Dear Marmam members, My colleagues and I are running a session on pollutants and energy balance at the conference for the society for experimental biology this year (7-10 July 2020), which will be held in Prague. The deadline for abstracts is this Friday (13th March) and we'd love to hear about your research on this topic. As pollutants bioaccumulate in marine mammals and generate such high levels in these species, this topic is especially relevant to those studying pinniped or cetacean species worldwide. link to abstract submission: http://www.sebiology.org/events/event/seb-prague-2020/abstracts Session details: Do environmental contaminants alter energy balance, how can we find out and how much does it matter? The ability to manage energy balance appropriately in a fluctuating environment is fundamental for survival. Increasing evidence suggests anthropogenic contaminants can compromise the ability of orgamisms to regulate their energy balance, with potential negative consequences for population trajectories and biodiversity. Many anthropogenic chemicals have established roles as toxins, and endocrine disruptors of reproductive and thyroid axes. More recent data implicate many such compounds as lipid disruptors. By altering adipogenesis, fat deposition, lipid profiles, adipose tissue function and hormone sensitivity, environmental contaminants may fundamentally alter energy requirements, storage and use. Such effects may be subtle or challenging to identify in wildlife and therefore require novel experimental approaches. This session will explore evidence that environmental pollution impacts on energy balance regulation from the molecular to the organismal level across a range of taxa and habitats. This session will identify common pathways, highlight challenges and showcase novel experimental approaches to investigate such effects in wildlife that simultaneously experience additional stressors in a fluctuating environment. Best wishes, Kelly Robinson