ABSTRACT : The 9th International Conference on Salt Lake Research was held 26-30 September 2005 in Western Australia at the Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. One hundred scientists from 10 countries presented research on a diverse array of topics highlighting research findings and opportunities, and management challenges associated with inland saline waters. Major emergent themes of the conference included modeling of ecosystem processes, microbial communities, and features of Western Australian inland saline environments, including current threats, conservation and management.