The ecology of potamoplankton has received less attention than lake plankton. These proceedings produce a synthesis of the composition, community structure and dynamics of lotic phytoplankton, which are intuitively submitted to a strong physical control in the flowing environment, perceived as much more `disturbed' than a lake, even than a well-mixed shallow one. It turns out that the boundary between the phytoplankton of rivers and lakes is not as clear-cut as was thought. In particular, most contributions provide arguments emphasizing the prominent role of physical control in both aquatic systems, especially due to the steep light gradient resulting from turbulent mixing in a turbid water column. Similarities and differences between potamoplankton and limnoplankton, largely based on the information gathered by the contributors are discussed in the introductory paper by Reynolds et al. Proceedings of the 9th Workshop of the International Association of Phytoplankton Taxonomy and Ecology (IAP), held in Mont Rigi (Belgium), 10--18 July 1993Foreword. Introductory paper: Are phytoplankton dynamics in rivers so different from those in shallow lakes? C.S. Reynolds, J.-P. Descy, J. Padis?k. Contributions: The long, the short and the stalled: on the attributes of phytoplankton selected by physical mixing in lakes and rivers; C.S. Reynolds. Meroplankton dynamics in a saline, turbulent, turbid shallow lake (Neusiedlersee, Austria and Hungary); J. Padis?k, M. Dokulil. An elementary, structural analysis of river phytoplankton; C. Rojo, M. Alvarez-Cobelas, M. Arauzo. Algal assemblages from shallow lakes of the Salado River basin (Argentina); I. Izaguirre, A. Vinocur. Environmental control of phytoplankton productivity in turbulent turbid systems; M.T. Dokulil. Origin and succession of Phytoplankton in a river-lake system (Spree, Germany); J. K?hler. Cyanophycean blooms in the reservoir of Val Joly (Northern FranclãÆ