Our apologies for cross-posting Message from the Conference Chair We are moving into the panic phase of the conference organization, where everything comes together at the same time. We are finalizing the conference program, and have also filled in those little boxes on the website that all say to be announced!! You can find out about the general schedule of the conference and major social events by visiting the conference website. As this is the first year we've done online payment for registration fees, we also encourage you to confirm that you have registered and completed payment successfully by visiting (http://www.marinemammalscience.org/program). If you have footage or images that you feel would be of interest to attendees, don't forget to submit them for pre-screening by the video night committee no later than 20 September, 2009 (yes, we have postpone the deadline a bit). Instructions for submission of your videos can be found on the conference webpage (http:/marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=203&Itemid=214). We have received over 1200 abstracts, just a few less than in San Diego. For those of you presenting orally, time and date of your presentation are now available through your user profile under the tab 'Abstracts'. For those presenting posters, your poster will be on display for the entire week. However, you will be asked to attend your poster during two of the sundowner poster sessions. Evenings of attendance and poster number will be available shortly through the same interface. We will also have a feature on the website (referred to as the personal scheduler), where you will be able to look at the presentation and poster schedules and build your own program that fits your particular interests! For more information, please visit (http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article...) Early-bird registration is now closed, but registering now still represents a saving versus onsite registration, and will help us all to reduce the line-ups as we are expecting a big attendance, based on the number of attendees that have registered so far. We have exceeded our minimum for the dinner cruise, and can go to as many as 200 people! Right now we have the boat to ourselves, so it will be a wonderful opportunity to spend time with old friends, or maybe to make contact with a new researcher outside of the crowd! We have lined-up great entertainment for the Banquet supper and evening, so please do not forget to buy your banquet ticket if you have not done so already. As a reminder to our American colleagues, we will let you into Canada without a passport, but unfortunately your government will not let you home without one!! So make sure you have an up-to-date passport. To our colleagues from the Czech Republic and Mexico, unfortunately our government has put in place new visa requirements. Please see the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs (http://www.voyage.gc.ca/index-eng.asp) or Canada Border Services (http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/) or embassy in your country for more information. Looking forward to seeing you all in Quebec City! À très bientôt! Mike Hammill Chair-Québec 2009