Cetacean Society International, an advocacy organization that needs and uses the science communicated by MARMAM members, is always looking for suggestions to enhance scientific communications in keeping with the rapid evolution of web-based resources.

The European Cetacean Society is exploring ways to expand communications between members for the advancement of science, led by inspired efforts by the ECS web editor, Jan Willem Broekema, <jw@BROEKEMAWEB.NL> . Jan recently posted the following announcement to ECS-Talk, ECS's general discussion list. CSI hopes you find it useful.

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Dear ECS members, friends, and other interested parties,

The present ECS website is already more than 15 years old. In the past few years more and more members have asked for interactive features such as discussion groups, document collaboration, chat and blog, courses. Due to the technology used by the present website this has not been possible.

Right now some friends and I are working on interactive web 2.0 based technologies that:

• enhances the sharing of knowledge,
• quickens creativity and innovation in research,
• distributes intermediate and final lab results,
• improves research protocols,
• promotes questions and answers,

all within the confines of marine mammal research. See Scientific American for an overview of this new way of working. This is an independent service to the marine mammal research community, starting with the ECS members, but outside of the ECS as a society.  Many of you have already shown interest and none that I asked said No. Taking part is free.

I have set up an interactive solution for ECS members to share their science questions and successes within an existing science community.If you want to share your results, co-operate on your protocols, your questions, please

1. go to www.openwetware.org
2. get yourself an account, very simple
3. get acquainted with the way in which a Wiki works - there are several tutorials
4. update your personal page
5. create and update an institute page (first draft), use the examples provided by openwetware
6. go to the GROUPS and choose European Cetacean Society
7. go to your topic page and add your name, institute, topics of research, questions
8. build on from there
   

Remember: this is not an edited site - YOU add, change, delete the content. I, as web editor of the ECS, do not 'own' this site. This research is yours and everybody else's. You create the content, the value, the navigation, the pages and subpages. Once a few share their research, say on anatomy or on observational techniques (transects), more will follow.

Remember that the ECS was one of the first non-internet science groups from Europe that went online (1992). This type of collaboration, which we try to promote through our annual conferences, workshops and the ECS network, is now supported by technology in a way that also new. Again we could be at the forefront of collaboration, where we can share and improve the research on marine mammals.

Jan Willem Broekema
(here not as ECS web editor but as ECS member)