4 - 8 May 2026 • Colombo, Sri Lanka
Those of you who have submitted proposals will hear back from the committee by the end of April 2025.
Keynote Speakers
Join our daily plenary sessions to hear from sharks, rays, and chimaeras trailblazers. These visionary leaders will both inspire you and share new knowledge to drive meaningful change. For Sharks International 2026 we are also looking to engage early-career scientists to deliver keynotes.
Themed Sessions & Panels
Delve into key topics like species behaviour, conservation/policy strategies, and sustainable fisheries in our engaging themed sessions and expert panels. These will be integrated into the daily programming (4 – 8 May 2026) and will typically be 1 to 1.5 hours each. Panels are a flexible format while sessions could either be regular talks (12 minutes + 3 minutes of questions) or speed talks (3 minutes presentation + 1 question).
Workshops
Sign up (during registration) to participate in workshops designed to tackle real-world challenges. These will be an opportunity to learn new ideas, collaborate, and help develop new solutions. The workshops will take place on the days leading up to the conference (2 – 3 May 2026), or immediately after the conference (9 – 10 May 2026) and can either be half-day or full-day.
Side Events
Join side events on current topics or challenges related to sharks, rays, and chimaeras. They provide an opportunity to listen, network, and engage informally. These side events will take place during lunch breaks and evenings throughout the conference week (4 – 8 May 2026).