At each conference topic-driven ECS Workshops are held. Workshops have been held on harbour porpoises, sightings survey methodology, cetacean pathology sampling techniques, field techniques for the study of bottlenose dolphins in the wild, ethograms and acoustic techniques, marine mammal nutrition, on seals, on protected areas and on pathology. Other subjects were collisions between cetaceans and vessels, phocine distemper epidemic, active sonars and cetaceans, maximising ships of opportunity (ShOp) for cetacean research, monitoring porpoise echolocation - the TPOD and IFAW systems (porpoises listening devices), whale-watching issues, Bay of Biscay, and EUROPHLUKES.
Workshops are a hands-on way of learning by doing and solving problems in a collective effort or ways of communicating not yet published research among the experts. Expert workshops also serve as a basis to establish a connection between scientific experts, politicians, NGOs and the general public to maximise public outreach and reach conservation aims.
The results are published as special issues of the Newsletter. Workshops organisers are responsible for everything pertaining to the workshop (including funding and housing). Proposals can be made at any time to the ECS Council. All workshops will be announced through the ECS mailing lists or on the ECS webpage.