MESSAGE FROM THE CONFERENCE CHAIR.

The article discusses the highlights of the 27th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE) held in Estoril, Portugal in 2008. The conference involved eight traditional symposia on topics ranging from offshore technology to ocean engineering. It notes that four specialty symposia were added to the conference which include the Nick Newman Symposium on Marine Hydrodynamics intended in honor of the scientist Nick Newman. It adds that 650 final papers are presented in the 12 parallel sessions.