Hello all, This is an e-mail reminding interested students to sign up for the Northwest Student Chapter Society for Marine Mammology (NWSSMM) Meeting that will be held at UBC in Vancouver on April 12th and 13th. This meeting welcomes all students studying and interested in marine mammals. This meeting is a great way for us students to get to know each other, and also be introduced to the kinds of research being conducted in the area. The meeting will be held on April 12th, and will consist of a full day of short talks from various students, with an introduction and short presentation from Andrew Trites, the director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit. On April 13th, there is an optional outing to the Vancouver Aquarium, so that we can better get to know each other, and see the facilities. If you would like more information, please read the attached meeting announcement, which is posted below and on the NWSSMM website http://www.marinemammalogy.org/student/chapter.cfm?id=4&page=4. If you would like to attend, please fill out the registration form posted on the NWSSMM website and return it to me at allen@zoology.ubc.ca by March 28th. If you are a student, please consider giving a short presentation about your research. This meeting is very informal, and is a great place to practice your presentation skills and convey your message. I hope to see you all there! -Pam and the students in the Marine Mammal Research Unit, UBC. Pamela Allen, MSc Candidate University of British Columbia Marine Mammal Research Unit, Fisheries Centre Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 allen@zoology.ubc.ca MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT SMM Northwest Student Chapter Meeting, Vancouver, BC, April 12-13, 2008 Please email your registration form to allen@zoology.ubc.ca by March 28, 2008. The Northwest Student Chapter of the Society of Marine Mammalogy (NWSSMM) meeting focuses on exchanging ideas and constructive feedback between fellow students from the Pacific Northwest community involved in marine mammal research. Presentations are usually 15 minutes long and can concentrate on a research proposal, a progress report (what data you have and what is left to be done), a rehearsal for your defense, or a summary of a summer research project. If you don't have a presentation, you are welcome to attend, learn about current research, provide feedback, and network with other student researchers in our field. Undergraduate students are more than welcome to attend. Regardless of the stage you are at now, you can contribute to and benefit from this meeting! The meeting will be held on the weekend of April 12-13 at the University of British Columbia, Marine Mammal Research Unit in Vancouver, BC. The schedule includes a full day of presentations on Saturday followed by an optional group dinner somewhere local. On Sunday, we are planning an optional, fun outing to get another chance to chat with students from other schools. We are planning a breakfast out, and then a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium to possibly see our research facilities and the different public exhibits. For those of you who are not based in Vancouver, we are offering accommodation with local students, however there are only a few spots available. We can also suggest some relatively cheap rooms in which to stay. The registration fee will be small and covers lunch and snacks for the attendees. While the exact amount will depend on the number of people that register, for the past three years it has been less than $20, and we expect the same to be true again this year. REGISTRATION FORMS: A registration form is attached with this e-mail, and will also be available on the NWSSMM website (http://www.marinemammalogy.org/student/chapter.cfm?Id=4). Please fill it out electronically and email it to Pam ( <mailto:allen@zoology.ubc.ca> allen@zoology.ubc.ca) by March 28th. SIGN UP NOW: The sooner you register the better. Give yourself a deadline to share your research and/or collaborate with your peers. We look forward to corresponding with you soon, and seeing you in April! Please contact me (allen@zoology.ubc.ca) if you need clarification on meeting details. If you have any questions about the NWSSMM, please check out the website (http://www.marinemammalogy.org/student/chapter.cfm?id=4). Hope to see you there! Pam Allen MSc Student Marine Mammal Research Unit University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC allen@zoology.ubc.ca