The goal is for the 7IMDC to be primarily an in-person conference.  Given the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and its impacts on international travel, the conference will provide the option for remote attendance to the substantive parts of the conference (including plenaries and technical sessions) for those who are unable to travel due to financial considerations, health reasons, or travel restrictions.   

Session Chairs and Co-chairs are expected to be present at the conference in-person.  Speakers would ideally and preferably be present at the conference in-person. In case a speaker is not able to attend the conference in-person, remote presentations will be possible. Pre-recorded presentations will be preferred to avoid internet connectivity issues during the session, with the option for the presenter to be available online for Q&A.   

The Executive Committee of the 7IMDC continues to closely monitor the public health situation in Busan, in the Republic of Korea, and in the world. All applicable precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the conference.

All conference activities are business casual and non-formal. Busan is typically in the 20-30-degree Celsius range in September (mid-60 to high 70 degree Fahrenheit range), and there could be rain.

All information on Registration Fees can be found on the Registration Page.

Yes, all participants attending the 7IMDC online or in-person will be expected to cover the registration fee, including Technical Session co-chairs, speakers/presenters, and general attendees.

The registration period opened on 29 April 2022. All information on Registration Fees can be found on the Registration Page.

The 7IMDC is pleased to offer a limited number of travel awards to help enable the participation of those who may not otherwise be able to attend the conference. For more information please refer to the Travel Awards page.

Registration fees for in-person access includes in-person access to the five-day event’s plenary sessions, technical sessions, refreshments, poster session, networking opportunities and social events, workshops, field trips and special events such as the opening reception and movie night. The registration fees for in-person access also include the online access as described below.

Registration fees for online-only attendance include online access to the five-day event’s plenary sessions, technical sessions, and electronic versions of conference materials.

Technical Sessions will form the core of the conference agenda and will be organized around 9 thematic tracks. The 7IMDC’s Call for Technical Sessions was held from November 2021 to January 2022, and it received an impressive response – the number of proposals received was almost double what the conference can accommodate. The selection process was rigorous, and in the end 115 Technical Sessions were accepted by the 7IMDC’s Executive Committee. Submitters of approved sessions are now the Co-Chairs of that session and will be responsible for planning their session and selecting their presenters and panelists from the submissions received during the Call for Abstracts and Posters.

The Call for Abstracts and Posters for the 7IMDC was open from the 31st of March to the 6th of May, 2022, and almost 900 abstracts and posters were received. This is a separate submission process, with its own review procedure. Successful abstract proposals will be offered a speaking time within the Technical Session to which the abstract is submitted, while successful poster proposals will be offered a space at the conference’s poster event.

Unfortunately, the Technical Sessions, Abstracts, or Posters process has closed.  However, you can still participate by attending the conference as a participant.

Authors won’t be required to submit a paper for the conference proceedings if their abstract is accepted, but it will be an option available to them should they wish to submit a paper, and the paper will be considered for a Virtual Special Issue of the Marine Pollution Bulletin to be published in mid-2023. More details and timelines will be made available on the 7IMDC website in due time.

A Microsoft PowerPoint PPT file will be required for most presentations (though this is at the discretion of the session co-chairs).  In the case of panel discussions, a PowerPoint file is not necessary unless required by the session co-chairs.

Thank you for your interest in becoming a sponsor of the 7IMDC - there are many different sponsorship opportunities and we would be happy to discuss this further with you. We invite you to visit the Sponsorship page on the 7IMDC website and review our Sponsorship Prospectus, and to reach out to us at info@7imdc.org to set up a discovery call.

An exhibition hall with a limited number of booths will be made available. More information will be posted to the 7IMDC website shortly.

There may be options available to include independently organized events around the conference dates and venue, which the 7IMDC team would not necessarily directly organize. Please contact us at info@7IMDC.org with any inquiries.   

Travelers from some countries will require a visa, and travelers from some countries will be visa-exempt. The visa-exempt visitors must have an approved South Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter the country, which may be obtained through a simple online application. All other foreign travelers are required to obtain a visa to enter the country, which will typically need to be applied for at the nearest embassy or consulate of South Korea.

Please review the Republic of Korea foreign ministry website (mofa.go.kr) for visa requirements specific to your country. It is recommended to make plans for obtaining your visa well in advance of the intended arrival date in South Korea, as processing and approval can take several weeks, sometimes even longer.

Some documents that you might need as part of your visa application include your passport (valid for at least another six months), passport-size pictures, a return or onward flight ticket, proof of sufficient funds to cover the duration of your stay, and/or proof of accommodation in South Korea (such as a hotel reservation).

The 7IMDC team is aware that invitation letters will be needed for participants from certain countries in order to obtain a visa. Please visit the official Republic of Korea visa website at https://www.visa.go.kr/ for additional requirements specific to your country.

Please proceed with the registration process as normal, and send an email to info@7imdc.org with your request for a notarized invitation letter. Please include a list of full names and passport numbers of people to include on the letter.