Species on the Move 2023

May 14-19, 2023

Bonita Springs, Florida, USA

Welcome to Species on the Move 2023

International Conference Series

This is the third iteration of the successful SOTM series. 2016 was held in Tasmania and 2019 in South Africa. SOTM 2023 is being hosted by the University of Florida in Bonita Springs, FL, USA with excursions to the amazingly diverse forest and wetland ecosystems of South Florida.

On behalf of the 2023 Conference Convenors and Conference Committee, it is our great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to Southern Florida – home to the Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and the FL Keys – for what will be a rewarding, diverse and engaging Species on the Move International Conference Series held from May 14-19, 2023.

The conference brings together scientists and natural resource managers working in the disciplines of global change, biogeography and evolution, and relevant in contexts of natural resource management, biodiversity management and conservation, and theoretical ecology.

Species response to climate change is a rapidly evolving research field, however, much of our progress is being made in independent research areas: e.g. understanding the process vs responding to the implications, terrestrial vs marine ecosystems, global meta-analyses vs in depth species-specific approaches. This interdisciplinary conference develops connections between these parallel themes, and across temporal and spatial scales.

We hope you will make the journey to join us.

Dr. Brett Scheffers and Ms. Carolyn Cox

Conference Co-Convenors

Conference Hosts

The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.


Conference Supporters

We acknowledge the generous support of the following Sponsors/Supporters.

NSF supports research partnerships between colleges and universities, industry, nonprofits, government and other organizations within the U.S. and across the globe. These investments focus on sparking new ideas and creative approaches that can accelerate discovery and transform knowledge into tangible benefits to society.


The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is responsible for stewardship of the nation’s valuable ocean resources and habitats. Our work is guided by two core mandates—to ensure the productivity and sustainability of fisheries and fishing communities through science-based decision-making and compliance with regulations, and to recover and conserve protected resources including whales, turtles, and salmon. Using sound science and an ecosystem-based approach to management we provide vital services including:

  • Productive and sustainable fisheries
  • Safe sources of seafood
  • Recovery and conservation of protected resources
  • Healthy ecosystems

NOAA Fisheries is helping prepare for and respond to the impacts of changing climate and oceans on the nation’s valuable marine life, and the many communities and economies that depend on them. Climate-related shifts in the distribution and abundance of marine life are already well documented in many areas, and these changes are expected to increase with continued climate change. And there is much at risk. For example, fisheries support 1.8 million jobs and $250 billion in economic activity in the United States every year. Coastal habitats provide important services including nursery areas for fish and protected species, and protection for people and property from storms and flooding.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to working with partners to advance the science, tools and capacity for climate-ready decision making for marine resources and the people who depend on them. For more information please visit us at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences. The research mission of UF/IFAS, conducted under the auspices of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, is to discover new scientific knowledge, encourage innovative study, and create applications based on sound science that address challenges facing agriculture, natural resources, and interrelated human systems in Florida, our country, and around the world. The UF/IFAS Research enterprise represents the work of nearly 600 faculty members whose studies address significant challenges confronting society today. Research areas include combatting the effects of climate change on industries, communities, and individuals, with a critical mass of researchers focused on invasion science research.

Research is conducted at the UF main campus in Gainesville and at off-campus locations throughout the state, including 12 research and education centers, and five research and demonstration sites including the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station that hosts two aquatic and one terrestrial observatory for the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). UF/IFAS is committed to supporting important ecological research and has ranked #1 for four consecutive years in Higher Education R&D expenditures in the agricultural sciences and natural resources and conservation, according to the National Science Foundation’s HERD database. We are proud to sponsor the Species on the Move conference and wish you all the best in connecting with your colleagues, advancing frontiers of knowledge, and delivering actionable solutions enabled by research.

The Climate Change Biology program at the Moore Center for Science of Conservation international seeks to understand climate change impacts on nature, and how we can design conservation to account for those impacts, especially species on the move. We hope to share research and conservation stories from Species on the Move participants with MPA managers around the world.

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, has been an Audubon-protected site for more than 100 years. Science-driven land management protects these 13,450 acres, including the world’s largest remaining, old-growth bald cypress forest. An estimated 100,000 visitors annually explore the Sanctuary’s 2.25 miles of boardwalk through ancient forest and marsh habitat. Memberships and donations provide crucial support for conservation work at the Sanctuary.

CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency. We solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We are Australia’s most trusted research institution and most connected innovator, working with universities, governments, Australian businesses of all sizes across all major industries, and communities around the country. From ridge to reef, and from microbes to megafauna, our scientists are well positioned to solve national and global challenges.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Florida’s Center for Conservation Initiatives (CCI) serves as a networked, site-based science and strategy platform for TNC and partners to investigate critical conservation questions, demonstrate strategy, and connect people to the science. CCI advances conservation through education and training, outreach and volunteerism, science and research, and land stewardship in Florida.

To achieve this, we build on our long history of experience in land management and leverage our facilities by developing TNC Florida’s four flagship preserves into campuses with thoughtful programming to educate the public and support TNC’s top conservation priorities.

The Centre for Marine Socioecology (CMS) was established to address the current and future use of our marine coasts and oceans. CMS is a unique collaboration between the University of Tasmania and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), with support from the Australian Antarctic Division. It brings together disciplinary expertise in physics, law, economics, biology, sociology, psychology, human health, art, media, philosophy and governance. CMS uses this expertise to focus on the complex issues that are developing in the management of the marine estate.

Interested in supporting our event? View the 2023 sponsorship packet below.

Sponsorship Packet