Marine mammals have inspired artists, scientists, poets and philosophers for centuries. In fact Aristotle observed as back as 400BC that dolphins gave birth to live young and were fed by their mother's milk. However since then an ever increasing knowledge has allowed us to appreciate the  great diversity of marine mammals, including seals, whales, dolphins, porpoises, manatees, dugongs, otters, walruses, and polar bears amounting to  over 125 species, which rely on the sea for their existence. The Mediterranean Sea is home to at least 21 species of dolphin, whales and porpoises, collectively known as cetaceans, and to only one pinniped, the Monk Seal. Human activities around and in this sea cause various impacts that affect these species both directly and indirectly.

The 29^th ECS conference in Malta, for the first time, will encourage the exchange of research experiences, promoting the needs for marine mammal conservation so as to enhance the progress in the management of maritime affairs through careful consideration and mitigation of their needs too.

Such consideration is encouraged by the increasing technological advancements accessible to both scientists and managers and the legislative structures being implemented across Europe to reduce adverse effects on marine life so as to enhance biodiversity in our seas side by side with sustainable development.  Each member state is required to develop a marine strategy for its national waters with targeted programme of measures to be introduced by 2016 at the latest, was the time is ripe to focus on local to regional coordinated monitoring programmes to assess and safeguard marine life toward more productive seas.

Amongst its various outputs, cetacean conservation research and action may accurately measure and prevent human pressures induced by increasing shipping traffic, use of underwater acoustic equipment and sonar to avoid impacts of noise and accidents on these species.  The ECS Conference shall have presentations covering different aspects of marine conditions, among these noise, that cause cetacean strandings and deaths.  The goal of such research and innovative technological skills is to improve maritime development strategies toward responsible activities and jobs, enhanced by a better understanding of the needs, potential goods and services of our seas.

Toward this understanding of the contribution science brings to a brighter future, an awareness event on the 24^th of March from 7.30pm at the Intercontinental hotel is being organised to allow interested public to consider the current and future needs in Malta linked to safeguarding our marine life and how we can all contribute.

Another very educational marine seminar "Expanding our Horizons" to be held on the 26^th of March at the Intercontinental from 9.15am will see marine conservation experts address especially youths on various aspects of marine mammal science to safeguard these vulnerable species and the marine environment with them. 

These efforts are being organised by BICREF and the University of Malta in order to increase local to global awareness of developing needs for the special skills and expertise required to deal with future maritime developments linked to new job opportunities and the targets of achieving the best environmental quality for the good status of biodiversity and the good health of mankind.

Both the NGO, BICREF, and the Conservation Biology Research Group at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta have been heavily involved in marine conservation awareness and research through long-term scientific surveys undertaken from coastal to offshore waters in the central Mediterranean region around the Maltese Islands since 1997 - thus placing Malta on the Map for cetacean and other marine research too.  These entities will also present results of such research at the upcoming conference between 23 and 25 March 2015.