CryoStore DC Mafalda Almeida at EPIMAR

Third International Symposium on Epigenetics in Marine and Aquatic Research (EPIMAR) - Barcelona, Spain | May 27 to 30, 2025

Hello, wary traveller! It is I, Mafalda. I come bringing tales of a great and majestic odyssey, full of travels, conquests, beasts, and tortuous roads. Let’s set the scene: 26th May, Barcelona, 2025. It was a warm day with a gentle breeze when our hero arrived at El Prat airport. Their heroic journey begins with the first quest: finding the hotel.

Okay, I’m just kidding. I wanted to try a sort of Homer-meets-Tolkien vibe, but there’s a reason I’m not a writer! Maybe I just watch too much TV...

*They gave us these cool backpacks with some goodies on the 1st day!*

So yes, as you’ve already guessed, I went somewhere. I recently had the privilege of attending the Third International Symposium on Epigenetics in Marine and Aquatic Research (EPIMAR) in Barcelona, from May 27 to 30, 2025. If you’ve read my previous blog post (hey, fan much?!), you might remember I mentioned I was preparing a poster I had already presented at the Journées Scientifiques, kind of like a sneak peek and a chance to practice for the conference. And that’s exactly what I brought with me!

Let’s talk about the conference. The first EPIMAR symposium took place in Montpellier, France, in October 2020 in an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it still attracted researchers from around the world, showing just how much interest there is in the topic. A second edition followed in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA, in October 2022. This year, the third edition took place in Barcelona (lucky for me, less travel!), hosted by the Institut de Ciències del Mar – CSIC.

The conference spanned four days and covered a wide range of topics related to epigenetics in aquatic systems. Talks were organised and divided into these sections:

Developmental and Comparative Epigenetics
Environmental Epigenetics
Epigenetics, Pollution and Climate Change
Epigenetics in Aquatic Resources Management
Epigenetics, Adaptation and Evolutionary Dynamics

*Francesc Piferrer, chair of EPIMAR2025, giving the welcome speech on the 1st day*

I really enjoyed listening to all the talks. Honestly, I thought I’d be most interested in the ones under “Epigenetics in Aquatic Resources Management”, since it felt closest to my background in marine biology. But surprisingly, I found myself really engaged with the talks in “Developmental and Comparative Epigenetics.” That was a nice surprise!

I saw some really great presentations from researchers that I’ll definitely keep in mind for the future. I followed my supervisor’s advice and paid attention to the talks that really clicked with me, not just for inspiration, but also to help figure out the kind of direction I might want to take after my PhD. And who knows, maybe even some future labs to apply to for postdoc positions. Watching the talks was also useful in a very practical way: I got new ideas for analysing data, different ways to present results (new kinds of graphs, for example), and also how to structure and deliver a presentation (what to say, how to say it, and what to actually put on a slide).

*Looks familiar? Presenting the same poster as in the Journées. Check the t-shirt out: a strategic choice on my end so people would memorize my name on the 1st Day 😉*

The poster session was split across two days, which was great because it gave me time to walk around and see everyone else's work while still staying nearby in case someone wanted to ask questions. I had a few people stop by to read mine, and although I didn’t get many direct questions at the time, I was still able to talk about my project throughout the conference. In fact, I found that the best conversations often happened more organically during coffee breaks or in between talks, which felt more natural and less formal than standing next to the poster waiting for questions.

And, as with the Journées, and as everyone says about conferences, the best part is always meeting people. That’s really what made it such a good experience. I had the pleasure of meeting so many amazing people: all very funny, interesting, and honestly quite smart. I had great conversations with everyone, from casual stuff like favourite movies to more serious or scientific discussions. It was a real pleasure getting to know other PhD students and hear about their backgrounds, where they’re from, and what they’re working on.

*Having a great time talking to fellow PhD students (Justine Bélik and Mascha Dix) and Ethan Friis (who unfortunately got cut from the photo, only his little lemon muffin remains!)*

Overall, it was an amazing experience. I attended fantastic talks, learned a lot, and made some great new connections. And of course, all of this was made even better by the beautiful city of Barcelona, full of life, history, and so many churros and paella! I didn’t get to see much of it, but what I did see was amazing. I’ll definitely be back! So, if you’re wondering: yes, go to a conference in Barcelona.

And now, farewell, wary traveller! Good riddance and safe travels. I hope you enjoyed this tale of our hero confronting and conquering that majestic beast: the first conference. Spread the word of your own heroic journey! No feat should go unsung or unnoticed.

Farewell!
(Oh no, here I go again with the fiction… bye! Hope you enjoyed!)

CryoStore DC Mafalda Almeida at EPIMAR

CryoStore diary - Linde Rombaut