This year we were again faced with some less pleasant events. There was first and foremost the decease of Alain Ferrant (Knokke), but other members too had often to limit their activities because of health problems. We even had two meetings (February and March) to delete.

However, people of West-Flanders are very resilient and despite repeated setbacks and the decreasing attendance in the last year we were still able to successfully complete our activities. Some members have reappeared among us after a year’s absence and the level of the lectures and discussions has never been so high. It’s just unfortunate that Ostend for most members means a serious move. And yet it can. This is obvious by the regular presence of  Patrick Anseeuw (Merelbeke), Rudy Bruyneel (Izegem), Dirk & Mo De Boe (Overpelt!), Fernand & Rika De Donder (Vilvoorde), Arne Ghys (Deerlijk), Steve Hubrecht (Heverlee) and Hendrik White (Knokke).

The review of the agenda shows the great variety of topics and speakers at the meetings. It is also clear that our group is irreversible going to set a new trend, now under the name ‘Neptunea’.

List of activities in 2016

– 10 January:

* Statutory meeting with the reading of the annual report (F. Nolf) and discussion of the strategy to follow at the meetings in the next year;

* Suggestions for the website to adapt with of new photos, PDFs and new text (Arne Ghys & F. Nolf);

* Movie about the types of coasts;

* Introduction to the study of some West African Fusiturris species (F. Nolf);

* Land snails of St Martin (PowerPoint presentation by F. Nolf);

* Official start of the new activities with snacks and champagne (Mrs. Nolf).

– 3 April :

*The difference between Perotrochus charlestonensis and Perotrochus pyramus (Patrick Anseeuw);

* Acquaintance with St.-Martin: introduction (Powerpoint presentation by F. Nolf);

* Secrets of the Sea: movie by Danny Van Belle about Gastropoda and slugs.

– 8 May:

* Some remarkable shells (including Cymbium sp.) acquired at the Shell Show in Paris (J. Verstraeten);

* Laevicardium crassum var. gibba: a species, a subspecies or merely a form? (F. Nolf);

* The identity of Conus pulcher and Conus pulcher byssinus (J. Verstraeten);

* Determination of shells.

– 5 June:

* The different species of Cymbium from Cameroon to Namibia (F. Nolf);

* Photoreport of the trip to St Martin (F. Nolf);

* Some strange Pinctada specimens in West Africa (Senegal and São Tomé);

* A better look at Cinguloterebra lima and C. fenestrata (Y. Terryn);

* Newly published books and issues of periodicals available for inspection (S. Hubrecht).

– 21 August:

* Vacation meeting: determination of shells;

* Short movies about travels to Brittany and St Martin (F. Nolf);

* Shell hunting in Brittany (France): PowerPoint presentation with digital images of molluscs in situ (C. Delongueville).

– 4 September:

* New Pleurotomariidae off the Marshall Islands (only observed with ROVs but not yet described) (P. Anseeuw);

* Introduction to some rare European and West African shells (F. Nolf);

* An important supply of plastic boxes, stereo microscopes at reduced prices, as well as specimens of Neptunea antiqua and N. despecta  dredged from SW Ireland to the Barents Sea;

* Identification of unkown shells, including doubtful specimens of Raphitoma concinna.

– 2 October:

* The trip to the Gulf of Morbihan (W France): itinerary, tips, digital photos, movies and especially the catches (F. Nolf);

* The variability of Neptunea antiqua and N. despecta illustrated with a few dozens of specimens (F. Nolf);

* Determination of shells;

* Huge supply of South African shells.

– 6 November:

* A summary of the findings in Dakhla (Morocco) by means of digital images (Rika Goethaels and Fernand De Donder);

* Short movies about shelling in Brittany (France) (F. Nolf);

* Epitonium clathrus, E. turtonis and Diplodonta Brocchi in Brittany (France) (Mo & Dirk De Boe, F. Nolf);

* A possible new species of Fusinus off the coasts of North Angola (F. Nolf);

* A summary of the chitons in St Martin (PowerPoint presentation, F. Nolf);

* New insights and problems in the group of Terebra fenestrata / anilis / lima (Y. Terryn).

– 11 December:

* A DNA-tree based on the investigation of a thousand specimens in the family Terebridae (MNHN; critical discussion by Y. Terryn);

* The genus Genota (Borsoniidae) in West Africa (J. Verstraeten & F. Nolf);

* An account of the trip to Japan (PowerPoint presentation by S. Hubrecht);

* A view on South African Triviidae (H. White);

* A supply of books at discount prices.