This publication is composed of papers presented at an International
Symposium on Athalassic (Inland) Salt Lakes, which was hosted by the
University of Adelaide, South Australia, during a week in October 1979.
The genesis of the Symposium was at the Copenhagen Congress of the
International Association of Limnology (S.1. L.) where it was noted that
a number of papers concerned with inland saline lakes were distributed
throughout sessions in such a way as to make it difficult to attend all
of them. A number of participants at the Congress felt that the ecology
of salt lakes had greater homogeneity or cohesiveness than this sort of
distribution would suggest, and it was decided that a symposium on salt
lakes be held. The symposium was the first under the aegis of the S.l.
L. to be held in Australia, and it was very well attended, with
participants coming from many countries. The week long programme
produced a number of lively and interesting sessions on all aspects of
athalassic saline lakes. Participants stayed on after the Symposium for
an expedition to Lake Eyre, in the nQrth of South Australia, and were
given one of the best of all possible introductions to the Australian
environment.