News Updates

Cranes at the Port of LA Long Beach alongside a ship

Photo by Luz Quiñones

  • ICMB XII: Dates and Venue Confirmed

    Scenic view of Funchal, Madeira. Lush foliage and red tile roofed buildings descend a steep slope to a harbor, with mountains and ocean visible in the distance. Logo reads: ICMB Madeira 2025. XII International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions.

    The next International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions is confirmed for 7th–9th October, 2025! The conference will take place in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal at the lovely Hotel VidaMar.

    There will also be a field trip planned for Monday, 6th October, so do consider coming the weekend before to explore the island, relax by the ocean, and join the field trip before diving into 3 days of discussions, workshops and networking with the world’s leading researchers in marine bioinvasions!

    All are welcome to attend (almost!*) and more info will be coming soon. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know!

    * We kindly ask that you leave your native marine species at home… 😉

  • ICMB XII Announced: 2025 in Madeira

    Scene from Madeira island. Steep, rocky cliffs and lush vegetation loom over peaceful ocean waters.

    The Society for the Study of Marine Bioinvasions is pleased to announce that the next International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions (ICMB XII) will be held in 2025 in Madeira, hosted by MARE–Madeira.

    Local Organizing Committee chair Dr. João Canning-Clode and his team at MARE are very excited about the event and say they will do everything they can to host an unforgettable meeting. To stay up to date on announcements about the next ICMB meeting, be sure to sign up for our mailing list.

    We hope to see you in Madeira in 2025!

  • Student and Early-Career Scientist Award Winners

    The ICMB XI awards ceremony was held on the afternoon of Thursday, May 18. At the ceremony, the Scientific Steering and Local Organizing Committees were delighted to recognize the strong promise and valuable contributions of an impressive slate of students and early-career scientists who had competed for travel awards and for student achievement prizes.

    Congratulations to all who participated, and especially to the awardees — there's no question that the future of our field is bright!

    Travel Awards

    Applications for travel awards were evaluated based on the quality of the applicant's abstract submission, their explanation of how conference attendance would benefit their career goals, and their justification of financial need. Current students and recent graduates (those enrolled at any time during 2022) and early-career scientists (highest degree obtained within the last 3 years) were eligible to apply and each application was considered by 2 to 3 reviewers.

    A total of 44 students and early-career scientists applied (37 for student awards, 7 for the early-career scientist award), representing institutions in 20 countries. Three applicants had never attended a scientific conference before.

    International Student Travel Awards

    International Student Travel Awards were sponsored by the generosity of individual donors and by souvenir sales supporting ICMB X and ICMB XI.

    PICES Student Travel Awards

    These awards were sponsored by a generous donation from PICES, the North Pacific Marine Science Organization.

    Judith A. Pederson and James T. Carlton Early-Career Scientist Travel Award

    This award was sponsored by a generous donation from GiMaRIS.

    Student/ECS Registration Fee Waivers

    In order to further support the many students and early-career scientists showing strong promise and demonstrated financial need, the organizers were pleased to be able to grant registration fee waivers to 17 additional student/ECS presenters.

    Student Achievement Awards

    Achievement prizes were awarded for excellence in oral and poster presentations at the 11th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions. Both current students and recent graduates (those enrolled at any time during 2022) were eligible to choose to be evaluated, and each participating presentation was reviewed by 2 to 3 reviewers.

    All presenters were able to receive copies of their evaluations, with the goal of providing constructive feedback and valuable professional development. Enormous thanks to everyone who served as a reviewer!

    Competition was stiff, with a field of 44 student presenters participating (33 oral presenters and 13 poster presenters), representing institutions in 14 countries. Graduate students made up the overwhelming majority, but we were especially pleased to see that earlier career scientists were also represented, with 4 undergraduates and 1 high school student competing.

    Prizes were generously sponsored by: PeerJ Life & Environment, Maryland Sea Grant, the Mid-Atlantic Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species, the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, and the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

    Best Student Oral Presentations

    First Place
    Second Place
    Third Place

    Best Student Poster Presentations

  • Welcome to ICMB XI!

    Art installation by April Flanders. Silhouettes of marine invertebrates in vibrant blues and greens appear to float across the sunlit windows of the Colwell Center.

    We are excited to gather with you this week in Baltimore! We're looking forward to greeting friends we haven't seen in too long, warmly welcoming those of you attending for the first time, and enjoying presentations of recent work in marine bioinvasions from all over the world. It's going to be a great ICMB.

    Beat the rush! Check in on Monday afternoon

    The registration desk will be open for check in from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Monday, May 15. If you’re in town, stop by to say hi, collect your conference badge, and do your part to help reduce the lines on Tuesday morning.

    The registration desk re-opens at 7:30 am on Tuesday, May 16, and conference programming begins at 8:45 am, sharp. If you’re checking in on Tuesday morning, please arrive as early as possible so that you have plenty of time to check in and find your seat before the morning sessions begin.

    Finding your way around

    ICMB XI will be held across three floors of the Rita Rossi Colwell Center, located at 701 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202.

    The entrance to the conference is along the west side of the building, facing the historic ship U.S.Coast Guard Cutter 37. Please do not use the north entrance that faces Pratt Street.

    Maps available

    Maps and information about the conference spaces are now available on the venue page. Signs will be posted to help guide you. If in doubt, ask the friendly folks at the registration desk!

    Exploring nearby

    In case you missed it, we’ve gathered a wealth of information on the conference website to help you get around and see the sights while you’re in town. Highlights:

    Code of Conduct

    The Society for the Study of Marine Bioinvasions has established a code of conduct to ensure that ICMB XI provides a safe, inclusive and engaging platform for all conference-goers. Please read the Code of Conduct before attending conference events.

    If you experience or witness unacceptable behavior as described in the Code of Conduct, please report it. All reports will be kept confidential.

    • Submit a report using our online reporting form (anonymous, if desired)
    • People wearing red lanyards on their badges are trained in responding to Code of Conduct issues. You can approach them to ask a Code of Conduct question or make a report, or come to the registration desk and ask to speak with someone.

  • Full Program Announced

    The Scientific Steering Committee and the ICMB XI Local Organizing Committee are delighted to announce that the full program for the 11th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions is now available online.

    Explore the program

    Buy single-day tickets

    We are looking forward to a fantastic meeting, with stimulating keynote speakers and contributed presentations on exciting new work from across our global marine bioinvasions community. Early-career scientists are well-represented, and we expect competition for student prizes to be fierce. Single-day tickets for ICMB XI are still available, so if you aren't registered yet, now is a great time to join in!

    We hope you'll make the online program your companion throughout the conference. It's fully mobile-friendly, and will always have the most complete and up-to-date information. Search for authors and abstracts, bookmark your can't-miss sessions, and download customized schedules for viewing offline or printing.

    We can't wait to see you at ICMB XI!

  • Final Days of Registration

    Full-conference registration for ICMB XI will close on April 1, 2023. Register today!

    Only a few weeks left to register — don't miss your chance to attend all three days of stimulating and informative conference programming.

    Special pricing for students and early-career scientists

    Current students and early-career scientists (highest degree received within the past 3 years) are still eligible for a special discount on conference fees. But hurry — this discount will also end on April 1, 2023.

  • Reserve Field Trip Tickets & Conference Souvenirs

    Field Trip Registration is Open

    We're pleased to announce a fun slate of field trip itineraries for ICMB XI attendees and their guests. Whether you're interested in a full-day odyssey or a brief and entertaining jaunt, we've got options for you!

    Visit a once-lost island, being saved via innovative habitat restoration. Get an insider's tour of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (boat trip included!). Talk ballast water management as you view the Port of Baltimore by water. Or explore the harbor conservation projects right on the conference's doorstep with the quirky and hilarious Mr. Trash Wheel crew.

    All field trips will be held Friday, May 19, 2023. Space is limited — reserve your spot now!

    T-Shirts and Souvenirs, too!

    We are delighted to offer exclusive conference souvenirs featuring the artwork of ICMB XI partner artist April Flanders. Even better, souvenir sales help fund travel awards for the next ICMB.

    In keeping with our environmental pledge, we will not have a large stock of conference souvenirs on hand during the conference. Instead, we invite registered attendees to place a pre-order reservation for any souvenirs you'd like to purchase. We'll have them ready and waiting for you at check-in.

    Take a bit of ICMB XI home with you, and help support future conferences at the same time!

  • Single-Day Tickets Now Available

    Single-day tickets are a flexible and affordable way to experience ICMB XI. Your single-day ticket is valid for all conference events on the day you check in at registration — no need to pick days in advance.

    Get your ticket today, and join scientists and policy-makers from around the world as they share new developments and debate current challenges in global marine bioinvasions research and management. We can't wait to see you in Baltimore!

  • Abstract Submissions Are Closed

    The Scientific Steering Committee and the ICMB XI Local Organizing Committee thank everyone who participated in our second call for abstracts during January. All abstract submissions are now closed. Reviews are underway, and participants can expect a decision by February 24, 2023.

    We're looking forward to a fantastic conference! Look out for more news coming soon on field trip options and our program of contributed sessions. To stay in the know, sign up for our email list or follow us on social media.

  • Second Call for Abstracts

    In response to continued interest from our community, the ICMB XI Scientific Steering Committee is happy to once again invite researchers and students to submit abstracts for poster or oral presentation at the 11th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions, May 15–19, 2023.

    Submissions for the second call for abstracts are due January 31, 2023.

    Find out how to submit, and tell all your colleagues!

    When will January submitters hear back about acceptance?

    Participants submitting as part of the January call can expect a decision notification by February 24, 2023. Please note that this is after the end of the early registration period.

    Is this a call for “late-breaking” abstracts of exceptional interest?

    No, we are interested in the same kind of work as in the initial call for abstracts.

    However, due to the strong response to our initial call for abstracts, space for oral presentations is likely to be limited for participants submitting in January. Committee members may offer acceptance for a poster to some submitters who request an oral presentation.

    I submitted an abstract during the initial call. Am I welcome to submit another one in January?

    You are welcome to submit a new abstract during the second call. Abstracts that already received a decision during the initial call will not be reconsidered. In case of space constraints, the committee will give priority to submitters who did not participate in the initial call.

    Are there any submission limits during the second call?

    You may submit multiple abstracts during the second call, but please keep in mind that space for talks is likely to be limited. Additional oral presentation submissions may be offered acceptance as posters. If there is a topic that you would especially like to present as a talk, we advise you to make that your only oral presentation submission.

    Are travel scholarship applications also open again during January?

    No, the January call is for abstract submissions only. Unfortunately, it is not feasible for us to offer a second Travel Award application period.

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