As Antarctic Science enters its fifth year, it is time to assess progress and review the opportunities for Antarctic research in the coming years. The journal appears to have filled a useful niche, established arange of regular (and irregular!) contributors, and is taken by the majority of major polar libraries world-wide. Quality of production has improved with new equipment but rate of publication has fallen with increasing numbers of acceptable contributions. Cross-disciplinary papers have been few — but perhaps that is because few Antarctic scientists have undertaken the challenge of cross-disciplinary studies? Glaciology and most aspects of atmospheric sciences are still under-represented.

Our first special issue on the palynology of James Ross Island has been well received and a second, on a Southern Ocean cephalopod symposium, is planned for 1994. These special issues are a bonus to subcribers who get the extra pages free. The editors are keen to receive proposals for other special issues with offers of appropriate funding.