Since its establishment, PICES has provided leadership in developing a better understanding of the structure, function and changes of North Pacific marine ecosystems. The integrative scientific programs of PICES, and other special activities such as periodic Ecosystem Status Reports, have advanced our knowledge of coupled physical -biogeochemical-ecological processes of the North Pacific. The current scientific program on Forecasting and Understanding Trends, Uncertainty and Responses of North Pacific Marine Ecosystems (FUTURE) is focusing on developing a better understanding of the combined consequences of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems, ecosystem services and marine dependent social systems. Climate change research remains important to ocean scientists and governments within PICES. However, the direct and indirect interactions of human activities on coastal and open ocean ecosystems and the services they provide to humans are also of great concern in the North Pacific area. A sustainable North Pacific ecosystem is the future desired by both the public and governments. This vision of the future seeks balance between resource protection and resource utilization, and balance between pressing needs at local/regional scales and climate-driven issues at basin/global ocean scales. The 2015 Annual Meeting theme allows to accommodate scientific sessions and topics, which may include climate change, ocean acidification, coastal eutrophication, aquaculture, fishing, pollution, coastal development and planning, sustainability, resilience, vulnerability, cumulative impacts of multiple stressors, and the tradeoffs/conflicts inherent in multiple-use ocean activities, and mechanisms to resolve these.