The first symposium was held in Brussels in 1970 and it has now been held in ten differ- ent countries and on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, BMS has a unique place and a proud tradition. The series of eleven published BMS Proceedings has formed the backbone of lit- erature in aquatic research for four decades. They are a collection of peer reviewed scientific papers commanding considerable respect and serving as a valuable resource for all who are interested in keeping up to date with aquatic research. Perhaps we should more properly be called a gathering of experts in aquatic human.
