Concurrent Sessions are the heart of NMEA Conference programming. We are excited to have educators, researchers, explorers, writers, artists, conservation managers, and anyone with a passion for the World of Water share that passion by presenting a concurrent session at the 2023 annual conference, “Strait to Sound: Gathering at the Salish Sea.” Sessions at the 2023 Conference will align with the mission and goals of NMEA.

Submissions are now closed for the 2023 conference. The conference agenda with detailed information about presentation times and locations is available here. Please email nmea2023@pacname.org with any questions.

In-Person Presentations

All presentations will be loaded onto and run from the WWU computers, which will have Microsoft PowerPoint and PDF viewing software. Please ensure that your presentation is in a format that is viewable in one of those programs and limit font usage to general system fonts. You will not be able to connect a personal laptop to the projector.

Directions for submitting your presentation to present in person:

  1. Upload your presentation to an online document storage site such as google drive or dropbox. 

  2. Share the document or send a link to access your presentation via email to web@marine-ed.org at least one day before your presentation. Please include the lead presenter’s name and presentation title in the message.

  3. Room moderators will load the presentation and you will present from the WWU computer in your session room.

There will not be time to load your presentation during your scheduled session time. If you need help submitting your presentation, please come to the registration desk at least one day before your presentation.

Presentation Recordings

If you are presenting in person, we encourage you to also make your presentation available to our virtual conference attendees or in-person attendees who have conflicting sessions to extend your reach to a larger audience. This is a great way to practice your session before the conference! If you are interested, please record your presentation and send it to us using the Asynchronous Recordings directions below.

Asynchronous Recordings

Recordings will be made available to all conference attendees (both virtual and in-person) through our Whova online conference platform. Please submit your presentation by Friday, July 7, 2023 to ensure that it is available when our online conference platform is launched.

Directions for submitting your presentation recording:

  1. Record your presentation, for example, through the recording function in PowerPoint or Google Slides, or in a personal Zoom meeting.

  2. Upload your recording to an online document storage site such as google drive, box, dropbox, or use a transfer service like WeTransfer. 

  3. Send us the link to download your recording. Be sure to include the lead presenter’s name and presentation title in the message.

  4. If your presentation recording is less than 1GB, you can upload it directly to our drive using this form.

Poster Session Information

Free-standing poster boards with a display Area of 70" x 46" (W x H) will be provided. Please ensure that your poster will fit within that area. Thumbtacks will be provided; please don’t laminate your poster.

The Poster Session will be during lunch from 12:00 - 1:30 pm on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. You can set up your poster Tuesday morning anytime between 7:30 and 11:30 am. Please remove your poster by 6:00 pm Tuesday.


In-Person Session Formats

  • Full Session: 45-minute presentations (includes questions) from one or more speakers. We encourage submissions for interactive or hands-on sessions.

  • Lightning Session: One speaker each limited to twelve-minute presentations with a few minutes for questions, grouped by topic. 

  • Poster: Posters will be accepted and a designated time will be identified for presenting posters.

  • Workshop: 90-minute session with one or more speakers that allows time to cover material and engage the audience in a more interactive, hands-on activity and/or in-depth discussion. 

Hybrid Sessions

We will be offering a limited track of hybrid sessions that will allow virtual participation for those who cannot attend the conference in person. Presentations selected for this track will be presented in person to both an on-site audience at the conference, and simultaneously broadcast via Zoom to a remote audience. Presentations in this track should be designed and delivered to accommodate both audiences. Please let us know if you are interested in being a part of this hybrid track of sessions.

Asynchronous/Remote Sessions

Pre-recorded session: 15-minute or 45-minute presentations that will be uploaded and viewable to all registered participants asynchronously on Whova. This is the only presentation format available for those attending the conference remotely who would like to present.

Additional Information for Presenters:

All presenters must register for the conference. NMEA membership is required for conference registration. Presentations should focus on relevant topics and emphasize collaborations, student engagement and accessible educational resources. Presenters who have products for sale are encouraged to register for a table at our Exhibitor Fair. Presenters are also encouraged to submit a recording of their presentation to be uploaded to the Whova platform so that remote participants can view it.

All live presentations must be done on site at the conference. All listed presenters need to be registered members of the conference and must use the predetermined facilities for their presentation. Presenters must provide any materials necessary to make their presentation.


Ocean Networks Canada will be hosting the IPMEN 2023 conference at the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island BC, Canada, from Tuesday July 18 to Thursday July 20. More information can be found on the IPMEN website.