Hello Northwest Marine Mammalogy Students! We are pleased to announce that the 20th Annual Meeting of the Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (NWSSMM) will take place at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle on May 21-22, 2016! The purpose of the annual meeting is to cultivate community among students studying marine mammals by creating a relaxed atmosphere to share research ideas, tribulations, and triumphs. It is an opportunity to meet other students across the region, collaborate, and generally have a good time in a supportive and informal setting. Saturday May 21st will involve a full day of student oral and poster presentations, followed by a group dinner. On Sunday May 22nd we will be offering a behind the scenes tour of the marine mammal collection at the Burke Museum <http://www.burkemuseum.org/> on the UW campus. Museum entrance fees are $7.50 with student ID, $10 for general admission. Registration is now open and we encourage students (grad, high school, and college students, and post-docs) to present their research. Abstracts for research at all stages, including proposal presentations and preliminary results, will be accepted. Depending on the number of registrants, oral presentations may be reserved for projects with results or preliminary results. We have included the option for a first and second choice of presentation type on the registration form. Registration cost is TBD at this time, but will be a maximum of $15 (USD) and will include breakfast, snacks, and lunch. We'll head out for dinner and drinks after talks on Saturday! We also encourage guests (student or non) that are not interested in presenting to register and attend the conference. The conference will be held at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (located here <https://www.google.com/maps/place/1122+NE+Boat+St,+Seattle,+WA+98105/@47.6530804,-122.31865,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x549014f1ea004e3b:0xa828fe6e8058f7d5> ). *Abstract submission* *deadline is APRIL 1st*, however registration will be accepted up to the day of the meeting. Register and submit your abstract at: http://bit.ly/20Mn9EB Follow along on the Facebook event page <https://www.facebook.com/events/1716450525237777/>. Limited housing with student hosts will be available on a first-come first-serve basis. Please indicate on your registration form if you would like to be considered for accommodations and contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Seattle! Erica Escajeda (escajeda@uw.edu) and Jessie Hale (jrh33@uw.edu) NWSSMM 20th Annual Meeting Student Organizers -- Laidre Lab School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington