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Welcome to the Third International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health!
We are honored and delighted to welcome you to the Symposium and to Baltimore. This meeting will be one of the largest and most diverse gatherings of aquatic animal health professionals. We expect over 450 registrants from more than 35 countries worldwide, representing North America, South America, Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Aquatic animal health in its broadest sense will be the focus this week, with presentations on organisms as diverse as shellfish, fish, sea turtles and marine mammals. A wide spectrum of health and disease issues will be addressed. The international and multidisciplinary nature of the symposium promises to be one of its strengths. This is possible, in part, thanks to the guidance and support of our six sponsoring professional aquatic animal health organizations: American Fisheries Society - Fish Health Section, Asian Fisheries Society, European Association of Fish Pathologists, International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine, Japanese Society of Fish Pathology and National Shellfisheries Association. We are also fortunate to have generous sponsorship. This valuable support has further contributed to the good health of the meeting- outstanding speakers, session chairs and facilities, and scholarships for colleagues experiencing financial hardship.
What an extraordinary adventure this has been! Four years ago in Seattle, we were invited to "play a key role" in the organization of the Third International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health to be held in 1998. We are deeply grateful to Ron Hedrick and Jim Winton, representatives of the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society, for the great trust that they placed in us to organize this meeting. The 1,455 days since the Seattle symposium have witnessed the genesis of an idea, nurtured by the enthusiasm, vision and energy of many people, and now the realization of this dream. During these four years of planning, we have had the privilege of working with a team of exceptional colleagues and friends who have helped us every step of the way and whom we have come to trust absolutely. We have also enjoyed enormous support from our families and spouses. This has been a wonderful experience.
We invite you to immerse yourselves in the scientific program and sample topics both familiar and new. Please also enjoy the social program, the delights of Baltimore and Washington D.C., and the tours of the aquatic animal health facilities. This may be a productive, happy and memorable week for everyone.
We would like to sincerely thank each of you for participating in the symposium, for it is your efforts and contributions that inevitably will make this meeting a success.
With warm wishes,
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