Dear Colleagues, This is the first announcement of an Indian Ocean Cetacean Symposium, to be held in the Maldives in July 2009. The past decade has seen a rapid expansion of the cetacean research in the Indian Ocean. This symposium will provide an opportunity for active cetacean researchers from across the region to gather, to present findings, and to plan collaborative research activities. It will also bring together representatives of international organisations concerned with cetacean research and conservation. 2009 happens to be the 30th anniversary year of the declaration of the IWC's Indian Ocean Sanctuary. One of the objectives of the IOS is to promote benign research on cetaceans, and this meeting will provide a timely opportunity to review such activities. A major output of the symposium will be a peer-reviewed proceedings volume. Dates and venue are now being finalized. If you would like to register to receive further information please contact Ms. Shahaama Sattar: sasattar@mrc.gov.mv I hope to meet some of you here in the beautiful Maldives in 2009, Charles Anderson Male' Republic of Maldives