General Information

Venue and Room Information

Meetings will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel (500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130).

During presentations, please turn off all cell phones or set them to vibrate. The Sheraton New Orleans is also the location of the JMIH roomblock for lodging. 

Lodging

The only hotel for this meeting is the Sheraton New Orleans

Book your room here

Roomate Finder Information

Use the Roommate Finder to get in contact with other JMIH attendees that are looking to share a room and reduce costs! It is an excellent way to network, save money, and add value to the overall conference. We do not automatically assign roommates. After you have found a suitable roommate, you will then need to make reservations on your own.

*Note: Neither the Next Great Event (NGE) nor its representatives nor the organizers for the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists are vetting anyone that adds themselves to the roommate finder list. This is simply a vehicle for individuals to communicate with each other. Room sharing is solely the responsibility and risk of those that choose to participate.*

Greening The Meeting

At the 1997 meetings in Seattle, it was decided that the Environmental Quality Committee (now the Conservation Committee) would develop recommendations to minimize the environmental impact of the Society’s activities. The committee has developed a list of possible actions relating to the annual meeting that can be implemented with minimal inconvenience to the organizing committee and to the membership at large. Many of these suggested actions are dependent on a decision by the Society as to whether and how much members are willing to trade off convenience for cost in the process of reducing environmental impacts (fortunately, many proposed actions are actually money-savers). Our objective in these “greening” efforts is to fulfill the general mission of the annual meeting in the most efficient, environmentally sound, and economic manner possible. For additional information about the ASIH Conservation Committee, contact Frank McCormick.

This year’s efforts in greening the meeting will include:

  • Eliminate disposable plastic products to every extent possible.
  • Use clip-on name tags that can be recycled. The name tag will be clipped to a recycled lanyard.
  • Eliminate the meeting bag.

CONFERENCE ATTIRE

Casual dress is appropriate throughout the meeting. For comfort in the air-conditioned meeting rooms, a light jacket or sweater is suggested.

Registration Desk

The JMIH Registration Desk is staffed to check in attendees and exhibitors and answer any questions you have regarding the meeting.

Food and Beverage

Coffee will be served during designated break times.

Fundraisers

ASIH GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVEL AWARD BOOK RAFFLE

The annual ASIH student-led book raffle is a highlight for each JMIH conference, aimed at generating funds to support graduate student travel awards. Conference goers are encouraged to purchase raffle tickets throughout the event, where the proceeds are dedicated to facilitating student travels for the 2026 conferences. A wide array of books, kindly donated by publishers, booksellers, and society members, will be up for grabs. ASIH extends its gratitude to all attendees participating in the book raffle, a pivotal effort in bolstering student engagement and aiding their ability to attend and participate in JMIH each year.

Acknowledging the vital role today’s students play in the society’s future, ASIH is committed to doubling the impact by matching every dollar raised through the raffle. We invite you to contribute generously, ensuring this year’s raffle not only supports our students but also cements a legacy of academic collaboration.

Please ensure all donations are clearly marked with “Book Raffle 2026” on the external packaging, with your name and an address, and are properly labeled to be sent to the designated address shown below. Your support is crucial in making the 2026 book raffle a monumental success, fostering academic growth and community within ASIH.

JMIH 2026 Conference Raffle
c/o Steven Whitfield, Director of Terrestrial and Wetlands Conservation
Audubon Zoo
6500 Magazine St
New Orleans, LA 70118

**Be aware that packages need to be made apparent that the shipments are for the ASIH Book Raffle when you ship them.

SSAR LIVE & SILENT AUCTION

The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles will hold Live and Silent Auctions at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 8 – 12th, 2026. We are glad to accept any herp-related donations, including but not limited to: frameable art (photographs, paintings, and line illustrations), books, music, glassware, jewelry, clothing, and gift certificates for New Orleans area services/events during the meeting week. No live animals or products made from herps (e.g., books bound in snakeskin). The SSAR Student Travel Committee organizes the Annual Silent Auction to raise money to fund the student travel awards to attend the annual meeting. Increasing travel costs each year makes it more difficult for students to attend meetings and become involved in societies. However, your continued support through donations to the silent auction helps offset these costs and enables students to attend, network, and present their research. The SSAR Live Auction Committee organizes the live auction, which also helps support student travel and provides additional support to the organization. If you have any questions about donating items to either auction (tax deductible for U.S. residents), please contact Griffin Nicholson (gnicholson@tamu.edu) or Jennifer Deitloff (jmd240@lockhaven.edu) for more information. Ideally, donated items will be brought to the meeting directly. However, if transporting the item(s) is not possible, they may be shipped to a local host (Steven Whitfield; swhitfield@auduboninstitute.org). Please e-mail Stephen Whitfield, Griffin Nicholson, and Jennifer Deitloff before sending any items to the address below.

JMIH 2026 Conference Auction
c/o Steven Whitfield, Director of Terrestrial and Wetlands Conservation
Audubon Zoo
6500 Magazine St
New Orleans, LA 70118

Savage Events for 2026:

Dear Colleagues,

Jay M. Savage passed away November 3, 2025 and we plan on honoring him at the 2026 meeting with a “pirate” Savage session and an open-mike event (with snacks and beverages) in New Orleans.  If your research program was influenced by Jay, your presentation would be a great way to honor his impact on herpetology and ichthyology.  If you would like to contribute to the paper session, please add SAVAGE to your abstract title and the meeting planners will know to put you in a special paper session.  Please let us know (send an email to maureen.a.donnelly@gmail.com) of your interest in attending the open mike, and send Mo the title of your talk if you want to participate in the pirate session so we can work with the meeting planners to schedule the papers.  Jay influenced many herpetologists and ichthyologists during his long career and we look forward to honoring Jay with this pirate Savage paper session and the open-mike event.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Mo Donnelly & Brian Crother

Messages and Job Announcements

A message and job board will be located near registration.

Travel

Please note, as of May 7, 2025 all US residents must either have a Real ID or passport to travel domestically. For more information, visit the Real ID website.

Nursing Mothers Room

The Evergreen Room will be available Wednesday-Sunday at the Shearation for your use. There will be a small fridge  available.