Written by Alyssa Stoller

This past week, our team had the privilege of attending the European Cetacean Society Conference (ECS 2025) held in the stunning Azores. It was a week filled with inspiration, collaboration, and celebration — a chance to both share our latest research and learn from others who are equally passionate about the conservation of cetaceans and their ecosystems.

Scientific conferences like ECS are more than just platforms for presenting data; they are vital for the health and progress of research communities. They provide the rare and invaluable opportunity to connect in person with colleagues from around the world — including many we often only correspond with remotely. For our team, reconnecting with collaborators from Iceland was a particular highlight. Despite working closely with these partners year-round, face-to-face conversations and informal exchanges can spark new ideas, strengthen existing partnerships, and open the door to future projects.

Throughout the conference, our team presented a range of exciting and innovative projects. These contributions reflect the diversity of methods we use to study whales and their environments — from land-based drones to acoustic monitoring, community science, and behavioral analysis. We’re thrilled to share the highlights from our presentations:

Short Talk:
Tom – Assessing the behavioural response of humpback whales to variable vessel practices in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland.

Workshop Talk:
Alyssa – Iceland Whale Sightings: leveraging a Facebook group to guide targeted research and establish community connections

Posters:
Flo – Low-impact cetacean monitoring: advancing land-based drone methods for cetacean research in Iceland
Petr – Temporal variability in the acoustic presence of cetaceans outside Isfjorden, Svalbard, in relation to maritime traffic
Ben – Mapping humpback whale distribution and spatial overlap with anthropogenic activities in Ísafjarðardjúp, Iceland
[Winner: Best MSc Poster]
Amelie – Humpback whale song and odontocete whistles at the site of a proposed port in northeast Iceland

Film Night Feature
Alyssa – Waves of Ink: A short film exploring the Whales and Sounds of Finnafjörður project
[Winner: Best Film]

We are incredibly proud of our team’s achievements, including recognition for Best Film and Ben’s award for Best MSc Poster. 

Photo by anxocao_photographer

Finally, a huge thank you to the ECS organizers for hosting such a dynamic and welcoming event. The beautiful Azores provided the perfect setting to dive deep into marine ecology while renewing connections with old friends and meeting new ones. We’re returning home energized, inspired, and more committed than ever to protecting the whales and ecosystems we care so deeply about.

Until next time!