The Aquatic Sciences Information Retrieval Center is being developed to meet the urgent necessity for rapid synthesis and dissemination of information related to the aquatic sciences. The inability of researchers to maintain familiarity with recent work in their discipline is looming as one of the most significant problems in many fields of endeavor, including fisheries and related aquatic sciences. Further rapid progress in the aquatic sciences is believed to be contingent upon an objective means of relieving this problem.