Dear all,

We hope this email finds you well and that you are getting ready for the forthcoming OPI XI in Victoria.

Please find here the final programme and the book of abstracts. We ask that you pay close attention to the instructions provided for all presenters and online participants here.

Below are some important activities designed to boost your career and the impact of your research, and getting to know Victoria, its unique  and environmental heritage. Please take advantage of these unique opportunities and engage!

Early Career Researcher-Mentor Lunch: Tues June 16, UVic University Club

Sign up here.

This is an exciting opportunity to sit down over lunch with one of the conference’s keynote speakers to talk about career trajectories and research interests.

This event is designed with early-career researchers in mind. Whether you are looking for guidance on how to grow as a researcher, navigating a PhD or postdoc, weighing career options, or considering a graduate degree, this is a space to ask your questions to a leading voice in the field in an informal, friendly setting. Spaces are limited to keep the atmosphere relaxed and the exchange meaningful. We welcome all ECRs but particularly encourage those awarded travel funds to attend, as opportunities like this are exactly what that support is intended to enable.

Early Career Workshop: The Science-policy interface – a survival kit

Thurs June 18, 13:45-14:15, UVic Library Bibliocafe

Many of us were drawn to Marine Historical Ecology by the prospect of making a real societal and political impact. But how feasible is this in practice? What is our discipline’s unique edge, and how can early-career researchers make their science heard in real-world conservation and restoration efforts that are increasingly under pressure? This workshop brings together leading experts working at the forefront of the science-policy interface across diverse regions and subjects, employing a wide range of distinct methodologies. Join us for a dynamic debate where our panelists will share their experiences and equip you with a practical “survival kit” to navigate stakeholders, engage knowledge-holders, and translate your research into actionable policy. Learn how to translate your research into action for communities, stakeholders, and policymakers.

Confirmed panellists:

• Prof. Cristina Brito, Nova University (Portugal)

• Prof. Anna Guasco, Oregon State University (USA)

• Prof. Nayeli Jiménez Cano, University of California San Diego (USA)

• Prof. Chelsea L. Wood, University of Washington (USA)

• Prof. Anne Salomon, Simon Fraser University (Canada)

You can still take part in our brief survey, where you can submit a maximum of three questions for our panel.

ECR Policy workshop: submit your questions!

Optional after Lunch Tour of UVic Special Collections & University Archives Thurs June 18, 13:30-14:00

Following Lunch at the Library, UVic Special Collections & Archives is hosting a short tour of their facility from 13:30-14:00 (led by archivists Jane Morrison & Heather Dean).

Sign up to the excursions

There is still some availability for the two on the water excursions on Thursday and Friday – to sign up please visit the Eventbrite page – click ‘get tickets’ – scroll down to view ‘‘add ons’.

Best regards,

The OPI XI Organizing Committee