There comes a time to be grateful… and this is indeed our opportunity to thank Marta Estrada, Jordi Font and Jordi Salat for their life-long dedication to the better understanding of our wonderful Planet Ocean and for their continued service to the oceanographic community. On the 700th hundred anniversary of the death of Ramon Llull (Palma, Mallorca, 1212 – Tunis, Tunisia, 1316), we find no better way than Llull’s own words to thank our colleagues for their unselfish and continuous search for answers: Assoliava’s l’amic, i acompanyaven son cor pensaments, i sos ulls llàgremes i plors, i son cos afliccions i dejunis. I, com l’amic tornava en la companyia de les gents, desemparaven-lo totes les coses damunt dites; i estava l’amic tot sol entre les gents. Amor és mar tribulada d’ondes i vents, qui no hi ha port ni ribatge. Pereix l’amic en la mar, i en son perill pereixen sos turments i neixen sos compliments. (The friend went into solitude, and his heart was accompanied by thoughts, his eyes by tears, and his body by fasts and afflictions. But when the friend returned to the companionship of men, these things went no longer with him; and the friend remained alone in the company of people. Love is an ocean troubled by waves and winds, with no port or shore. The friend perishes in this ocean, and with him perishes the stress and his fulfilment begins).