IMCC8 Submission Site

Please log in here to access the IMCC8 submission site. You can sign in using your SCB credentials. You have SCB credentials if you are a current or former member of the Society, or if you've previously created an account with SCB to submit an abstract or to register for IMCC or ICCB. New to SCB? Create an account, and then you'll then be redirected to the IMCC8 site to submit.

If you have questions, comments, or need assistance, please email the IMCC8 Organizing Committee at imcc@conbio.org. 

Open Calls:
  • Call for Proposals - Now Closed
  • Call for Plenary Speakers - Now Closed
  • Call for Art-Led Conservation Engagement Activities - Now Closed
  • Call for Abstracts - Open Now
Call for Abstracts

IMCC8 is accepting abstracts for oral presentations (12 minutes), speed talks (5 minutes), and posters. The deadline to submit an abstract is 3:59 AM UTC on 15 May 2026. 

When submitting your abstract, you’ll first select your preferred presentation format (oral or speed talk or poster presentation). The next step depends on whether you will present in a symposium, general themed session, or poster session. 

One Abstract - One Presentation Rule: Due to the high volume of submissions at IMCCs, and  to accommodate as many delegates as possible, please note that each delegate is limited to one presentation either as a presenting or first author. Presenters and first authors maybe co-authors on other presentations. This includes oral presentations, speed talks in contributed sessions, talks within symposia, and poster presentations. This rule does not apply to participants speaking in focus groups, workshops, or to plenary speakers. Delegates may choose to give either a talk or present a poster. 

Closed Symposia (for invited speakers only): Presenters in a closed symposium are personally invited by the organizer to present in their session. If you have been personally invited by a symposium organizer to speak in a closed symposium, select the closed symposium option and choose your symposium from the list.

Open Symposia & Themed Sessions (open to all)

  • Open Symposia are organized around specific topics
  • Themed Sessions are organized around broader marine conservation themes

If you are submitting an oral or speed talk (and are not an invited speaker), you will select three preferred sessions from this list that best fit your presentation. Speed talks are limited to themed sessions while oral presentations can choose among both themed sessions and open symposia.

Poster Sessions (open to all): Poster sessions are scheduled so that there are no competing sessions and are designed to foster discussion, networking, and direct exchange of ideas. Because all posters are grouped into dedicated sessions, no symposium or theme selection is required. 

Presentation Formats:

ORAL PRESENTATIONS:
 Oral presentations will be limited to 15 minutes: 12 minutes for presentation and 3 minutes for questions. If your abstract is accepted but cannot be accommodated as an oral presentation, we may offer you the opportunity to present a speed talk or poster.  All oral presentation rooms will be equipped with a computer and a data projector. Detailed information and instructions on presentations at the congress is available below.

SPEED PRESENTATIONS:
 If your topic is of interest to a wide range of people and you would like your presentation to lead to an extended conversation with colleagues, you may wish to submit an abstract for a speed presentation. Speed presenters have 5 minutes to present their key ideas and results. This time limit will be strictly enforced. The last 30 minutes of the session will be reserved for speed presenters to talk one-on-one with delegates about their project. If your abstract is accepted but cannot be accommodated as a speed presentation, we may offer you the opportunity to present a poster.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS: Posters are a visual, concise way to showcase research and projects, providing presenters the opportunity to interact informally with their colleagues. Text should be limited to brief statements and each poster should make a unified, coherent explanation of your work. Materials, both textual and visual, should be of professional quality and clearly legible from a distance. Good tips for your poster design can be found here.

Proposal Categories
SYMPOSIA (Closed and Open, 1.5 hours)

Symposia, thematically focused groups of talks all about the same general topic, address conservation topics proposed by a facilitator. These feature multiple speakers who present their insights, perspectives and research on a focused conservation theme, topic, or issue through scientific talks and audience interaction.  For “Closed” symposia, the facilitators organize both the overall session and all speakers.  For “Open” symposia, the facilitators organize the topic and provide some speakers, but anyone with relevant work to share can choose to submit an abstract to participate in this session. All symposia talks will be allowed 15 minutes total, with up to 12 minutes of presentation and up to 3 minutes of  brief Q&A following each talk, with time at least 15 mins reserved at the end of a symposium for discussion featuring all speakers in the session.

Symposia are included in the three primary days of the meeting (main scientific program, November 14-17, 2026).

Symposia are 90 minutes and usually feature five talks, and include a 15-minute general discussion period. It is potentially possible to have multiple 90 minute symposia on the same topic if there are many speakers available.

During the abstract review process, if an abstract submitted to join an open symposium is determined not to be a good fit for that symposium, the speaker may be offered the chance to give their talk as a regular contributed talk.

WORKSHOPS (1.5 – 8 hours)

Workshops, whether geared toward students or professionals, are more interactive than symposia and often have an educational/technical component. Workshops will usually be scheduled for the day before the main scientific program (13 November) and can be 1.5 hours, 4 hours, or 8 hours in length. Workshops can be scheduled for the day before the main scientific program (13 November) for 2 hours, 4 hours, or 8 hours in length or for lunch time during the main scientific program (14-17 November). . 

When proposing a workshop, please clearly indicate how many participants you expect (this is vital so we can give you enough space) and whether or not you need WiFi. Pre-meeting workshops will require a separate fee for participants in addition to the congress registration fee to offset the additional costs of running the workshop. This fee will be paid for by participants or can be covered by the workshop organizer. 

SHORT COURSES (2 – 8 hours)

Short courses offer training in topics of key relevance to the practice of conservation. Short courses will usually be scheduled for the day before the main scientific program (13 November) and can be 2 hours, 4 hours, or 8 hours in length. 

When proposing a short course, please clearly indicate how many participants you expect (this is vital so we can give you enough space) and whether or not you need WiFi. Pre-meeting courses will require a separate fee for participants in addition to the congress registration fee to offset the additional costs of running the workshop. This fee will be paid for by participants or can be covered by the short course organizer(s). 

FOCUS GROUPS (1.5 – 8 hours)

Focus Groups bring together people with diverse expertise for a focused discussion to develop tangible and actionable outputs—such as a list of recommendations, publication, policy briefing or white paper—on a specific marine conservation issue. Focus Groups can be scheduled for the day before the main scientific program (13 November) for 2 hours, 4 hours, or 8 hours in length or during lunch time during the main scientific program (14-17 November). 

Focus groups  are open to all delegates, unless designated “by invitation only.” Focus groups that require pre-registration are marked “pre-registration is required.” Focus groups typically have a smaller number of participants (10-30 maximum) than other sessions. 

Pre-meeting focus groups may require a separate fee for participants in addition to the congress registration fee to offset the additional costs of running the focus group. When proposing a focus group, please clearly indicate how many participants you expect (this is vital so we can give you enough space,) and whether or not you need WiFi. This fee will be paid for by participants or can be covered by the focus group organizer. 

SYMPOSIA + FOCUS GROUPS (3 hours)

To increase the opportunity for continued discussion, a focus group may be combined with a Symposium. If accepted, the focus group will be scheduled during the main scientific program (14-17 November) to follow the Symposium. We will do our best to schedule it for the same or next day. Combined Symposium+Focus Groups will run during the main congress. 

Please note that a Symposium + Focus Group proposal is intended for organizers who have already submitted a Symposium proposal and wish to propose a related Focus Group that is explicitly affiliated with that Symposium. This means: You may only submit a Symposium + Focus Group proposal after submitting a Symposium proposal. The Scientific Committee will review the Symposium and the affiliated Focus Group separately. It is possible for a Symposium to be accepted without the affiliated Focus Group, or for the Focus Group to be accepted on its own.

Panel Discussions (1.5 hours)

We invite proposals for panel discussions that explore marine conservation topics at local, regional, national, or international scales. Panels may address emerging research, applied case studies, policy, community-led initiatives, or cross-sector perspectives relevant to marine conservation. Panel discussions will be held during the main scientific program (14-17 November).

Proposed panels may be structured in one of the following formats:

  • A discussion-based format, designed to foster dialogue, debate, and the exchange of ideas among panelists and participants, or
  • An introductory presentation by the moderator of no more than ten minutes followed by moderated discussion and audience engagement. 

We particularly welcome panels that are interdisciplinary, inclusive of diverse voices, and designed to encourage meaningful interaction and knowledge sharing. The organizers will have the opportunity to invite panelists from contributing authors who indicate interest in participating in the panels they propose. However, the organizers will be responsible for finding and finalizing  panelists and the moderator for each panel.

Art-Led Conservation Engagement Activities

This call has now closed. We invited proposals for Art-Led Conservation Engagement activities at IMCC8 that creatively engage audiences in marine conservation. We welcome interactive, visual, performance-based, and interdisciplinary projects that bridge science, art, and community, and that inspire dialogue, connection, and action for the ocean. Proposals that highlight diverse voices, local contexts, and innovative forms of engagement were especially encouraged.

Questions? Send an email to imcc@conbio.org