26th ECS conference 2012
26-28 March 2012
Welcome to the website of ECS Galway 2012, the 26th European Cetacean Society Annual Conference.
The conference will be jointly hosted by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (www.iwdg.ie) and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (www.gmit.ie) and take place from 26 to 28 March 2012 with workshops taking place on 24 and 25 March 2012. The theme of the conference will be:
COMMUNICATION:
INFORMATION AND IDEAS WORTH SHARING
We have chosen this theme as we feel communication is fundamental to a conference which aims to share knowledge, experience, ideas and hypothesis. We also believe there are many ways of communicating and a meeting of minds such as that at a conference lends itself to creating a space to receive new perspectives and viewpoints through a shared experience. We will bring a number of new innovations to this conference, some will be memorable, some might not work but all will seek to improve communication.
We hope to explore communication between marine mammals, between species, between scientists and between scientist, policy-makers and the public. We hope the theme is all-inclusive and contributors feel welcome to communicate their ideas, hypothesis amd maybe slightly crazy thoughts that come to marine mammal scientists.
We also hope to make the conference carbon neutral and those attending the conference will have the opportunity to offset their carbon footprint with carbon credits. There will be no Abstract Book printed with abstracts presented on a pen drive. The abstract book will be available as a PDF to download at least two weeks before the conference for those who like the feel of carbon between their hands.
About the European Cetacean Society
The European Cetacean Society (ECS) was established in January 1987 and aims to promote and advance the scientific studies and conservation efforts of marine mammals and to gather and disseminate information about cetaceans to members of the Society and the public at large (see www.europeancetaceansociety.eu). The ECS is the primary research group concerned with cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in Europe.
IWDG/GMIT Cetacean Research Coalition
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group is one of the leading NGOs in Ireland and the premier marine NGO. It is dedicated to the better understanding and conservation of cetaceans in Irish waters through study, education and interpretation and co-ordinates All-Ireland cetacean stranding and sighting schemes. Ireland was the first country in Europe to declare all of it’s marine waters a sanctuary, which was declared a whale and dolphin sanctuary on 7 June 1991. This year also sees the 21st anniversary of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group which was established on 1 December 1990.
The Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology is a progressive third level college in the west of Ireland and one of 13 Institute of Technologies in Ireland. It is one of the few Institutes of Technologies with deferred responsibilities enabling it to award MSc and PhD degrees. In 2012, GMIT celebrates its 40th birthday. The Marine Biodiversity Research Group within GMIT has carried out a number of research projects ranging from exploring from marine benthos to the distribution of seabirds and marine mammals in the offshore environment.
In 2005 the IWDG and GMIT worked on a project investigating the effectivness of acoustic deterrents on dolphin behaviour. Since then they have developed a very successful cetacean research partnership which has secured nearly 1 million euro of funding towards projects ranging from offshore surveys, acoustic monitoring and cetacean bycatch studies. For a review of research from the coalition see (download pdf).
So, we feel it is an opportune time that the European Cetacean Society has selected Galway as the venue for its 26th Annual Conference. We hope to see you in Galway to share our celebrations and become part of the collective experience that a conference provides.
