ABSTRACT
Since 1994 a series of annual conferences has been run on environmental and broader issues covering the coastal and marine environment of the UK and Europe by the author. At the start of the millennium, it seemed appropriate to reflect upon this process in general and on one important area in particular — sustainability and how this could be translated into practice. The original core ideas for the conference — annual review, the growing use of management in environmental practice and the importance of sustainability — have stood the test of time. In addition, the multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary nature of the papers selected has been notable, as have the drive and innovations of many of the speakers to find practical solutions to a very real and growing set of environmental and sustainability issues.
