Synthesis of marine science research in the Benguela Current system duringcruises linked to the BENEFIT training programme in 1999

The BENEFIT programme is a collaborative training and research initiative b etween Angola, Namibia and South Africa, and donor countries which include Norway, Germany, Iceland and France; it has been described more fully elsew here in this issue.(1) Seven cruises were planned for 1999, based on discus sions, in January 1999 in Cape Town, between German, Namibian, South Africa n and Angolan scientists and a representative of the Southern African Devel opment Community. The recruitment of tutors and trainees began immediately and the first of the training and research cruises took place on board the German vessel RV Poseidon the following March. This article is a synthesis of selected research findings obtained during the various cruises and repor ted in the preceding papers in this issue and, in part, in a compendium of papers' presented at a symposium in 1999.