The Society for Marine Mammalogy was founded in 1981 and is the largest international association of marine mammal scientists in the world.
Mission
The mission of the Society for Marine Mammalogy is to promote the global advancement of marine mammal science and contribute to its relevance and impact in education, conservation and management.
Objectives
Evaluate and promote the educational, scientific and managerial advancement of marine mammal science.
Gather and disseminate to members of the Society, the public, and public and private institutions, scientific, technical and management information through publications and meetings.
Provide scientific information, as required, on matters related to the conservation and management of marine mammal resources.
History
The Biennial Conferences on the Biology of Marine Mammals predate the founding of the Society. The Biennial Conferences were a successor to Tom Poulter's "Annual Conference on Biological Sonar and Diving Mammals" held at the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, California, beginning in 1964. Dr. Ken Norris founded the First Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, hosted by UC Santa Cruz in 1975. About 300 people attended the conference. A second Biennial in San Diego followed in 1977, supported by the U.S. Naval Ocean Systems Center and about 480 people attended. Following the second conference, George Harry, then Director of what is now the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, initiated discussions about forming a society to organize and run the conferences. In 1978, Ken Norris prepared a "Preliminary Design of a Society of Marine Mammalogy" and formed an organizational committee. The new society would "provide a vehicle for promoting the science of marine mammalogy." Proposed functions:
Organize and sponsor regular meetings
Sponsor workshops on special topics of interest
Work to improve the quality of scientific work being done on marine mammals
Provide for information exchange among marine mammalogists
Provide a voice in social decision-making from the leadership in marine mammalogy
Perhaps ultimately produce a journal for marine mammalogy and provide for its editorship
The committee met during the Third Biennial in Seattle in 1979 and discussed the preliminary design, proposed criteria for membership, and suggested by-laws. All was firmed up by correspondence, and at the Fourth Biennial in San Francisco in 1981, Ken presented the need and plans for a society to a meeting of those conference participants interested in forming one. The proposal was accepted by the group, and Ken was elected the first President by consensus. He then launched into the knotty tasks of confirming charter members, drafting a constitution and by-laws, getting the Society officially incorporated, recruiting people to act as interim Secretary, Treasurer and chairs of the committees on membership and nominations/elections, and helping start organization of the Fifth Biennial and the first full election. Attendance has grown from the 300 in 1975 to more than 2000 in some years. The next major step for the Society after its formation in 1981 was the creation of a new journal devoted to the biology of marine mammals. Titles proposed included Journal of Marine Mammalogy, Marine Mammals, and others, but Marine Mammal Science won out. The first issue appeared in 1985. Joe Geraci was the first Editor, followed by Doug Wartzok, Bill Perrin, Don Bowen, Jim Estes and Daryl Boness. The first book-length special publication of the Society appeared in 1987, followed by The Bowhead Whale, Molecular Genetics of Marine Mammals and Marine Mammals of the World.
The Society for Marine Mammalogy recognizes the numerous threats and challenges faced by marine mammals around the world. To address these issues of concern, the SMM employs three strategies:
Presidential Letters which are sent to management bodies to encourage their efforts to sustain marine mammal populations.
Society Resolutions which provide guidance to Society members and the general public on how to approach significant problems faced by marine mammals and their populations.
Panel Discussions. Leading scientific experts with a range of skills and perspectives convene to educate members by discussing the science relevant to important and complex issues facing marine mammalogists.
Conferences
The Society for Marine Mammalogy holds international meetings every two years, with the goal of enhancing collaboration, sharing ideas, and improving the quality of research on marine mammals within the scientific community. The gathering of interdisciplinary experts enables discussion amongst marine mammal scientists and policy makers, enhancing collaboration and training the next generation of scientists and practitioners, and is a key opportunity to foster international partnerships and collaborations. In addition to key-note lectures and oral presentations, there are generally over 1,000 poster presentations in addition to topical workshops on hot topics in marine mammal science.
Forthcoming Conference
A World Marine Mammal Conference, merging the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 24th Biennial Conference with the European Cetacean Society's 33rd Annual Conference will take place in Barcelona, Spain from December 9–12, 2019. The Society will resume its SMM biennial conferences with the 25th Biennial Conference, which will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from 13–17 December 2021. The World Marine Mammal Conference will provide an opportunity for 2500 attendees to engage in interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue in order to foster international collaborations that will impact world understanding of marine mammal science and conservation.'
As of 2019, the Society has over 1,800 members in 55 countries. About 55% of members reside in the USA.
Marine Mammal Science
The Society produces the scientific journal, Marine Mammal Science. Marine Mammal Science publishes significant new findings on marine mammals resulting from original research on their form and function, evolution, systematics, physiology, biochemistry, behavior, population biology, life history, genetics, ecology and conservation.
