Editorial Estuarine ecosystems: Structure, function and management (ECSA-42 Symposium in Russia) The International Symposium ECSA-42 ‘‘Estuarine Ecosystems: Structure, Function and Management” was held during September 16–22, 2007 in the resort town Svetlogorsk (Kaliningrad Region, Russia) located at the base of the Curonian spit (southern Baltic Sea, ca. 40 km distance from Kaliningrad). Although ECSA (The International Estuarine & Coastal Sciences Association) has orga- nized symposia worldwide this was the Association’s first sympo- sium in Russia. As such, and as shown by the papers in this issue, this gave the opportunity to showcase science from the former So- viet-bloc and expose to a wider audience the vast amount of infor- mation and data previously gathered and which has not hitherto been presented in western literature. The symposium was organized by:  Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association (ECSA, http://www.ecsa-news.org/),  Russian Hydrobiological Academic Society (RHAS, http://www.zin.ru/societies/gbo/index.html),  Atlantic Scientific Research Institute for Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (AtlantNIRO, Kaliningrad),  Kaliningrad State Technical University (KSTU, Kaliningrad),  Atlantic Branch of P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences (ABIO RAS),  Russian State University of Immanuel Kant. The scientific program of the ECSA42 included invited plenary lectures, oral presentations and posters on the following topics: (1) Biodiversity and functioning of estuarine and other coastal eco- systems; (2) Biological resources in estuaries: current status and use; (3) Biochemical and biological indication of the coastal eco- systems health; (4) Water pollution and ecosystem changes; (5) Management of estuarine ecosystems: linking science and policy. The symposium was aimed at encouraging scientific discussions on estuarine ecosystem structure and functions functioning, biodi- versity, management, water pollution and eutrophication, ecosys- tem ‘‘health”, the status and use of biological resources in estuaries, and other related topics. The term ‘‘estuary” was used in its broadest sense, as a synonym for a variety of marine/coastal transitional environments. The links between science and policy in estuarine and coastal environments were emphasized at the symposium which was aimed at increasing cooperation within the scientific community, participation in societal dialogue, efficient communication of sci- ence to decision-makers and to the public, as well as identifying better governance and management practices in estuarine ecosys- tems. It is of particular note that the long history of collaboration, the high quality and amount of scientific information and the pres- ence of economically stable societies has lead to the high potential of the Baltic Sea region as a pilot area for carrying out research, delivering efficient protection and restoring marine and estuarine environments in a holistic manner, while simultaneously safe- guarding the continuation of economic activities (Statement of the conference ‘Baltic Sea and European Marine Strategy – Linking Science and Policy’, November 13–15, 2006, Helsinki, Finland). Therefore, not surprisingly, the major part of presentations at the ECSA-42 Symposium dealt with estuaries, lagoons and other coast- al waters of the Baltic Sea Region as well as other geographical areas. The research results presented and discussed at the ECSA-42 Symposium in Svetlogorsk allowed an overview of the present- day key scientific problems in estuarine and coastal science and management, as well as in aquatic ecology in general. Together with descriptions of specific features of the hydro-chemical re- gime, plankton, benthos and fish communities in different estua- rine ecosystems worldwide, the symposium participants made certain generalizations on the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on the trophic status of estuarine ecosystems. The Estuarine Quality Paradox, Environmental Homeostasis and the difficulty of detecting anthropogenic stress in naturally stressed areas was clearly demonstrated and discussed in detail. The relative role of monitoring versus The Ecosystem Approach in present-day estua- rine studies was assessed and critically analyzed. Some principal processes within the salinity gradient in estuaries and other natu- ral water bodies were summarized, and the possible application of 0025-326X Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.02.007 Marine Pollution Bulletin 61 (2010) 147–148 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine Pollution Bulletin journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.