MINGZ funded Conference Participation: Eda in Australia

11 July 2025

Photo: UHH/Dönmez

Thanks to the funding by the MIN Graduate Center, I got the chance to attend one of the most important conferences in the field of marine biology. The biennial conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy was held in Perth, Australia this year, where experts and researchers worldwide came together to share new insights.

Attending the Conference

Attending this conference was an important milestone for my skills and career, since I got accepted to present an oral talk about my current studies on the molecular adaptations to  hypoxia and oxidative stress in harbour porpoises.  The conference started with two days of workshops, during which I attended a Marine Mammal Genomics workshop where I learned a lot about the current practices and also got some new, possible research ideas. My talk was on the first day of the conference and I was happy that I could present it in front of an audience that is trained in both marine mammals and molecular biology. It was inspiring and motivating to see researchers interested in my work and exchange ideas and valuable contacts. It was also great to meet researchers I already knew from other conferences in Europe and reconnect. My highlight was that I got to personally meet a professor whose work, which I have been following for years, is very relevant for my own research and who was very supportive and open to talk in more detail.

Experiencing the Wildlife

For me, the conference was what I hoped for and I am happy that I accomplished my goals which were to strenghten my international collaborations for sample sharing and research, expand my network and to further my scientific career regarding PostDoc opportunities. The conference in general was organised beautifully with a lot of native, aboriginal inclusion which was an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience. Also, I got to experience the local culture, art and, for me as a biologist very important, the native animals and nature. With new friends and colleagues from the conference, I visited Wadjemup  (or Rottnest Island) and saw quokkas, met humpback whales and great white sharks for the first  time and went underwater with Australian fur seals. It was really breathtaking and incredible to be able to experience this.

Logistics and Organization

Since I travelled alone, I was at a hotel for the whole duration which was conveniently near the city center and used the public transportation to the conference venue or airport. The accomodation and flight costs were also the cost covered by the MINGZ funding. The rest of the costs such as workshop and conference fee were covered by the working group and while I needed a visa it was without costs as an eVisa. The coaching by the MINGZ before the conference was also very helpful, especially for the preparation. It helped me to formulate my research in a short, concise way and gave me some tips along the way.  Since the conference was huge, the app it provided was very helpful in keeping track with talks and posters I wanted to see. It also included a chat function that helped to connect with and approach other participants. It will also be where all talks and posters will be uploaded, which is great since many presentations were simoultaneously and it was impossible to see every highlighted presentation.

After experiencing an international conference like that, I can only recommend fellow students to attend one since it is a special kind of experience and opportunity to advance one's knowledge, career and network.