HUMPBACK WHALES WORLD CONGRESS

https://hwwc.mg

Dear all

We are pleased to announce that the 2nd edition of Humpback Whales World Congress (HWWC) will be held from the 3rd to the 7th of July 2017, in Reunion Island, Indian Ocean.

The HWWC theme is “Humpback Whale: new and interdisciplinary approach to understand and promote the conservation of migratory species."

Humpback whales were decimated by whaling across the planet last century and much of what we understood then about these ocean wanderers came from the whaling industry. Now as some populations rebound, new technologies and techniques (from satellites to epi-genetics) allow for an expanded understanding and rethinking of their biology and conservation. Their future is critically dependent on novel scientific knowledge as the species faces new ocean-wide challenges in the form of expanding human ocean-use, climate change, ocean acidification and habitat decline in the form of water quality, shipping, noise pollution and other anthropogenic impacts.  The conference will address a broad range of topics relevant to humpback whale research and conservation. Subjects for oral presentation or poster submission include, but are not limited to: causes and consequences of migration, acoustics, genetics, abundance, feeding and breeding behavior and ecology, human interactions, climate change, management actions, etc.  Workshops can also be proposed to address specific thematic.

Specific research topics, fields of study, and methodological approaches have been left open intentionally to encourage interdisciplinary exchange.

The official language of the conference is English.

IMPORTANT DATES

- January 2nd, 2017: Opening for early registration

- March 6th, 2017: Deadline for abstract submission

- April 3rd, 2017: Decisions for abstract submissions

- May 1st, 2017: Online release of the program and call for paper for special issue

- July 3rd to 7th, 2017: Congress in Reunion Island, Indian Ocean

The members of the scientific committee are : (alphabetic order)

1. Adam, NeuroPSI CNRS 9197 University Paris Sud Orsay, France
2. Cerchio, New England Aquarium/ Indocet Consortium, USA
3. Charrier, NeuroPSI CNRS UMR9197 University Paris Sud Orsay, France
4. Dulau Violaine, Association Groupe Local d'OBservation et d'Identification des CEtaces/Indocet Consortium, Ile de la Réunion, France
5. Dunlop, Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, University of Queensland, Australia
6. Findlay, Mammal Reaserch Institute Whale Unit, University of Pretoria/Indocet Consortium, South Africa
7. Fossette, University of Western Australia/ Indocet Consortium, Australia
8. Garrigue, UMR ENTROPIE, IRD / Indocet Consortium, New Caledonia
9. Glotin, Institut Universitaire de France, Systems and Information Sciences Lab CNRS UMR7296 University of Toulon, France
10. Jaeger, University of la Réunion, Reunion Island
11. Jung, BioGeMME, University of Brest, France
12. Le Corre, University of la Réunion, Reunion Island
13. Mercado, University at Buffalo, New York, USA
14. Palsboll, Marine Evolution and Conservation, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Netherlands
15. Reidenberg, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
16. Stimpert, Vertebrate Ecology Lab, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, CA, USA
17. Trudelle, Bioacoustics Team, Institut de Neurosciences Paris-Saclay (NeuroPSI), France
18. Vasquez, Atemar, Asesoría Ambiental y Tecnología Marítima, Republique Dominicaine

ABSTRACTS

The Scientific Committee is keen to encourage the attendance of students, as well as established researchers and observers.

Abstracts have to be written in English, in Times New Roman, 12-point font; single-spaced with justified alignment. Contributors are invited to send an abstract (max. 350 words), including:

• first names and last names of author and co-authors
• affiliation
• email of the corresponding author
• main text with introduction about the scientific context and the objectives of your work, then successive parts showing the methods, the results, the discussion and the conclusion.

Submissions should be directly sent only by email to info@hwwc.mg before March 6th, 2017.

REVIEW PROCESS

The Scientific Committee according to its originality, importance, clarity, and interdisciplinarity, will review each submission anonymously. Corresponding authors will be notified by email of the Committee's decision by April 3^rd, 2017. Admitted abstracts will be proposed as oral presentation with 15 minutes of duration or as poster, for that please specify in your submission if you apply for an oral presentation or a poster session.

REGISTRATION

Registration fees give access to to all scientific sessions, all printed materials, lunches and coffee break, invitation to welcome cocktail and closing ceremony.

Online early registration will be open from January 2nd, 2017. The early fees are:

- Regular attendees: € 150

- Students: € 90

The organizing committee could be open to providing a grant for deserving candidates, under their discretion.

The organizers are:

- CETAMADA association (www.cetamada.com)  

- Council of Reunion Island (www.regionreunion.com)

 For further information about the venue, submissions, and registration, please visit the HWWC website: http://www.hwwc.mg or send an email to secretary@hwwc.mg

Best regards