The CoNISMa and AIOL organized the Joint Scientific Meeting in Terrasini - Città del Mare (PA), 18-22 October 2004, as an important first step towards a broader agreement, also involving the Italian Society of Marine Biology, the Italian Society of Ecology, and the Italian Federation of Earth Sciences. The aim is to propose a single biennial meeting for researchers affiliated with CoNISMa and the Scientific Societies, which largely overlap. Professor Michele Mossa participated in the conference.