The advancement of your science is being impeded by the increasing cost of attending marine mammal-related conferences, workshops, and meetings. An increasing number of professionals and students are unable to find or justify the funds to attend. This should be of concern whether you are one of the few who can attend or one of the many who cannot. You are all missing out here. The overall problem facing your profession is perhaps more apparent to Cetacean Society International because we are one of the few sources for travel funds available to scientists, particularly entry-level students. A recent "helpful" post to MARMAM attracted worldwide requests from everywhere between the Ukraine, the Phillipines, and Tierra del Fuego, for at least five worthy events. The problem is also apparent to CSI because we see the talent in the emerging generation that you need to foster if your science is to prosper...face it, many of you are getting "mature", and you know it makes no sense to limit the next generation to those who can afford to travel. Does anyone on this list know enough about teleconferencing to work with CSI to develop a way to enable people to participate in your events from anywhere? Does anyone on this list know of foundations or other primary funders willing to use CSI, or any appropriate medium, to facilitate the application of teleconferencing to future events? The goal would be to enable organizers to provide significant benefits to distant participants, at little or no cost to either. An additional goal would be to allow events to benefit, for example, from plenary presentations by eminent people who cannot travel, perhaps for health reasons. Without better communications your science will suffer. Solutions are available, and I hope this stirs the pot enough to get something started. Thank you, Bill William W. Rossiter President Cetacean Society International P.O.Box 953, Georgetown, CT 06829 USA ph 203-770-8615, fx 860-561-0187 rossiter@csiwhalesalive.org www.csiwhalesalive.org