Dear MARMAM community,

In view of the upcoming ECS Conference, I would like to draw your attention to the “Advances in Dietary Studies” Workshop focusing on the feeding ecology of marine mammals.

The aim of this workshop is to further collaboration between researchers from various disciplines to present and discuss current research projects, methods, and findings regarding marine mammal foraging ecology. We will focus on traditional approaches and new, innovative methods, while trying to elaborate on their applicability in future research.

We are planning an interactive workshop format in which participants can give short, informal presentations (approx. 5–10 minutes) on their ongoing or recently completed projects.

These contributions are intended to serve as a starting point for a focussed discussion, particularly regarding:

Traditional methods such as stomach content and scat analyses
Biochemical and molecular approaches (e.g., stable isotopes, fatty acid analysis, DNA metabarcoding)
New technologies such as telemetry, drones, or passive acoustic monitoring
The integration of different data types to study spatial and temporal dietary patterns
Advantages and disadvantages of each method in specific research questions

A central objective of the workshop is to identify and discuss methodological challenges, the comparability of studies, and knowledge gaps, especially in the context of climate change, fisheries interactions, and habitat changes.

Everyone interested, regardless of career stage or methodological background, is warmly invited to participate.

If you are interested in contributing a short presentation or simply joining the discussion, we look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Lisa Klemens & Michael Dähne