This issue highlights the OCEANS conference that was held in Sydney, Australia in May. I’ve tried to include several elements of ocean engineering in Australia and the culture of that region in this issue. I was very impressed at the conference with the quality of the student posters. You can see for yourself from the article in this issue about the student poster competition. There is also an article with news about the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). And for your enjoyment, I found a really good piece of poetry from an Australian author.
     It’s great to see so many new members from several different countries. I look forward to meeting many of you before long. We have several good reports from chapters around the globe indicating that our society is active at several different levels. I encourage everyone to get involved in a local chapter and then send something to me about it so I can share it with the whole community.
    We also have a report about a symposium held in South America; I think we will see more from there before long – a welcome development.
    If you have ever wondered about what kind of planning goes into the OCEANS conferences, check out the report from Bob Wernli in this issue about conference development. It starts several years in advance of the event and the process is quite interesting.
    As always, there is an open invitation to write to me with your comments, opinions, and rebuttals – my e-mail address is newsletter@oceanicengineering.org.