DRDC International Marine Mammal Workshop a Huge Success

November 19 – 21, 2003, DRDC Atlantic in conjunction with Dalhousie University hosted an international workshop on the Detection and Localization of Marine Mammals Using Passive Acoustics. The workshop was a huge success with over 50 participants from eight different countries sharing their state-of-the-art research techniques.

This workshop was the first of its kind, allowing international experts from a variety of backgrounds to share their knowledge and work together on improving techniques for detecting and locating marine mammals. Participants spent three days presenting their findings and discussing the best techniques that can be used to protect whales and other marine mammals.

Francine Desharnais, a Defence Scientist at DRDC Atlantic and the organizer of the workshop said the event was very beneficial to everyone involved. “The workshop was very productive and successful and I am sure that many useful collaborations have been triggered,” said Desharnais. “It is these collaborations that will allow us to move forward in our research.”
Several local and national media covered the event, which was the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada and the first opportunity for many of the international scientists and researchers to meet and collaborate on this cutting edge acoustic research in marine mammal detection.