Every two years, the Society of Marine Mammals convenes for its biannual conference, gathering researchers and biologists to present and learn about findings in marine mammal science. The conference is broken into several workshops and poster presentations and serves as great way scientists to share ideas, learn and make connections.

This year’s conference was hosted in Australia. I had the incredible opportunity to co-host a workshop and present my own research. The workshop focused on the use of artificial intelligence to track and monitor marine mammals. My presentation was highlighting my research on using visual AI/ML and drone photography to study elephant seal populations in Año Nuevo.

The workshop was a remarkable learning experience, attended by over 200 biologists of both online and in-person participants. As all the presenters and audience in the room holding at least a master’s degree or being at the post-doctoral level, this made it so the audience was engaged and interested in the topics. Also, making the workshop a very scientific space. One of the best parts of the conference beyond learning was being able to make new connections, as I’ve built connections with fellow researchers and presenters in the field I’m working in.

Another important part of the conference is the poster session, where attendees could learn about a wide range of topics and talk directly to the researchers in an informal setting. This session provides a unique opportunity to explore new areas of study, and ask question. I would highly recommend attending the Society of Marine Mammals conference to anyone interested in marine science or conservation as a whole, as it’s a uniquely scientific conference that allows you to meet a bunch of talented and amazing people.