Dear Marmamers
During the 18th Biennial Conference of the
Society for Marine Mammalogy in Quebec/Canada, 12-16 October 2009, a workshop
was held focusing on the study and conservation of the critically endangered
Monk seals. The workshop, entitled “Research, Management, Conservation
and Policy in Monk seal recovery: A global Perspective” provided an
excellent opportunity for monk seal researchers and conservationists from
around the world to meet and discuss latest advances and achievements in the
field. Overall, more than 15 presentations and posters were made, being
evidence of the growing efforts to understand and protect these endangered
species.
Moving in the direction of promoting monk seal recovery
through the widest possible dissemination of information and in cooperation
with the peer-reviewed, scientific journal Aquatic Mammals, we are launching an
effort to prepare a special issue of the journal dedicated to all species of
monk seals.
We would therefore like to invite monk seal researchers
and conservation practitioners interested in contributing to this issue to
contact us, no later than April 30, 2010. Prospective authors would then have
six months time to prepare a manuscript and submit to Aquatic Mammals,
indicating that the manuscript is for consideration in the special issue on
monk seals, for peer-review by October 30, 2010. According to a tentative time
plan, the special issue would be published early in 2011 – publishing
procedures would follow the general guidelines of the journal.
In order to speed the process, authors interested in
submitting an article related to either the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) or the Caribbean monk
seal (Monachus tropicalis) should
contact Dr. Alexandros A. Karamanlidis (akaramanlidis@gmail.com);
authors interested in submitting an article related to the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) should contact
David Schofield (David.Schofield@noaa.gov).
We look forward to hearing from you!
On behalf of the organizers:
Dr. Alexandros A.
Karamanlidis
Scientific Coordinator
MOm/Hellenic Society
for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal
&
David Schofield, M.Sc.
Marine Mammal Response
Network Coordinator NOAA/NMFS/PIRO