Supported projects

The International Symposium Cephalopods Present and Past is held every four to five years and brings together researchers from around the world working on both extant and extinct cephalopods. Its 12^th edition will be held June 2–11, 2027, in Paris. The symposium provides a unique forum for presenting and discussing ongoing research on this major group of molluscs, which has played—and continues to play—a key role in marine ecosystems. In the context of accelerating anthropogenic global change, understanding how cephalopods have evolved, diversified, and adapted to environmental change is a major scientific challenge. By bringing together neontological and palaeontological perspectives, the symposium promotes the cross-fertilisation of approaches, methodologies, and research questions, thereby fostering new insights into the biological evolution of cephalopods. The scientific program will be organised with no competing concurrent sessions to encourage interdisciplinary exchange and strengthen collaborations across fields. Particular emphasis will be placed on supporting early-career researchers, for whom the symposium will provide a valuable opportunity to expand their professional networks and initiate future research projects. Prior to the symposium, a three-day workshop will bring together leading international specialists in extant cephalopod to improve the scientific curation of the MNHN’s cephalopod collections. The sessions will focus on specimen identification and taxonomic revision and will contribute to updating the collections’ database, revising historical identifications, and refining the taxonomic assessment of specimens. This workshop will lead to a major improvement in the cephalopod collection and highlight its global significance.