Dear MARMAM,
The
4th Marine Mammal eDNA Workshop will be held on Sunday October 9 before the 2026 SMM Biennial conference, titled "From detections to deliverables: Using eDNA data to inform and guide management and conservation actions."
If you are planning to join the workshop and/or are interested in presenting your recent analyses and applications of eDNA data, please complete our
Participation and Abstract Submission Survey.
Abstracts will be accepted until 15 July 2026.
Workshop Description:
The 4th Marine Mammal eDNA workshop will bring together early-career and established scientists interested in applying emerging techniques in environmental DNA (eDNA) research to marine mammal species. In this workshop, we will focus specifically on developments in the analysis and interpretation of eDNA detection data for marine mammals, and the application of these results to management and conservation plans.
Researchers will share methods developments and lessons learned from recent eDNA work and explore priority areas for further development in the next two years. Participants will then engage in small-group discussion via breakout groups on topics such as using eDNA detections in spatiotemporal distribution modeling; developing methods to move toward quantitative metabarcoding and data analysis (i.e. eDNA for abundance estimation); developing methods for the use of eDNA for stock identification or population genetic analyses. Throughout the workshop, we aim to broadly discuss both the challenges and opportunities faced by marine mammal eDNA researchers aiming to use eDNA data in statistical or modeling frameworks.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Warm Regards,
Amy Van Cise, Kim Parsons, Kristina Cammen, and Maggie Hunter