The new edition of Sharks International Conference 2022 (SI2022) is coming. The pandemic situation that affected the entire world is a challenge to face in this new era of virtual conferences, but now that the situation seems to be improving, we’re developing a hybrid event that will combine everything we love about in-person conferences with all we’ve learned from the revolution in remote communication since 2020. The conference will be hosted by the Shark Trust, SUBMON and Lamna.

In this new edition, Elasmobranch Conservation will be the central theme of the event, to explore the challenges of shark, rays and chimaeras conservation from three key topics: research, communication, and advocacy.

All of these topics will be explored collaboratively throughout our hybrid event, but how this will work?

We’ll combine live presentations with video content, workshop events and chatrooms. Working across time zones and languages, we’re creating a truly accessible, international event. Five online days will feature enhanced digital content on key themes in shark conservation, leading up to the three-day physical event in L’Oceanogràfic in Valencia (Spain), which will be live streamed around the world.

First, there will be five online days (October 10-14th) leading up to Valencia conference that will feature enhanced digital content on key themes in shark conservation. Each of these days will be split into a number of sessions, allowing for content to be streamed live across different time zones. These sessions will be recorded to allow audiences across the world to watch them on-demand.

Also, the SI2022 event will include a three-day physical conference (in person) in Valencia next October between the 20th and 22nd. Six showcase talks will offer the audience an interactive experience with engaging speakers from across the key conference themes who will explore their work and discuss how collaboration can help move it forward. Additionally, a number of other presentations, short videos, networking sessions, workshops, and panel discussions will cover a broad range of topics related to shark conservation. Throughout this three-day event, all of the content will be accessible virtually.

Finally, the SI2022 online portal will soon begin hosting online activities to facilitate community participation, which will directly impact the conference. This makes sure that the conference grows organically and stays relevant to all shark professionals. Online activities will include discussions on desired conference content, practical skills videos, and keynote speaker podcasts. Following these sessions, structured forum discussion and polls will enable the community to share their thoughts and helping us to plan the best possible event that addresses the questions you want to answer.

For more information, please visit our website: www.si2022.org and follow our communications through our Twitter account: @SharksInt2022

We hope to see you there!