2nd Biennial Workshop on Ethics in Marine Mammal Science

Hello Everyone-

We are happy to announce the 2nd Biennial Workshop on Ethics in Marine Mammal Science (EiMMS).

Building on the success of the first EiMMS workshop, this meeting aims to further our understanding of how ethics relate to the scientific study of marine mammals.

Many professional scientific societies have established official ethics committees to educate their members on professional and research ethics, provide guidance when dealing with ethical issues, and, in some cases, set minimum standards to which members must adhere. Indeed, the European Cetacean Society recently voted to establish an ethics advisory committee (EAC) and the Society for Marine Mammalogy has established an /ad hoc/ ethics committee. Despite this progress, there are few opportunities for education and dialogue regarding ethics in research and many society members may lack the resources required to help them identify and resolve contentious issues in their work.

The workshop will be convened on Sunday, December 16 from about 8:30 am to 5 pm. The morning session of this day-long workshop will include a keynote address by Dr. Kristin Shrader-Frechette, the O'Neill Family Professor in the Departments of Philosophy and Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. The morning session will also include an update from the European Cetacean Society, as well as an update from the Society for Marine Mammalogy regarding progress by the society's ad hoc ethics committee.

We have saved room for additional speakers and encourage anyone who might be interested in presenting a talk related to ethics in marine mammal research to contact us with a brief description of their presentation.

To facilitate attendance and guarantee open access, we have decided to make the workshop free for conference attendees. However, we would appreciate anyone planning on attending to contact Charles (charles.littnan@noaa.gov) to register. We need to get an accurate headcount to ensure adequate space, handouts, and refreshments. Additional information and future updates can be found on the EiMMS website (recently launched and continually modified): http://eimms.objectis.net

If you visit the site, please register to gain access to a greater amount of content. We will regularly update the agenda for the workshop on the EiMMS site.

Looking forward to seeing you in San Diego.

Cheers,

Charles Littnan and Dave Johnston

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Charles Littnan, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries
2570 Dole St.
Honolulu HI 96822

Tel: (808) 983 5392
Fax: (808) 983 2902