Dear Marmam subscribers: The 1st session of Humpback Whale World Congress (http://www.hwwc2015.org) will be held in Ste Marie Island, Madagascar, from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July 2015. The 2015 HWWC is intended to provide a platform for new research and discussion on the following topics: • Basic Research: Anatomy, Biology, Ecology, Ethology, Population dynamics, Engineer Sciences, Economics, History, Hunting. • Applied Research: Methods (visual observations, acoustic, genetics, tags, drones), data collection and storage protocols, tools and support software analysis (fluke’s identification, automatic classification of sound units). • Regional Collaboration Programs: Workshops will encourage the exchange of information, practices, and experiences to increase partnerships focused on conservation. • Management, conservation and implementation of sustainable development policy preventive measures, establishment and management of marine protected areas, control measures of the impacts of human activities, role of participatory science, alternatives to the use of natural resources. • Economy and social involvement: Humpback whales are coastal species, generating direct and indirect economic activities. The sessions aim to explore viable means at safeguarding economic and social initiatives, with emphasis on potential benefits and limitations. Specific research topics, fields of study, and methodological approaches have been left open intentionally to encourage interdisciplinary exchange. The official language of the conference is English. INVITED SPEAKERS (alphabetic order) - Dr R. Dunlop - Dr K. Findlay - Dr N. Gales - Dr L. Herman - Dr E. Mercado - Dr P. Palsboll - Dr R. Payne - Prof J. Reidenberg - Dr J. Robbins - Dr A. Stimpert IMPORTANT DATES 16 February 2015: Opening for abstract submission 19 April 2015: Deadline for abstract submission 17 May 2015: Decisions for abstract submissions 24 May 2015: Deadline for early registration and author registration 29 June 2015: Deadline for registration 29 June - 3 July 2015: Congress (Ste Marie, Madagascar) SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE (alphabetic order) ADAM Olivier, NeuroPSI CNRS UMR9197 University Paris Sud, Orsay, FRANCE ANDRIANARIMISA Aristide, Dpt Biology, University of Antananarivo, MADAGASCAR BEST Peter, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA CHARRIER Isabelle, NeuroPSI CNRS UMR9197 University Paris Sud, Orsay, FRANCE DULAU Violaine, Association Groupe Local d'OBservation et d'Identification des CEtaces, Ile de la Réunion, FRANCE DUNLOP Rebbecca, Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, University of Queensland, AUSTRALIA FINDLAY Ken, Mammal Reaserch Institute Whale Unit, University of Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA GALES Nick, Australian Marine Mammal Centre, Australian Antarctic Division, AUSTRALIA GANDILHON Nadege, Laboratory DYNECAR BOREA CNRS UMR7208, FRANCE GIACOMA Cristina, Dpt Biology, University of Torino, ITALY GLOTIN Hervé, Institut Universitaire de France, Systems and Information Sciences Lab CNRS UMR7296 University of Toulon, FRANCE HAUSER Nan, Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, Cook Islands, SOUTH PACIFIC HERMAN Louis, the Dolphin Institut, University of Hawaii, USA JUNG Jean-Luc, BioGeMME, University of Brest, FRANCE MERCADO Eduardo, University at Buffalo, New York, USA PALSBOLL Per, Marine Evolution and Conservation, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, NETHERLANDS PAYNE Roger, Ocean Alliance, NEW ZEALAND RAMINOSOA Noromalala, Dpt Biology, University of Antananarivo, MADAGASCAR REIDENBERG Joy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA ROBBINS Jooke, Center for Coastal Studies, USA ROSENBAUM Howard, Wildlife Conservation Society, Ocean Giants Program, New York, USA STIMPERT Alison, Vertebrate Ecology Lab, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, CA, USA WHITE Paul, Institut of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, UK PAPERS AND POSTERS The Scientific Committee is keen to encourage the attendance of students, as well as established researchers and observers. Abstracts have to be written in English. Contributors are invited to send an abstract (max. 350 words), including: •first names and last names of author and co-authors •affiliation •email of the corresponding author •main text with introduction about the scientific context and the objectives of your work, then successive parts showing the methods, the results, the discussion and the conclusion. Submissions should be directly sent only by email to info@hwwc2015.org before the 19th of April 2015. REVIEW PROCESS Each submission will be reviewed anonymously by the Scientific Committee according to its originality, importance, clarity, and interdisciplinarity. Corresponding authors will be notified by email of the Committee’s decision by 17 May 2015. Accepted abstracts will be proposed as oral presentation or as poster. REGISTRATION Registration fees give access the congress, the official program, lunches. Online early registration is open until the 24th of May 2015. The early fees are: - regular attendees: $150 - student: €90 The organizing committee could be open to providing a grant for deserving candidates, under their discretion. PHOTO CONTEST During the congress, a photo contest will be organized. Special prizes will be distributed to the winners of the competition. Photos Should be submitted no later than 30rd May 2015 to: info@hwwc2015.org ORGANIZERS The organizers are: - CETAMADA association (www.cetamada.com) - the University of Antananarivo (www.univ-antananarivo.mg) - the company Festival des Baleines (www.festivaldesbaleines.com) The Malagasy association CETAMADA, established in 2009, works for the conservation of marine mammals and their habitat in Madagascar. The association is committed towards a sustainable development approach through the involvement of the local population. CETAMADA activities are focused around four strands of action: training and promotion of responsible and sustainable ecotourism, education and awareness of the environment and marine heritage, development of community activities and scientific research. The University of Antananarivo (Madagascar), Faculty of Science, Department of Animal Biology, is headed by Dr. Felix Rakotondramparany working in biology, ecology and animal conservation. As a representative of the Malagasy University, the Department is giving their support to this international congress. The company "Festival des Baleines" organize the event Festival des Baleines in Ste Marie, Madagascar, from the 4th of July to the 12th of July 2015. The Festival will be dedicated to the conservation of the humpback whales and the joy to live with them. For further information about the venue, submissions, and registration, please visit the HWWC website: http://www.hwwc2015.org or send an email to secretary@hww2015.org ***************************** Prof. Olivier ADAM Bioacoustics Team Institut de NeuroScience Paris-Saclay (NeuroPSI) CNRS UMR 9197 Université Paris Sud, FRANCE Email: olivier.adam@u-psud.fr Website: http://www.cb.u-psud.fr/