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IMCC3 WORKSHOPS

Pre-congress workshops will take place on Tuesday 12 August and/or Wednesday 13 August. Post-congress workshosp will take place on Tuesday 19 August. Pre- and post-meeting workshops will be held at the University of Glasgow. All pre- and post-congress workshops require payment. Workshop descriptions can be found below.

Several lunchtime and other workshops will take place during IMCC. These workshops will be held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre every day from 15 August to 18 August.  Some lunchtime workshops may have an attendee capacity.

More information on workshop times and locations coming soon on the Online Program page.

SPONSOR A WORKSHOP: Show your support by sponsoring a workshop that targets a specific audience. A $500 workshop sponsorship includes: company logo on presentation screen, opportunity to welcome the attendees, ability to place product literature on the tables in the classroom. To sponsor a workshop, or for more information, contact Lori Strong.

Pre- and Post-Meeting Workshops
Workshops During the Congress
Pre- and Post-Meeting Workshops

The Verdict on Marine Megafauna Tourism is In: Where Do We Go from Here?
Dr. C. Scarpaci of Victoria University, Dr. ECM Parsons of George Mason University

  • WS32: Tuesday, 12 August (Full-day workshop) Pre-registration is required
  • Fee: $48 - developed country delegates, $24 - developing country & student delegates
  • University of Glasgow, St. Andrews Building (Room N101)

Marine tourism is not benign, and the consequence to target species can include short and long term implications. To mitigate impact an array of strategies (voluntary or regulatory) are implemented.  The strategies are in general, set in a passive tone as resources to facilitate compliance officers are generally non-feasible. The literature states that industry compliance can range from poor (for example, swim with dolphin programs) to excellent (swim with shark programs). Knowledge of motivators that facilitate effective management (minimal behavioral impact on target species and satisfactory compliance) are fundamental to successfully support the continuance of these industries at sustainable levels. The necessity for effective management is timely, as marine mega fauna tourism continues to emerge within developing countries. This form of tourism has the potential to be act as a vector for economic growth, improve quality of life for locals and shift consumptive usage of animal to non-consumptive usage in the former regions. The workshop is well-suited to the theme of marine tourism. The topics for discussion are well-suited to questions of policy in the SCBMarine-developed 71 Questions, including increased compliance, facilitation of effective management in light of historical baseline information, scope for discussion into policy conflict resolution, as well as social considerations.

Tales from the Sea: Communicating Science and Conservation through Storytelling (Multi-day Workshop)
Stephanie Green of Oregon State University, Kirsten Grorud-Colvert of the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans, Karen McLeod of COMPASS

  • WS69: Tuesday-Wednesday, 12-13 August (Full-day workshop) Pre-registration is required
  • Fee: $96 - developed country delegates, $48 - developing country & student delegates
  • University of Glasgow, St. Andrews Building (Room 338)

Storytelling is a powerful way to transfer information and knowledge, evoke emotion, and build trust with an audience. Join us as we discuss key elements of oral storytelling and use these elements to help you craft powerful stories to share your conservation science experience with public audiences. IMCC participants giving oral presentations at the Congress are invited to apply for a 2-day pre-meeting storytelling workshop 12-13 August 2014. As a participant in this 2 day workshop you will 1) identify and distil your conservation science message, 2) develop an engaging oral narrative for public audiences, and 3) contribute your video-taped story to an archive of marine conservation stories. Up to five workshop participants will also be selected to tell their stories in a special live event during IMCC on 16 August 2014. This workshop is limited to 15 participants. Please note that participants will be contacted in July with a pre-workshop assignment to complete in advance of the session on 12 August 2014.

To apply for this workshop, please complete the online application form by 1 June 2014. Participant selection will be completed and all applicants notified by 15 June 2014. For more information on this session, please contact Stephanie Green (stephanie.green@science.oregonstate.edu).

*Tales from the Sea Workshop registration is open only to delegates with accepted abstracts.

Using Social Media to Make Your Marine Science Matter
IMCC3 Communications Committee  with Communications Chair Samantha Oester,
Communications Vice Chairs David Shiffman and Karyn Traphagen

  • WS2: Wednesday, 13 August (Half-day workshop in the morning: 8:30am-12:30pm) Pre-registration is required
  • Fee: $24 for developed country delegates, $12 for developing country and student delegates)
  • University of Glasgow, St. Andrews Building (Room N101)

If used effectively, social media can be rewarding and informative for scientists and conservation professionals. Social media is a significant means of communication for the general public, organizations and agencies. In fact, recent polls have shown that internet-savvy adults (and children) get a substantial portion of their news via social media and the web. Social media campaigns can take advantage of built-in audiences and the ease with which those people can share and promote your message, increasing the reach of your outreach. Social media and internet resources can also be used effectively for data collection and citizen science campaigns. We will discuss the importance of conservation communication and having an online and social media presence. We will also give how-tos and tips on successfully using various online tools and social media outlets. We will walk participants through setting up accounts with different social media outlets, the benefits of each and tips on successfully utilizing each outlet. We will help each participant set up desired accounts for themselves or their organizations—including Twitter, FaceBook, Pinterest, Instagram, WordPress, Storify, etc.—they can begin using during IMCC3.

Increasing the Effort to Reduce Marine Noise: Turn Down the Volume!
Sarah Dolman of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Karsten Brensing of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Michael Jasny of Natural Resources Defense Council

  • WS37: Wednesday, 13 August (Full-day workshop) Pre-registration is required
  • Fee: $48 for developed country delegates, $24 for developing country and student delegates)
  • University of Glasgow, St. Andrews Building (Room 432)

With the introduction of a noise descriptor under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and a US Ocean Noise Strategy, focus has shifted from getting marine noise pollution on the agenda to dealing with it, at a national and an international level. This workshop will summarise our current biological understanding of the vulnerability of marine mammals to marine noise pollution, and efforts to date to understand and reduce marine noise pollution. In particular, we will discuss whether the tools that are available are adequate. We will tackle whether new noise-reducing technologies and spatio-temporal measures can and should help us to reduce little understood, often cumulative and longer term chronic impacts, as well as those that are more immediate. A focus will be placed on presentations on recent noise reduction efforts during construction pile driving, which is projected to increase dramatically in Europe in the next few years, including off the United Kingdom.
Our focus will be to encourage decision makers and technicians, as well as scientists, to participate.

Talking the Talk: Giving Effective and Engaging Presentations
IMCC3 Communications Committee  with Communications Chair Samantha Oester,  
Communications Vice Chairs David Shiffman and Karyn Traphagen

  • WS4: Wednesday, 13 August (Half-day workshop in the afternoon: 1:30pm-5:30pm) Pre-registration is required
  • $24 for developed country delegates, $12 for developing country and student delegates
  • University of Glasgow, St. Andrews Building (Room N101)

This workshop, aimed at students and those who need public speaking experience, will give participants tips and advice on giving presentations in various outlets, including science conferences. The Marine Section Communications Committee will go over tricks on calming nerves, effective presentation organization, how to edit down slides, what aspects to focus on and tailoring presentations for different audiences. We will also go over helpful suggestions on public speaking and having a confident "stage" presence. Participants who are presenting at IMCC3 will get the chance to practice giving their presentations during the workshop, and will get feedback on visuals and the oral presentation.

Advancing the Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES)
Lance Morgan and Elliott Norse, Marine Conservation Institute

  • WS61: Wednesday, 13 August (Full-day workshop) By Invitation Only
  • University of Glasgow, St. Andrews Building (Room 433)

This workshop will present a new, global-scale plan for an in-situ system of highly protected areas covering 20% of all marine biogeographic regions and ecosystems. The Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES) is designed to safeguard marine species through the coming Anthropocene mass-extinction.  According to the International Programme on the State of the Ocean, “the next mass extinction may have already begun.  As human population grows, climates change and oceans acidify, protecting marine places reduces extinction risk. Marine conservation biology requires more than understanding natural science.  Workable solutions require understanding of people. Social sciences show us that people respond to well-designed incentives. We are working to advance a new way to incentivize governments to protect networks of diverse ecosystems to safeguard marine life. GLORES integrates natural and social sciences, applying the incentives of prestige and money to motivate governments to save key marine areas. We want to invite leading thinkers at IMCC3 to examine and discuss GLORES with us. Marine Conservation Institute is consulting with leading thinkers as new ideas and data come to us. Summer 2014 will be a brilliant opportunity to benefit from their wisdom. Having the best thinking from marine conservation biology into GLORES will help the world achieve the international Aichi 11 target for biodiversity conservation.

Translating Current Ocean Acidification and Systems Level Studies into Hands-On Curriculum for Secondary School Students
Claudia M. Ludwig, Monica V. Orellana and Allison Lee: Institute for Systems Biology

  • CANCELLED WS74: Wednesday, 13 August (Full-day workshop) CANCELLED
  • Fee: $48 for developed country delegates, $24 for developing country and student delegates)
  • University of Glasgow, St. Andrews Building (Room 345)

Explore a US National Science Foundation-developed, systems biology, hands-on, and inquiry-based curriculum module. Students build STEM and systems thinking skills while learning about ocean acidification and its complex, interdisciplinary effects on ocean systems. This workshop will contribute to the overall theme of the Congress by training participants to use curriculum on ocean acidification to lead to behavioral changes in students.  Curriculum has been tested over 3 years by 1000+ students & 200 teachers. The result is student engagement and learning and Makes Marine Science Matter. Since 2003, the Institute for Systems Biology has been translating current scientific research into classroom teaching modules. This session will introduce our ocean acidification module based on the research led by Monica Orellana.  We will introduce the big picture and train participants to use this 5-week module. All materials are free online. In the module, students act as interdisciplinary scientists and delegates to investigate how the changing carbon cycle will affect the oceans along with their integral populations.  Students closely model what is occurring in labs across the world to analyze the effect CO2 has on ocean chemistry, ecosystems and human societies. They align with interest groups and prepare for a mock summit to address concerns. Emphasis is placed on how they might change their actions in order to impact the network.

Workshops During the Congress

Hapi Fis: How Technology is Supporting Local Economies in the Solomon Islands
Ruby Gates, Point 97

  • SY85: Friday, 15 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Dochart B Room

Seeking a better and more reliable system of data collection, the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) looked to mobile technology to shift the tide of data collection and processing. Through the Coral Triangle Support Program, MFMR partnered with Point 97 in Portland, Oregon to collaborate on Hapi Fis (pronounced Happy Fish in English), a mobile app and web-based platform that streamlines the collection process and provides qualified data without the reams of paper. This workshop will present how the use of mobile technology applications support local economies and food security for inshore fisheries in the Solomon Islands.

How Polluted is Your Beach? Marine Litter: A (Inter)National Issue
Carla Isobel Elliff of Universidade Federal da Bahia, Gerson Fernandino of Universidade Federal da Bahia, Jose Rodrigues de Souza Filho of Instituto Federal de Educacion

  • WS12: Friday, 15 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Alsh Room

Marine litter is a global issue in our oceans. Its impact on marine animals, environmental quality and various marine ecosystem services emphasizes the need to take action in order to remediate the situation. Actions to prevent and remove marine litter must come from various sectors. Regarding the government, the State has its responsibilities concerning its removal from beaches and its prevention. But where should we start? The first step is to perform a national diagnosis that comprehends all punctual actions performed along a coastline so we can understand where we should focus our resources and optimize time and effort. In this workshop the Brazilian experience will be discussed regarding its proposal to create the first nationwide project to diagnose the coastline in an integrated manner regarding marine litter through the elaboration of an atlas, which will map the information concerning this issue in the country. Brazil, bathed by the South Atlantic Ocean, has over 9,000 km of coastline, and a high diversity of coastal environments (mangroves, coral reefs, sandy beaches, bays, etc.), which contrast with large urban centers in coastal areas, such as Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. Many countries can identify with the Brazilian coastal situation and, thus, benefit from an exchange of experiences about the issue of marine litter. Dealing with this issue is more than just securing the benefits that we have from the coast, it is about protecting a global heritage.


Why Not Only Marine but Social Science Matters: Sustainable Fisheries Management through Social Marketing Tools Application
Rafael Calderon and Paloma Chavez, Rare

  • WS15: Friday, 15 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Boisdale Room

Despite conservation has long been science-driven, success will ultimately come down to changing the way people relate to nature. In the face of climate change and dwindling fish stocks, conservationists find themselves in dire need of a new set of tools for changing behaviors and inspiring civic action. For more than 20 years, Rare has been training emerging local leaders in the Pride methodology, so-called because it inspires people to take pride in the species and habitats that make their communities unique, while also giving them real alternatives to change environmentally destructive behaviors. Pride campaigns approach, a mix of social marketing tools and barrier removal strategies to change social norms is coupled with social research, community mobilization techniques, and complemented by monitoring and evaluation to assess campaign impact. Specifically related to marine conservation, Rare has globally launched around 60 Pride campaigns designed to change the behavior of local fishers to: (i)increase compliance with size limits regulations, closure seasons, gear restrictions, (ii)increase fishers compliance respect to No Take Zones, and (iii)engage local fishers to proactively participate in fisheries decision making through well-organized community groups. Recent analysis has revealed significant reduction in fishers’ activity in NTZs, increase in fishermen engagement in patrolling, reporting, and membership in collaborative partnerships for management in partner sites.

The Science of Conservation Communication: Effective Outreach through the Media
The IMCC3 Communications Committee  with Communications Chair Samantha Oester & 
Assistant Communications Chairs David Shiffman and Karyn Traphagen

  • SY3: Saturday, 16 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Alsh Room

The importance of science communication has been known for decades, but communication needs to be effective to be successful. Communication-savvy scientists and communication professionals will speak on the importance of conservation communication, effective science communication and tips on working with the media. In this workshop, scientists, journalists, editors and writers will give the inside scoop on effectual and powerful communication through the media. The panel will also discuss how to connect with and build relationships with publications. The workshop will end with a panel discussion on common interview pitfalls, as well as a question-and-answer session.

Valuing our Seas for Marine Conservation: Making Marine Ecosystem Service Assessment and Valuation Matter for Marine Conservation Planning
W. Dodds and S. Fletcher, Plymouth University

  • WS43: Saturday, 16 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Dochart a Room

AIn an effort to recognise the valuable contribution of healthy marine ecosystems to human well-being, the assessment and valuation of marine ecosystem services has been applied to a variety of marine conservation situations globally and mainstreamed by The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) amongst others.  However, much of the research effort surrounding the application of marine ecosystem services for marine conservation has been focused on the methods for assessment and valuation of marine ecosystem services.  In contrast, there has been relatively little debate about how marine ecosystem service assessment and valuation can be integrated usefully into the process of marine conservation planning.  In particular, there has been limited debate on how marine ecosystem service values are weighed against other evidence, how credibility values are awarded by marine conservation planners and other stakeholders, and how the often contested values of marine ecosystem services are communicated to the multiple audiences involved in marine conservation planning.  Through sharing international experiences, this workshop will advance critical discussions concerning the benefits and constraints of applying ecosystem service assessment and valuation in marine conservation planning.  This workshop will engage scientists, socio-economists, researchers and practitioners to consider how we can make marine ecosystem service science matter for marine conservation.

Building Awareness and Support for Ocean Planning with Ocean Frontiers Films
Karen Anspacher-Meyer, Green Fire Productions

  • WS29: Sunday, 17 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Lomond Auditorium

We hear too often how difficult it is to speak effectively about ocean planning so that people not only understand it, but also become supportive. The award-winning film series Ocean Frontiers has broken new ground on this communication challenge with a plainspoken style of storytelling that has proven extremely effective toward increasing understanding and support for ocean planning. Film makes it possible to take complex science and marine conservation information and translate it through story and vastly increase the understanding and support for complicated topics like ocean planning. Of people surveyed after watching Ocean Frontiers, 85% express not only a better understanding about ocean planning, but the intention to participate in ocean planning. In this workshop, you'll watch the latest film, Ocean Frontiers II: A New England Story for Sustaining the Sea, hear from the film producer what messages resonate most with audiences, how to effectively incorporate science so that lay audiences understand it, how to weave varied perspectives together for a cohesive message and storyline as well as proven strategies for most effectively reaching and influencing targeted audiences with films, including social media. A Q&A discussion will follow to share questions and ideas among workshop participants and discuss ideas for applying these concepts to their own situations. Ocean Frontiers DVDs and a screening toolkit will be available to all participants.

Promoting the Blue Economy: Evaluating How Healthy Oceans and Coasts Promote Robust, Sustainable Economic Growth
M.J. Conathan and K. Uhlenbrock, Center for American Progress

  • WS50: Sunday, 17 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Carron B Room

The health of our ocean and coasts is inextricably linked to the health of our economies. Ocean-related industries contribute more than $200 billion to annual gross domestic product in the U.S. alone. While extractive industries get much of the credit for fueling coastal economies, sectors like fisheries and tourism can be just as impactful. But sustainable ocean industries only thrive in the presence of healthy oceans and coasts already under increasing pressure as a result of development and pollution, including climate change and acidification. Efforts to grow the economy while maintaining healthy ecosystems, must be based on sound physical and social science to convince policymakers of the true value of healthy ecosystems. The foundation of a sustainable ocean economy consists of activities that recognize and augment healthy ocean and coastal ecosystems that support financial, biological, cultural, and spiritual well-being. This group will discuss the Blue Economy’s implications for policymakers. We expect participation from marine science and policy experts and from industries that create or benefit from healthy oceans and coasts (i.e. offshore renewable energy, tourism, coastal restoration, and fisheries). The discussion will: 1) determine what data are needed to inform better management; 2) highlight incentives for smart business decisions and policy choices; and 3) find effective means of communicating these needs and potential benefits to policy-makers.

Science to Action: How to Make it Happen
Leah Karrer, Global Environment Facility

  • SY75: Sunday, 17 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Alsh Room

This workshop will provide practical insight regarding how to make the link from science to conservation action.  The symposium will open with a presentation on the challenges of linking the two disparate worlds of scientists and decision-makers.  Practical guidance will be provided on how decision-makers can make this link, including the importance of identifying and communicating knowledge needs to scientists (e.g. facilitating workshops to identify knowledge gaps related to conservation objectives), establishing a research ethic (e.g. requiring presentations on results for research permits), motivating collaboration (e.g. grants, in-kind contributions) and soliciting key messages and recommendations from the scientists.  Similarly, tips will be provided to scientists on how they can feed their science into decision-making, such as distilling their results into key messages and engaging in decision-making forums (e.g. MPA planning groups).  The symposium will then focus on practical tools for translating science into conservation action.  Based on experiences around the world, one example will be provided for each of the following types of tools: e-newsletters (Conservation International), synthesis products (Integration and Application Network University of Maryland), matching-making between global experts and local conservation projects (GEF), training (NOAA), webinars (EBM Tool Network Nature Serve), social media, twinning between projects (GEF) and websites (Open Channels). 

Incorporating Issues of Marine Conservation into the Classroom: A Lesson-Sharing Session
Sean R. Tracy, George Mason University

  • WS1: Sunday, 17 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Dochart A Room

In order to increase the understanding of marine conservation, current issues must be prevalent in everyday society. This begins by integrating those conservation studies into public education programs. The goal of this workshop is to establish an information-sharing session for providers of education/outreach, or for those just interested in education, to discuss and develop ways to include marine conservation in the classroom.  Student education experiences must be comprehensive across the disciplines and marine conservation studies often become single tracked into higher level science courses only. This means that only a small group of students is reached and they often view the issues through the lens of sciences, but there are historical and economic contexts that must not be ignored. We, as educators must reach a larger audience and connect disciplines because issues of marine conservation bridge all aspects of society. In this session we will share ideas for how educators can draw on these connections to build a holistic, educative experience for students of all levels. When people understand the broader reach of an issue, they are more apt to be engaged citizens.

COMPASS Message Box Workshop: Learning to Communicate the “So What” of your Science
Heather Mannix, COMPASS

  • Special Offering: Sunday, 17 August Lunchtime Workshop (1-3pm)
  • SECC, Carron A Room
  • Capacity: 75 Delegates

To communicate effectively with both peer and non-peer audiences requires that you as scientists master two essential and interrelated skills: 1) knowing your audience, and 2) clearly conveying the “so what” of your science. In this 2-hour workshop led by COMPASS, you will learn how to think about your audience’s needs, and practice pulling relevant messages from your own research. You will learn to use a tool called the Message Box to sharpen your ability to distill your complex knowledge into the key messages that can engage audiences such as journalists, policymakers, or others who are not subject matter experts. Peer-to-peer exercises offer opportunity to practice delivering your message, as well as to give and receive feedback.