The 1st International Marine Science Communication Conference (IMSCC 2014, 8-9 September, Porto) focused on tools and practices for scientists and marine science communicators to develop their skills and improve dialogue with a range of target audiences including the general public and decision-makers. The concept of a conference dedicated to marine science communication was first proposed by the EMBCP and the conference was jointly organized by CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto), the EMBCP and Ciência Viva (Portuguese National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture). Presentations and workshops covered a broad spectrum of marine science communication issues including the use of tools such as social media and infographics, tips for dealing with the media and case studies of successful outreach programmes employing best practice. More information can be found at the dedicate conference page on Facebook.