Marine Pollution Bulletin is concerned with the rational use of maritime and marine resources in estuaries, the seas and oceans, as well as with documenting marine pollution and introducing new forms of measurement and analysis. A wide range of topics are discussed as news, comment, reviews and research reports, not only on effluent disposal and pollution control, but also on the management, economic aspects and protection of the marine environment in general. A distinctive feature of Marine Pollution Bulletin is the number of different categories of articles which are published. Papers (Reports) form the core of the journal, while Baselines document measurements which are expected to have value in the future. Reviews are generally invited by the editors on subjects which cross traditional lines, but suggestions for topics are welcomed. Viewpoints are a less formal forum for scientists to comment freely on matters of relevant national and international importance. Other sections of the Bulletin include News, New Products, Conference Reports, Conference Diary, Correspondence and Book Reviews. Two volumes are published annually, one of which contains a series of special issues on topics of particular current interest. The importance and influence of these special issues, which address the major marine environmental concerns of our time, is increasingly being recognised not just by the wider scientific community, but also by environmental policy makers at national and international level.