for transition.
Short Presentations
Short presentations are each allotted five minutes: four minutes for your presentation during which you may present key-ideas, results and their meaning/implication, followed by one minute for transition. Three slides should be sufficient to allow you to get your point across during this style of presentation but it is at your own discretion to decide how many slides you want to use.
Video Presentations
Video presentations are each allotted five minutes: four minutes for your presentation, followed by one minute for transition.
Presenting your work in video format requires stepping outside familiar presentation norms to effectively convey your message. While initially daunting, the benefits are considerable. First, video presentations allow for creative expression, bridging science and art in a unique way. Second, they offer outreach opportunities through social media and other platforms inaccessible to traditional presentations. Third, underwater footage enhances understanding of marine mammals’ habitat and behavior, sparking new research ideas.
Authors opting for video presentations should submit an abstract as for other formats. Abstracts will be reviewed, and if deemed suitable, authors will be invited to create and submit their video. To ensure quality, all submissions will undergo review before the conference begins.
Keep in mind that the sessions chairs will be very strict about the time limits; do not force them to cut abruptly your presentation, respect your time limits as well as the rest of colleagues presenting their work.
PRESENTATION FORMAT
The required format for both long and short presentations is PowerPoint (PPT or PPTX), Wide screen definition, 16:9 ratio.
In order to facilitate the presentations flow and keep the program on time, presenters will not be able to use their own computers during their presentations.
Please embed any videos or audio within the presentation. Include ALL videos and/or audio files in a separate folder on your thumb drive. This will enable us to correct any problems on-site.
Try to use a standard font as the machines utilized will typically only have the standard font files on hand.
PRESENTATION UPLOAD DEADLINE
Presenters will have the option to upload their presentations ahead of the conference (date TBA). They can also bring their presentations on a thumb drive to the speaker upload room at the convention center. More information on this will be released in September 2024.
If there are technical issues, an A/V technician will be available on-site to assist you.
SPEAKER READY ROOM
The Speaker Ready Room is a designated room where speakers can go to practice their presentation. It will be located in Meeting Room 12 on level 2. There will be a sign-up sheet on the door to sign out a time slot for private use. Available in the room will be an LCD projector and screen, so please bring your own computer.
EXAMPLES OF VIDEO PRESENTATIONS
Whales in Fjords
Ocean Tracking Network: Tracking Seals Movement in our Oceans
PRESENTATION LENGTH
Long Presentations
Long presentations are each allotted 12 minutes: nine minutes for your presentation, two minutes for questions and one minute for transition.
Short Presentations
Short presentations are each allotted five minutes: four minutes for your presentation during which you may present key-ideas, results and their meaning/implication, followed by one minute for transition. Three slides should be sufficient to allow you to get your point across during this style of presentation but it is at your own discretion to decide how many slides you want to use.
Video Presentations
Video presentations are each allotted five minutes: four minutes for your presentation, followed by one minute for transition.
Presenting your work in video format requires stepping outside familiar presentation norms to effectively convey your message. While initially daunting, the benefits are considerable. First, video presentations allow for creative expression, bridging science and art in a unique way. Second, they offer outreach opportunities through social media and other platforms inaccessible to traditional presentations. Third, underwater footage enhances understanding of marine mammals’ habitat and behavior, sparking new research ideas.
Authors opting for video presentations should submit an abstract as for other formats. Abstracts will be reviewed, and if deemed suitable, authors will be invited to create and submit their video. To ensure quality, all submissions will undergo review before the conference begins.
Keep in mind that the sessions chairs will be very strict about the time limits; do not force them to cut abruptly your presentation, respect your time limits as well as the rest of colleagues presenting their work.
PRESENTATION FORMAT
The required format for both long and short presentations is PowerPoint (PPT or PPTX), Wide screen definition, 16:9 ratio.
In order to facilitate the presentations flow and keep the program on time, presenters will not be able to use their own computers during their presentations.
Please embed any videos or audio within the presentation. Include ALL videos and/or audio files in a separate folder on your thumb drive. This will enable us to correct any problems on-site.
Try to use a standard font as the machines utilized will typically only have the standard font files on hand.
PRESENTATION UPLOAD DEADLINE
Presenters will have the option to upload their presentations ahead of the conference (date TBA). They can also bring their presentations on a thumb drive to the speaker upload room at the convention center. More information on this will be released in September 2024.
If there are technical issues, an A/V technician will be available on-site to assist you.
SPEAKER READY ROOM
The Speaker Ready Room is a designated room where speakers can go to practice their presentation. It will be located in Meeting Room 12 on level 2. There will be a sign-up sheet on the door to sign out a time slot for private use. Available in the room will be an LCD projector and screen, so please bring your own computer.
EXAMPLES OF VIDEO PRESENTATIONS
Whales in Fjords
Ocean Tracking Network: Tracking Seals Movement in our Oceans
GUIDANCE FOR POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Good posters are essentially extended abstracts with easily readable graphics to make the main points. The poster should clearly describe your research and its results without the need for extended explanation. With these goals in mind, we offer the following practical guidelines:
TITLE
The title of your poster and the names of the authors should be large and visible from 20 feet away. This means that the font should be at least 1 inch (2.54 cm, 72-point font size) in height. Affiliations and contact details (including e-mail addresses) of authors should be included.
ABSTRACT
The full text of your abstract may be included, or an abbreviated version. Some presenters find a picture-like abstract to be effective.
TEXT
Any text should be kept to a bare minimum, keeping in mind that the main points of your poster should be contained in the figures and illustrations and their captions. The text should be in at least 24-point font size to be easily read.
GRAPHICS
Graphics, such as tables, figures, and illustrations, should contain most of the content of your poster. They should be clear and concise and should convey their primary meaning with little effort from the viewer. They do not, however, need to be simple. All graphics should include a brief heading or caption describing their content and meaning and expressing the primary point of the graphic. A brief self-explanatory figure legend should be included below the main caption, containing a more detailed description of the points of the graphic. The legend should include a description of the graphic as well as the conclusions derived from its content.
LAYOUT AND DESIGN
The poster size for SMM2024 will be A0 format (841 mm x 1189 mm) in portrait orientation, which is a standard size for printing in Australia.
Posters can be produced by using design or presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. The entire poster can be laid out as a single file, including text, tables, figures and photographs.
The poster can then be printed using large color ink-jet printers at printing service centers.
POSTER UPLOAD DEADLINE
The PDF of the poster can be uploaded via the conference site closer to the Conference. Please plan to have your poster uploaded in the system before November 2024.
TITLE
The title of your poster and the names of the authors should be large and visible from 20 feet away. This means that the font should be at least 1 inch (2.54 cm, 72-point font size) in height. Affiliations and contact details (including e-mail addresses) of authors should be included.
ABSTRACT
The full text of your abstract may be included, or an abbreviated version. Some presenters find a picture-like abstract to be effective.
TEXT
Any text should be kept to a bare minimum, keeping in mind that the main points of your poster should be contained in the figures and illustrations and their captions. The text should be in at least 24-point font size to be easily read.
GRAPHICS
Graphics, such as tables, figures, and illustrations, should contain most of the content of your poster. They should be clear and concise and should convey their primary meaning with little effort from the viewer. They do not, however, need to be simple. All graphics should include a brief heading or caption describing their content and meaning and expressing the primary point of the graphic. A brief self-explanatory figure legend should be included below the main caption, containing a more detailed description of the points of the graphic. The legend should include a description of the graphic as well as the conclusions derived from its content.
LAYOUT AND DESIGN
The poster size for SMM2024 will be A0 format (841 mm x 1189 mm) in portrait orientation, which is a standard size for printing in Australia.
Posters can be produced by using design or presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. The entire poster can be laid out as a single file, including text, tables, figures and photographs.
The poster can then be printed using large color ink-jet printers at printing service centers.
POSTER UPLOAD DEADLINE
Have a question about the abstract submission, acceptance or presenting at SMM2024?
Contact our Scientific Program Committee at abstracts@marinemammalscience.org