Dear Marmam members. Please see below the announcement of the winners of the Louis M Herman scholarship for 2026. Dear Marine Mammal Community, We are delighted to share the recipients of the 2026 Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship <https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect.checkpoint.com%2Fv2%2Fr02%2F___https%3A%2F%2Fmarinemammalscience.us8.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3D88c2080440a38f38f98f24aa2%26id%3Dd492228bc2%26e%3D5c2c9b2959___.YzJlOmFiZXJ0YXl1bml2ZXJzaXR5OmM6bzozNGE4ZWE5OTJlOWZjMjY0NzAwYzg5OWU4ZjQxMjFiYjo3OjY0MGI6NDVkZjM5MmQxNjZiZTA3MzhmZDdlYTRjZDU1N2Y2MzUxMDk0ZjJjNWVkY2QzYzcyZjU1N2U1NmQ2NTA0ODViMzpoOlQ6Tg&data=05%7C02%7Ck.bennett%40abertay.ac.uk%7Cbb2f4a49d63147a78df408de9bd142e4%7Caacb1abaf38f410e9153c16a00ebf4cc%7C0%7C0%7C639119520243188067%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ADUB0k7tVy5MV7vHfml35ca%2BMvmRWeuch1LFhvuuaTM%3D&reserved=0> . The scholarship honors the legacy of Louis M. Herman, a pioneer in dolphin sensory perception and cognition and humpback whale behavioral ecology. Dr. Herman founded the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in 1969 and co-founded The Dolphin Institute, shaping decades of groundbreaking research and mentoring generations of marine mammal scientists. Established in 2017 by his family, colleagues, and friends, the scholarship is awarded biennially to support research that reflects his innovative and rigorous scientific approach. This year, we received an exceptional 45 proposals from researchers across the globe, representing Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Madagascar, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The quality and breadth of submissions were the highest on record, making the review process both inspiring and highly competitive. We appreciate the efforts of all the applicants and would like to thank everyone who submitted an application for this award. After careful consideration, the Herman Family generously elected to support two outstanding applicants this year: Lewis EvansUniversity of Hawai'i, Marine Mammal Research Program Energetic Expenditure and Physical Traits Shaping Male Reproductive Strategies in Humpback Whales on the Hawaiian Breeding Grounds Melanie Smith Syracuse University, Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Lab (BABEL) Examining the Effect of Female Acoustic Signaling on Dyad Stability on a Humpback Whale Breeding Ground Please join us in congratulating Lewis and Melanie on this well-deserved recognition. Their work reflects the innovation and excellence that the Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship aims to support. We extend our sincere thanks to the Herman Family and the review panel for their continued commitment to advancing marine mammal science. Warm regards, Kimberley Bennett Chair of the Awards Committee Society for Marine Mammalogy awardschair@marinemammalscience.org <awardschair@marinemammalscience.org?subject=&body=> -- The Society for Marine Mammalogy Awards and Scholarships Committee AwardsChair@marinemammalscience.org