Scientific session details

OVERVIEW

It is intended that each session block within the program will contain an invited speaker (30 mins, as part of the Invited Speaker Series), regular talks (15 mins), speed talks (5 mins). The poster session will run continuously. Selection of regular, speed and poster presenters will be based on merit and assessed via review of submitted abstracts. Click to go to the Registration Portal (through which abstracts are submitted).

SESSION DETAILS

Conservation though social, economic, cultural and legal pathways

(Social, economical, cultural & legal)

This session will highlight the growing body of work on social, economic, legal and cultural aspects of marine turtles and their conservation. This session will cover studies that address issues of legislative support and enforcement, policies and programs that safeguard sea turtles and their habitats, cultural issues related to sea turtle monitoring and conservation and the reality of management given these perspectives. Priority for oral presentations will be given to (1) papers that are clearly research based and have the research methods and results described in the abstract or (2) papers that describe the pathways towards the use and application of socio-economic, legal or cultural factors in management initiatives that resulted in successful conservation outcomes. Further, priority will be given to studies that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration.

Breeding biology - Nesting beach studies, adult & hatchling biology, hatchling survivorship

(Breeding biology)

This session will cover all aspects of reproductive biology and nesting beach research, monitoring and management. This includes nesting trends/updates, mathematical modeling of nesting beach census data, nesting ecology, hatching/emergence success and hatchling production, new methodologies and techniques and relevance to management. Priority for oral sessions will be given to studies that provide new insights into, and advances in our understanding of these topics as well as insights from long-term term studies. Further, priority will be given to abstracts that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration. Short-term nesting beach studies and descriptive studies should be presented in poster format

Foraging biology - Pelagic & coastal habitats

(Foraging biology)

This session will focus on biological and management aspects related to sea turtles in pelagic or coastal foraging areas. In particular, the session will focus on the monitoring and analysis of population size, size distributions, survival rates, growth rates, and dietary ecology. Papers in this session should focus on research designed to understand what role sea turtles play in these diverse habitats and what impact these habitats have on the health and sustainability of the sea turtle aggregations using them. Priority for oral sessions will be given to new insights from pelagic studies, results from newly discovered foraging grounds habitats, papers describing diet and growth rates of turtles found in these habitats and papers relating their findings to management issues. Further, priority will be given to abstracts that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration.

Turtle use / sustainable use

(Turtle use/sustainable use)

This session will present new findings related to the use of turtles (non-consumptive and consumptive). In particular we are seeking studies focusing on (1) analysis of turtle population based data (such as abundance/structure, survival probabilities and reproductive rates) in nesting and foraging habitats in relation to use or (2) analysis of social and/or economic data related to use of turtles. Priority will be given to empirical studies that emphasize novel findings or observations that contribute to a better understanding of sea turtles and their use. Priority will be given to abstracts that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration.

Bycatch & other mortality factors

(Bycatch & other mortality)

This session will focus on (1) interactions between fishing gear and sea turtles as a major conservation issue worldwide and (2) other marine based mortality issues. Researchers are encouraged to present results on a variety of mortality or survivorship aspects from quantitative and qualitative descriptions of the interactions to impacts on the population dynamics and mitigation measures results. Priority for oral presentations will be given to studies that provide exportable conservation measures, regional comprehensive results, spatial-temporal analyzes, innovative bycatch modeling approaches, or results on areas or fishing gear with high information gaps. Further, priority will be given to abstracts that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration.

Migration, movement and remote sensing

(Migration & movement)

This session emphasizes studies of sea turtle behavior (at sea) and movements as measured by direct observation or by using methods such as data logging, telemetry and identification marking. Priority will be given to empirical studies that (1) emphasize novel findings and contribute to a better understanding of sea turtle activities, environment or habitat use, (2) improve our understanding of their life histories, or (3) demonstrate the link between science and habitat management for marine environments. Contributions with experimental approaches giving insight into physical mechanisms that underpin behavior are welcomed. Priority will also be given to abstracts that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration.

Environmental parameters impacting turtle biology

(Environmental impacts)

This session will capture the growing body of work on the natural and anthropogenic environmental parameters that influence turtle biology. It encompasses the anthropogenic influences of residential, commercial and industrial infrastructure and activities, along with factors such as climate. Topics could include studies on orientation/behaviour in relation to beach lighting, impacts of coastal planning (marine or terrestrial), impacts of climate change and water quality. Preference will be given to studies that emphasise key issues or demonstrate successful approaches. Priority will also be given to abstracts that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration.

Genetics & stock recognition

(Genetics & stock recognition)

This session will present papers that have used molecular markers to increase our understanding of marine turtle populations and turtle behaviour, relevant to conservation management. Researchers are encouraged to present results on phylogeography, population genetic structure, mixed stock analysis,, mating systems and the application of new molecular technologies,. Priority for oral presentations will be given to papers that are evidently research-based, with the abstract including a clear indication of the hypotheses to be tested, the research methods and results. Authors who wish to present descriptive papers or preliminary work are encouraged to submit their abstracts to the poster session. Further, priority will be given to abstracts that address the symposium’s theme – Creating Community Collaboration.

Health, physiology & toxicology

(Health, physiology & toxicology)

Sea turtles are definitely unique in their anatomy, physiology and health concerns. Preference will be given to research, either pure or applied, that contributes to understanding individual, population and ecosystem health and long-term conservation goals for these species. Presentations will include studies that either (1) improve our knowledge of sea turtle health and disease issues (such as specific treatments, prevention/control techniques plus the environmental and anthropogenic effects on the health status of sea turtles) or (2) present experimental or field based physiology and toxicology studies. Priority for oral presentations will be given to papers with a well- documented methodological/experimental approach. In the case of papers that propose new techniques for the treatment of injured turtles, preference will be given to those with established results, which clearly show the improvement of the turtle and which could find application to similar cases. Further, priority will be given to abstracts that present work based on collaborative efforts between research institutions, rehabilitation centres, coastal communities and governments.