Symposia

Symposia

What the nose knows: Successes, challenges, and future directions of conservation detection dogs

Organizers: Erica Feuerbacher & Simon Gadbois

Dogs’ ability to detect odors and communicate what they have detected to humans is unrivaled. With increasing environmental issues, including preventing the spread of invasive species and assessing the presence, range, and health of rare or hard-to-locate native species, dogs’ detection abilities are becoming more and more important and useful to address these issues. Not only are conservation canines used to directly address conservation issues, such as identifying poachers or preventing the spread of invasive species, but they can also be used to assist researchers in locating members of their study species, defining the range of the species, or locating scat or other biological samples for analysis. Successful deployment of conservation canines requires understanding the behavior and life history of the target species, and adjusting our training and detection strategies based on those species behavioral and natural history differences. This symposium highlights the successes, challenges, and future directions of conservation canines for detecting a range of species, both aquatic and terrestrial, and how those species differences of the target species changed detection strategies. We will also discuss how we can train to improve detection, through increasing generalization to novel samples in novel settings, and increasing discrimination from distractor odors, as well as approaches to enhancing capacity, such as engaging community members to train their own dogs. The symposium will point to the multiple uses of conservation canines, how researchers might consider incorporating conservation canines into their own work, and the issues and future directions of conservation canines.


International collaborations in animal behavior: The case of Latin America


Organizers: Ignacio Escalante, Ximena Bernal and Adriana Maldonado-Chaparro

Groundbreaking advances in our understanding of animal behavior derive from research conducted in Latin America. Those findings have been led by scientists from those countries and scientists based in the US, Canada, and Western Europe. Some of this research has been performed through meaningful, well-intentioned, and productive international collaborations. However, scientific papers or conferences seldom highlight the mechanisms of forming international collaborations and their benefits and challenges. Additionally, the visibility of the leadership of Latin American scientists in collaborations has lagged compared to the non-Latin American counterparts. When conducted successfully, international collaborations benefit both parties through outcomes such as local scientists’ scientific and educational capacity building in socio-economically challenged areas, conservation, policy, and management recommendations, culturally engaged experiences, increased language proficiencies in both directions, establishing collaboration networks, and two-way intellectual interactions that improve research discovery. This multi-day symposium will bring together a diverse group of scientists from different backgrounds, countries, taxa and topic focus, and career stages to showcase top-notch, mutually beneficial collaborations between local and international researchers in Latin America. Therefore, this symposium has the goals of (1) showcasing successful and ethical international collaborations using case studies of research performed in Latin America and (2) highlighting the outstanding work of Latin American scientists based in institutions across the Americas. In a closing guided discussion, the symposium will foster the formation and maintenance of productive, culturally sensitive, and well-informed anti-colonial international collaborations.

New Life in the City: Urban Animal Behavior


Organizers: Ted Stankowich, Lauren Stanton and Brett Seymoure

Urban environments present unique ecological pressures and opportunities for wildlife. Our speakers will present work on behavior in urban areas in multiple taxa, examining species ranging from birds and mammals to insects and reptiles. Topics will include behavioral adaptations to urban noise, pollution, altered food resources, and human interactions. The symposium will highlight innovative methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches, showcasing how urban ecology and animal behavior intersect. Understanding how animals adapt to urban settings is crucial for several reasons. Urban areas are expanding rapidly, and wildlife must navigate these human-dominated landscapes. Studying these adaptations can reveal much about animal resilience and flexibility. Moreover, insights gained can inform urban planning and wildlife management, helping to create cities that are more accommodating to both human and animal inhabitants. By focusing on the behavioral responses of animals to urbanization, this symposium aims to deepen our understanding of urban ecosystems. It will promote a more integrated approach to urban wildlife management. Through this dialogue, we hope to contribute to the development of more wildlife-friendly cities and enhance our understanding of how animals thrive in urban landscapes."

Past-Presidential Symposium: The Value of Rarities in Animal Behavior


Organizers: Alfredo Peretti and Mariela Oviedo-Diego with support from Vanessa Ezenwa, ABS Immediate Past-President

Rarities in nature are indeed present and have generally been underappreciated in biological research. While biological sciences have predominantly focused on identifying patterns, a thorough understanding of evolution requires an appreciation of rarities and exceptions in processes and mechanisms. There is a prevailing tendency to overlook or underreport observations of these anomalies, resulting in a loss of valuable insights into biological diversity and variability. Exceptions, whether they pertain to the rarity of specific traits or the unusual nature of taxonomic groups, represent critical points of evolutionary interest. This symposium aims to explore the theoretical significance of behavioral rarities and illustrate their importance through various topics and models of biological organisms, including well-established and under-explored examples.

Allee Symposium for Best Student Paper

Organizer: Eileen Lacey, ABS Second President-Elect

This symposium features outstanding graduate student research, with an award for the best paper, and is a highlight of ABS meetings. The session honors Dr. Warder Clyde Allee (1885–1955), an animal behavior researcher who was very influential in the development and direction of animal behavior research in the 20th century. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1951 and ranks among the leading twentieth century ecologists, especially for his work in behavioral and animal ecology. In the 2025 ABS Allee Session, students will present their research to ABS members and talk judges.