​2023 ANNUAL MEETING​ 

Workshops
26 October 2023
Please Note: All listed times are in Atlantic Time.  
​Full Day Workshops
  • ​Assessing Relationships Between Right Whale Acoustics and Line Transect Data - By Invitation
    • Led by: 
    • Description:
      • ​Exploring new statistical techniques to examine relationships between acoustic and aerial/vessel line transect data. 
      • This workshop is by invitation only. 
    • Time:​ TBD
    • Location: Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2
 
  • ​Introduction to Available Tools for Exploring Human Behaviours Important for Addressing North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Issues
    • ​Led by: 
      • ​Andrew J. Wright, Conservation Marketing and Engagement Group of the Society for Conservation Biology
      • Kathleen Norman, Cardiff University
      • Emma McKinley, Conservation Marketing and Engagement Group of the Society for Conservation Biology
    • Registration: If you are interested in participating, please email Andrew Wright by 31st August, as participation will be limited due to the size of the available room.
    • Description: ​
      • Success in achieving conservation goals typically relies upon the adoption of one or more sustainable behaviours by a specific group of people. Unfortunately, scientists and conservationists typically struggle to induce such changes due to the prevailing belief that people simply lack the knowledge and understanding required. In fact, provision of information is not enough to incite the necessary changes in behaviour and it may, on occasion, actually set back the wider cause due to preconceptions and bias about those providing the information. This full-day workshop is designed to connect right whale scientists, fishers, and other key stakeholders, with experts who study and attempt to resolve human aspects of conservation problems. The session will begin with a context setting presentation to introduce some of the specific issues currently impacting North Atlantic right whale conservation. Next, it will include an introduction to some of the available tools for investigating human behaviours relevant to this issue and those which can be applied to help remove barriers to improving the situation. The day will finish with a discussion of how the tools presented could be applied to North Atlantic right whale conservation, and potentially outline a path forward for achieving this.
    • Time: 8:30am-5:00pm
    • Location: Dalhousie University, 6299 South St, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2

Half Day Workshops
  • Coordination of Aerial Surveys from Virginia to Maine
    • ​Led by:
      • Tim Cole, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)
    • Registration: None required. 
    • Description:
      • ​In a pre-recorded presentation shared in advance of the workshop, NEFSC will share their survey plans with the research community. The workshop on the 26th will entail an open discussion for communication to ensure the benefits, safety and coordination of these surveys are maximized. This discussion will be recorded.  
    • Time: 9:00am - 10:ooam
    • Location: This will be a fully remote discussion. Platform information will be shared when available. 
 
  • Sensory Systems as They Relate to the North Atlantic Right Whale
    • ​Led by:
    • Registration and Presentation Request
      • ​Please complete this form to register and sign up for a presentation slot. Return to Jeff Fasick no later than October 15th, 2023. 
    • Description:
      • ​Sensory adaptations have evolved in response to environmental pressures, and provide advantages for specialized or generalized habitat use, foraging, communication, locomotion, and navigation strategies. Thus, an understanding of sensory systems requires knowledge of both the neurobiology of sensory reception and properties of environmental signals. This workshop explores the discoveries and research challenges in visual, chemical, olfactory, somatosensory, as well as auditory processes as they relate to the North Atlantic right whale. The objective of this workshop is to present and discuss research pertaining to sensory integration, perception, and behavior in order to formulate an understanding of how different aquatic and air-borne signals may integrate to help in the survival of this species. This workshop invites participants interested in mysticete sensory processes and how they combine to trigger behaviors indicative of perception. The number of participants in this workshop will dictate its length. Nevertheless, the workshop will consist of oral presentations followed by a discussion section. We anticipated that this workshop will foster collaborations between experts and students with diverse specializations, identify important knowledge gaps, develop theories on multimodal cognition, and produce applications for right whale conservation.
    • Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
    • Location: TBD