M.A. Ali – författare

A very good piece of work, I assure you, and a merry. -Now, good Peter Quince, call forth your actors by the scroll. -Masters, spread yourselves. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Act 1, Sc. 2 This volume is the outcome of a NATO Advanced Study Institute held in August 1979 at Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada. About 130 participants from all the countries of the aJiiance as well as India and Japan attended this event which lasted two weeks. Seventeen of these participants had been invited to present reviews of chosen topics, usually in their specialty. This book is constituted mainly of these presentations, which were prepared as chapters. In addition, six of the participants, whose seminars were found to complement the main chapters, were coopted by the invited lectures/authors to provide additional chapters. Although a lecture was given on electric fields, a chapter on this matter is unfortunately absent due to the lack of preparation time. One may say that Environmental Physiology of Fishes as a discipline originated in Canada. Having been involved as a teacher and worker in this field since 19 54, it was but natural that I was tempted to organise an ASI and get a volume out on the matter. I was encouraged by discussions with colleagues and the acceptance on the part of a large number of eminent colleagues to attend the ASI, deliver lectures and write chapters.

The idea of holding an Advanced Study Institute (ASI) and getting a volume out, on the Nervous Systems in Invertebrates first cropped up in the summer of 1977 at the ASI on Sensory Ecology. I had prepared a review of the nervous systems in coelomates and noticed how much we depended on Bullock and Horridge's treatise on the one hand and how much new material and requirements has cropped up since 1965, when this classical work was published. Interest in the concerted study of pollution and environmental toxicology was growing in geometrical proportions and the use of invertebrates as indices was growing. As a teacher of a course on the biology of invertebrates since the beginning of my career I had also noticed how the interest of the students and the content of my course was shifting gradually and steadily from the traditional morphology-taxonomy type to the physiology-ecology-embryology orientation. Students were demanding to know the relevency of what they had to learn. Thus, after the ASI on Photoreception and Vision in Invertebrates held in 1982 the question of one on nervous systems was raised by a number of colleagues. It appeared then that the consensus was that the time was ripe to hold one and that it will be worthwhile. Therefore, as usual arrangements had to begin at least two years in advance. Most of the persons I contacted to lecture and write chapters on selected topics agreed enthusiastically.

Tush, my good lord, this superficial tale Is but a preface of her worthy praise; King Henry the Sixth: Part I, Act V, Sc. 5 This volume is the direct result of a NATO. Advanced Study Institute (ASI) of the same title, held at Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada in August 1991. All the major presentations had been commissioned, so to speak, during the organisational phase. This was done with the view of not only having a structured ASI, whIch is expected to be a high-level tutorial activity, but also the ensuing volume. As will be indicated in the general introduction, there have been a couple of meetings and publications dealing with rhythms in fishes in the past twenty years. However, as in other disciplines, there has been substantial progress in this field also. Further, I wished to cover almost all aspects and come out with a volme which will be as complete as possible. Of course, this failed to materialise. In spite of starting the arrangements two years before the event, several lecturers were not able to attend due to a number of reasons. Some could be replaced while others could not Taking into account their individual specialties, I asked about twenty active workers in the field to provide provoking overviews, not simply reviews of their own work. Also, this being a NATO.