Greetings!
Please find below a few news items of interest from the Society for Marine Mammalogy for you regarding the next two conferences and a reminder to vote.
Venue Change for the 2017 SMM Conference
The organizers for the planned 2017 SMM Biennial Conference in Veracruz, Mexico had to reluctantly withdraw their offer to host our meeting. Citing security issues in Mexico and specifically in the State of Veracruz, Ibiza Martinez and Eduardo Morteo were advised by their University to halt their plans to bring the Conference to Veracruz. The Society is extremely grateful to the hard work of Eduardo and Ibiza on our behalf. We are all hopeful that the security situation in Mexico will improve in the coming years, giving us another opportunity to come together in that wonderful country.
Given the relatively short lead time to select a new venue, the Board departed from our normal procedure of seeking nominations from interested parties, and taking these options to the membership for a vote. Consequently, since the announcement from Mexico in November 2014, the Board has conducted a focused search for an alternate site for our 22nd Biennial Conference. We are excited to announce that our 2017 meeting will be, for the first time, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. An excellent proposal was submitted which has now been accepted by the Board. As many of you know, Halifax has been a center of marine research in general and marine mammal research specifically for many years. We will be using a new convention center in Halifax that will open in 2016. The 22nd biennial conference will be held from 23-27 October 2017. The SMM Board thanks all of those who helped us find this outstanding option. We look forward to seeing you all there.
2015 SMM Conference Abstract Submission Now Open; Early Bird Registration Opens April 6
We are accepting abstract submissions for the Society’s biennial conference to be held in San Francisco from December 13-18, 2015. Abstract submission deadline is May 15, 2015 and conference registration opens on April 6, 2015.
Please Vote!
The Board has identified and recommended that four changes be made to the Governing Documents of the Society. Changes to the Constitution and Bylaws require approval by a majority of all members. Please cast your vote today on the Board’s recommended changes to the Governing Documents.
Wishing you all the best,
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| Nick Gales, President | Jay Barlow, President-Elect |