As every year, student volunteers are essential to the conference organisation. From assisting participants to helping the Local Organising Committee and the Council during the event, their help is essential to guarantee an smooth and successful week! Student members of the ECS (with valid membership registration for the current year) can volunteer at the conference and benefit from free conference registration.
The Scientific Committee extends heartfelt thanks to all contributors who submitted their work to the Conference. We received 607 abstracts, many of which were of exceptional scientific value, then subjected to evaluation by expert reviewers. Having a limited time of 3 Conference days and many high-quality works, we had the challenging task of selecting about 90 oral contributions and over 500 posters.
The 36th ECS Conference will be held in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores, from May 12 to 16, 2025.
All the conference venues will be located around the city, within walking distance of each other.
Workshops will be held on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th, May 2025, in different rooms located in the city centre of Ponta Delgada, within a walking distance from the main venues. They will take place before the main plenary sessions of the ECS Conference 2025, which will be the 14th-16th May.
On this page, you can find information about the 36th ECS Annual Conference program.
New updates will be published regularly.
*** Registration info to be filled ***
The 36th annual European Cetacean Society Conference has been held in Ponta Delgada (São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal), from 12 to 16th of May 2025.
The conference theme is
We are living in unprecedented times. Human pressures are crossing planetary boundaries into areas of increasing risk of systemic planetary change. The oceans help buffering the global warming caused by increasing greenhouse gas emissions and radiative forcing but at the cost of increasing ocean acidification and shifting oceanographic and biodiversity patterns. Consequently, these changes affect the biology and ecology of cetacean populations, increasing health issues, reducing prey availability, and disrupting migratory patterns. Azoreans, as oceanic islanders settled at this hotspot for cetaceans in the mid-Atlantic and a crossroad for marine megafauna migrations, are first-degree witnesses of the undeniable changes in our ocean and its inhabitants. Worldwide, the scientific community has become increasingly aware of the importance of comparative studies and long-term data series to identify and showcase these shifts.
Within this context, a variety of new opportunities to study marine mammals and their habitats is rising. This includes advanced technology to provide innovative solutions to science and conservation (e.g. underwater systems, aerial systems, telemetry, passive acoustics or acoustic recording tags); but also opportunistic sources of information to provide data which would otherwise likely be unavailable (e.g. whale-watching, shipping, fisheries observers programs, cruising, etc.). All this has complemented existing research and opened up new possibilities, leading to a better understanding of these highly mobile species that face challenges beyond national frontiers and in a global system.
Our motto “Navigating Waters of Change” aims to reflect the multifaceted nature of current marine mammal research, exploring and showcasing its challenges and opportunities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.
The 36th ECS Conference will be conducted only in the traditional in-person format. All the speakers and poster presenters will be required to attend the meeting in person.
The Conference agenda includes 2 days of workshops (12th and 13th May) and 3 days of plenary sessions (14th, 15th, and 16th of May).
Check out the latest information about the Venues and Social Events here.
Student members of the ECS can volunteer at the conference and benefit from free registration.
More information about volunteering and requests for support can be found here.
Registration for the main conference is SOLD OUT.
Banquet is closed. You can still purchase tickets for Dancing or student party directly at the Teatro Micaelense (main Conference venue)
Abstract submission is now CLOSED. Thank you for submitting an abstract ! Notifications will be sent on the 17th of March, keep an eye on your inbox.
Guidelines for Presenters (incl. poster codes and format) are available here.
Workshops will be hosted in several locations throughout Ponta Delgada city center.
Workshop registration has been opened until the 23rd of April 2025, and it is closed now. For more info, locations and times, click here.
During the 36th ECS Conference, several social events will take place, aiming at acquainting participants with the unique Azores region — its natural wonders, cultural heritage, and typical gastronomic in and around São Miguel Island.
Further details about the icebreaker (13th May), student party (14th May), movie night (15th May), banquet and dancing (16th May), and additional local events are (or will be) accessible on the Venues & Social Events page.
We are striving to minimise waste production during the conference.
To help us achieve a successful low-waste event, we kindly encourage you
to bring your own water bottle or cup.
The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) is composed of different members of the Azorean community. An initial multidisciplinary team has been established, accounting for members of the university, researchers, students, science outreach centre, support from local whale-watching companies, and administration representatives, that founded Semana Venerável - Associação to organize this conference. This team brings together a large experience organizing a myriad of events in the Region, with scientific, governmental, leisure or outreach nature; and establishes the main group of people in charge of organizing this amazing conference.
Chair: Laura González García
(Futurismo Azores Adventures; Institute of Marine Sciences - OKEANOS, University of the Azores)
Margarida Rolim (Futurismo Azores Adventures; Institute of Marine Sciences - OKEANOS, University of the Azores)
José Azevedo (Institute of Marine Sciences - OKEANOS, University of the Azores)
Rita Patarra (Expolab - Centro Ciência Viva)
Marc Tolosa (Picos de Aventura)
Catarina Gonçalves (Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia)
Afonso Prestes (Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia)
Rui Rodrigues (Futurismo Azores Adventures)
Ana Cristina Costa (University of the Azores - CIBIO)
Andrea Zita Botelho (University of the Azores - CIBIO)
| M E N U S u m m a r y |
Here are the minutes from AGM 2023
AGM-OGrove-Minutes-2023-Final_sf.pdf
Please have a look before the next AGM who will take place on Friday, April 12, between 15:20 and 17:30
The Scientific Committee extends heartfelt thanks to all contributors who submitted their w
