Special Sessions

The following special sessions will be organized in 2026:

Biogeochemistry

Physics

Ecology

Human dimension

Special Sessions Descriptions

Submission id: 3

Title: Macroecology of Coastal Zone under Human Activities and Global Changes

Authors: Meilin WU,South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,China
Hui ZHAO,Guangdong Ocean University,China
Ruili LI, Peking University
Vetrimurugan Elumalai,University of Zululand，South Africa

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
The coastal area is important to the land-sea interface zone and is quite sensitive to the perturbation by intensive human activities and climate change. Coastal zones are dramatically stressed by rapid population growth, highly intensive industrial aggregation, and natural change. The coastal environmental pollution has degraded water quality, resulting in highly undesirable conditions in ecosystem structure and function. Recognizing these environmental issues and drafting relevant management policies are important for sustainable socio-economic development. Therefore, long-term or short-term ecological monitoring networks have been established in some coastal areas to evaluate eutrophication and other environmental problems such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), organic pollutants, microplastics, heavy metal pollution, and their biomagnifications, as measuring hydrochemical variables and biological indicators in the marine environment will facilitate a better understanding of the aquatic environment. On the other hand, estuarine and coastal (jointly termed coastal) ecosystems are also affected by climatic change and associated perturbations, including droughts, hurricanes, and floods. Therefore, understanding how human-induced and natural changes affect biodiversity, environmental change, mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs in estuarine and coastal ecosystems is a major challenge for research and management.

To address the scientific need for the coastal ecosystem influenced by anthropogenic activities and natural changes, we focus on the advances in coastal macroecology. Firstly, with the help of the growing number of coastal water monitoring projects, huge datasets are collected and would give a better understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic activities and natural changes on coastal water environments. Secondly, the mangrove, seagrass and coral reefs in coastal ecosystems are subjected to stressful situations such as temperature change, salinity, water mixing, and human activities. It is important to know how these biological species are growing. Third, how these ecosystems change under the ocean-land orientation has also been of high research interest.


Submission id: 4

Title: Improving decision-making accuracy to enhance social-ecological fit for coastal and marine biodiversity

Authors: Mingbao Chen,Macau University of Science and Technology

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Coastal and marine ecosystems are core components of Earth's life-support system, hosting approximately 80% of the world's biodiversity and providing humanity with irreplaceable ecological services such as fisheries, climate regulation, and coastal protection. However, under the combined pressures of industrialization, urbanization, and globalization, these fragile ecosystems are facing unprecedented threats. These intense human interventions have transformed coastal and marine areas into quintessential "social-ecological complexes"—a tightly coupled relationship between the health of the ecosystem and human governance practices.

In this complex system, "social-ecological fit" has become a core indicator for measuring governance effectiveness. It refers to the degree to which the structure, functions, and decision-making processes of social governance systems are aligned with the dynamic characteristics, evolutionary patterns, and conservation needs of ecosystems.

This session aims to delve into: How can the gap between social governance and ecological needs be bridged through scientific decision-making? How do stakeholder awareness, collaboration mechanisms, and power structures influence decision-making effectiveness? How do decision-making processes at different scales (from local communities to transnational regions) differentially impact marine biodiversity conservation?

We warmly welcome researchers from social sciences, natural sciences, and interdisciplinary fields working in biodiversity conservation to participate in this exchange. Specifically, we are looking for research directions that include, but are not limited to:
• Stakeholder network analysis: Identifying key decision-makers, information transmission pathways, and collaboration barriers in coastal governance;
• Decision-making tool development: Integrating ecological models with social survey data to construct a framework for assessing social-ecological fit;
• Adaptive governance practices: Analyzing the impact of dynamic decision-making mechanisms on enhancing ecosystem resilience based on long-term monitoring data;
• Cross-scale governance case studies: Comparing decision-making experiences across different regions in marine protected area planning and fishery quota management;
• Policy intervention experiments: Evaluating the actual effectiveness of environmental policies and public participation mechanisms in optimizing decision-making.


Submission id: 8

Title: Advancing the assessment of data-poor fisheries in estuaries and coastal lagoons

Authors: Sami MILI,University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Tunisia
Rym ENNOURI,University of Carthage, Higher Institute of Marine Sciences of Bizerte, Tunisia
Hanem DJABOU, National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies, Tunisia
Siwar AGREBI,University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Tunisia

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
This session will focus on innovative approaches to assessing exploited resources in data-poor contexts, specifically within the complex ecosystems of estuaries and coastal lagoons. The application, validation, and improvement of length- and catch-based models (LBB, CMSY++) will be explored.

Applying data-limited assessment methods to multi-specific lagoon fisheries operating within highly variable environmental conditions presents a significant scientific challenge. A core line of inquiry is the robust application of these models to such complex systems. This requires a critical examination of their limitations and biases in estuarine environments and the development of approaches to address these issues and enhance reliability. Beyond technical evaluation, a pivotal question is how to translate these model outputs into practical, accessible and actionable management advice for policymakers and local communities.

Ultimately, this research aims to establish the potential of these tools to bridge the critical science–policy gap and promote sustainable governance of these vulnerable ecosystems.

Expected contributions:
We welcome contributions that advance this field, including case studies that apply models such as LBB, CMSY++, and SS3... to particular lagoon or estuarine systems. We also welcome methodological papers that compare model performance and propose novel refinements, as well as research that integrates model outputs with other knowledge sources, such as local ecological knowledge or environmental DNA data. Furthermore, we encourage analyses of the science-policy interface, particularly those demonstrating how these assessments have influenced, or could influence, management decisions. This session is crucial for synthesising best practices and fostering the sustainable management of these vital yet vulnerable coastal resources.


Submission id: 9

Title: Bridging Scales and Disciplines: From Microbial Processes to Policy Pathways for Sustainable Estuaries and Coasts

Authors: Lata Gawade,Goa University, India
Sarma V.V.S.S.,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, India
Carlos Smerdou,Universidad de Málaga, Spain
Philipp Assmy,Norwegian Polar Institute, Norway

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Estuarine and coastal ecosystems represent dynamic interfaces of land, ocean, and atmosphere that regulate global carbon and nutrient cycles while sustaining exceptional biodiversity and human livelihoods. These ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change, eutrophication, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss. Despite rapid advances in understanding the microbial and biogeochemical mechanisms underpinning their functioning, these insights are rarely integrated into coastal management and policy frameworks.

This special session seeks to bridge this critical gap by fostering transdisciplinary exchange between scientists and policymakers to co-develop pathways that link microbial processes to ecosystem governance and sustainability goals. The session will emphasize how advances in microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and restoration science can inform evidence-based policy for estuarine and coastal resilience.

Contributions are invited from microbiologists, oceanographers, modellers, ecosystem managers, and social scientists working across scales, from molecular and cellular processes to ecosystem and policy frameworks.

Possible thematic areas  include:

 • Microbial carbon pumps and blue-carbon pathways sustaining long-term carbon sequestration in estuarine and coastal systems.
 • Integrating microbial diversity and functional traits into biodiversity assessment, ecosystem restoration, and conservation planning.
 • Emerging tools and technologies (metagenomics, eDNA, biosensors, AI-driven models) for real-time biodiversity monitoring and decision support.
 • Translating scientific evidence into adaptive management and community-based conservation strategies for climate-resilient coasts.

Some of the scientific questions to be addressed through this session are:

· How can microbial and biogeochemical indicators be incorporated into ecosystem-based management, conservation planning, and restoration policy?
· What governance mechanisms can translate these process-level insights into actionable frameworks for climate resilience and blue-economy integration?
By linking the unseen microbial engines of biogeochemical cycling with policy and management decisions, this session aims to build a shared framework that connects process-level understanding to measurable outcomes for biodiversity protection, carbon management, and sustainable blue-economy initiatives. It will serve as a global platform for collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.


Submission id: 10

Title: Unveiling the trouble: tensions and transformations in the governance of coastal and estuarine social-ecological systems

Authors: Bruno Oliveira,AZTI Marine Science, Spain
Lena Rölfer,Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany
Julie Bremner,CEFAS, United Kingdom
David Lusseau,Technical University of Denmark, Denmark

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
The marine environment, especially estuarine and coastal areas, faces multiple governance challenges. Taken as an integrated social-ecological system, these challenges embrace both technically and socially complex processes. For example, the determination of optimal areas for protection, energy production, or other potentially conflicting uses embraces several technical challenges, but in addition, it includes the diverse social understandings and value judgments about these uses, often followed by divergent priorities. At the same time, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution (i.e., the Polycrisis) reduce the likelihood of favorable outcomes emerging from current circumstances, which increases the social pressures on policymakers and pushes decisions progressively into an urgency space. Paradoxically, what can be seen in international agreements relates more to a general governance paralysis, eventually punctuated by small gains in legislation conquered after crusades of negotiations, often with costly backdowns.

In this session, we invite researchers, policy makers, planners, and practitioners working on estuarine and coastal governance to share their results, narratives, models and experiences. We are especially interested in understanding how decisions are being made when considering plural and conflicting social perspectives. We seek stories, experiences, models and studies that reveal these tensions, map power asymmetries, or unveil governance challenges in democratic policy processes and decision-making. Contribution may focus on barriers to sustainable development (e.g., sustainability transformations) or how old visions of pure economic growth for development continue to shape policies, despite growing calls for justice and sustainability.


Submission id: 12

Title: Gross Ecosystem Product: from sciences toward policy applications

Authors: Shang Chen,First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources of China

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) has emerged as a key aggregate monetary measure that captures the total value of final ecosystem goods and services generated within a defined area over a specific period. GEP from ecosystem may functions as an ecological counterpart to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from economic system. GEP accounting has gained significant traction in both research and policy contexts. It is increasingly used to assess ecosystem sustainability, evaluate the capacity of ecosystems to support socio-economic systems, and gauge the ecological performance of conservation and restoration initiatives. Applications in ecosystem management—such as protected area planning, ecological conservation redlining, and restoration projects—illustrate its growing policy relevance. This session aims to take stock of the current state of the art in GEP sciences and explore pathways for GEP's applications into policy-making in coastal regions. This session provides a platform for exchange among scholars and practitioners working on GEP, ecosystem services, ecosystem-based management, and ecosystem sustainability in coastal regions, fostering dialogue on how to advance aggregate accounting measures for nature within economic systems. We expect draft a position/opinion paper discussing the goals and objectives of the session, based on knowledge shared among presenters and participants. A task force will be established to advance the science and policy application of coastal Gross Ecosystem Product.


Submission id: 13

Title: Multi-risk assessment of climate change and contamination in marine and transitional coastal ecosystems

Authors: Tamara Cibic,National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Italy
Laura Baldassarre,National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Italy
Sonia Manzo,PROTER – ENEA, Italy

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Shallow coastal areas are among the most heavily impacted ecosystems, simultaneously affected by multiple stress factors, including a variety of chemical contaminants, microplastics, and high organic and nutrient loads. The combined effects from interactions between contaminants and climate change factors are particularly pronounced in these areas. Global temperature rises, associated with climate change, result in heat accumulation in seas, sea level rise, higher frequency of precipitations and extreme weather events, with consequent ocean acidification, reduced oxygen levels and eutrophication. Consequently, the ability of organisms and communities to respond to combined climate change and contamination stressors becomes heavily compromised, leading to biodiversity loss and a decline in the stability and functioning of marine and transitional ecosystems. This special session will focus on evaluating, modeling, and simulating the effects of chemical contamination within climate change scenarios (higher seawater temperatures, deoxygenation, acidification, and salinization) and the risks for exposed ecosystems. We especially encourage submission of contributions presenting innovative experimental studies spanning multiple trophic levels, exploring the resilience of coastal systems, and offering interdisciplinary perspectives on the assessment of climate change and contamination impacts on marine and transitional environments. We welcome particularly, but not exclusively, in-field and laboratory studies that investigate the extent to which these multiple stressors can alter community structures and critical ecosystem functions, such as primary production, respiration rates, oxygen dynamics, and nutrient recycling, or studies assessing the ecological risks associated with the exposure to combined stressors. The session will advance efforts to link scientific research and policy, and to design future management frameworks for shallow coastal and transitional areas increasingly exposed to multiple climate change and contamination stressors.


Submission id: 14

Title: Caring for coastal scapes

Authors: Manel Grifoll,Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC BarcelonaTech), Barcelona, Spain
Marc Mestres,Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC BarcelonaTech), Barcelona, Spain
Joanna Staneva,Institute of Coastal Systems—Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany
Agustin Sanchez-Arcilla,Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC BarcelonaTech), Barcelona, Spain

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Coastal systems, at the forefront of climate change impacts, host close to 50% of the EU population and support key socioeconomic activities and ecosystem functions. Because of increasing climate pressures, they are in dire need of resilient solutions that enable a coastal scape adaptation under accelerating sea level rise, variable metocean storms and waning natural resources (such as coastal accommodation space or riverine solid discharges) associated to increasing human population and pressures. The implementation of resilient solutions should be sequenced and coordinated, to achieve an adaptation that enhances synergies, such as the shared used of scarce freshwater resources in Southern Europe, enabling the coexistence of river regulation (for e.g. agriculture and flood control) with a sustained nourishment of the downstream coast (for e.g. sufficient sedimentary fluxes to prevent erosion and subsidence). These resilient solutions should also reckon with tradeoffs, such as coastal rigid barriers that provide short term protection at the expense of longer-term enhanced erosion. By simultaneously considering synergies and tradeoffs the session targets consensus interventions, driven by the best available river-coastal science, that implement co-developed resilience-through-adaptation plans. There will result a proactive risk reduction that enhances welfare and reduces the current implementation gap.

The proposed session invites abstracts on: a) coastal systemic adaptation; b) pluri-disciplinary metrics to assess resilience and restoration; c) new data and pilot interventions for vulnerable coastal scapes; d) early and climate warning systems that help to care for threatened coastal areas; e) combined monitoring/maintenance in support of proactive protection decisions. The session aims to transfer recent developments in coastal and climate research projects to stakeholders, empowering coastal regions and communities to achieve a more systemic resilience based on nature-based solutions. These advances will help to align land-to-sea adaptation with climate mitigation, developing interventions that remain effective under present and future scenarios.


Submission id: 16

Title: Integrating Hydrodynamics and Socio-Ecological Vulnerability: A Policy Framework for the Sundarban Delta.

Authors: Chandan Surabhi Das,Darjeeling GovernmentCollege, India
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Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
This special session dives into the heart of the ECSA 61 theme by examining the crucial connection between physical processes and the acute socio-ecological vulnerabilities found in the Indian Sundarban. This area serves as a vital example for understanding climate-stressed, human-dominated deltaic coasts. We bring together the latest research that links coastal hydrodynamics—like tidal flow, numerical modeling, and field observations—with morphodynamics, which includes erosion and accretion patterns. These elements have a direct impact on the health of mangrove ecosystems and the resilience of coastal communities. The Sundarban is globally significant due to its unique status as a mega-delta and its heightened risk from sea-level rise and extreme weather events. During this session, we’ll specifically examine how rapid environmental changes impact livelihood strategies, alter sedimentary nutrient cycling, and intensify human-carnivore conflicts among those who depend on the forest. This discussion is crucial because it offers a comprehensive, evidence-based platform for translating complex scientific insights into practical coastal governance and policy frameworks. The lessons we gather here—by integrating advanced physical models with assessments of socioeconomic vulnerability—are vital for the sustainable management of high-risk, densely populated delta systems worldwide.
Major Research Questions

  1. How do changes driven by the climate, like tidal amplification and erosion-accretion through the estuarine system to impact the health of mangroves and the cycle of biogeochemistry?
  2. What innovative approaches can we create and incorporate to effectively forecast long-term coastal changes and socio-economic vulnerability in mega deltas at various scales?

We're on the lookout for fresh and innovative contributions that transcend traditional single-discipline studies, aiming to spark a genuine conversation among science, policy, and practice.


Submission id: 17

Title: Toolboxes and Decision Support Systems for marine and estuarine management – needs, uses and misuses

Authors: Anita Franco,International Estuarine and Coastal Specialists Ltd (IECS), UK
Arturas Razinkovas-Baziukas ,Klaipeda University, Lithuania
Christos Arvanitidis,Life-Watch ERIC, Spain
Cristina Huertas,Life-Watch ERIC, Spain

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Scientists, policy-makers, practitioners and industries all require tools, approaches, methods and techniques to help them fulfil their aims for understanding, interrogating and managing estuarine, coastal and marine areas. These separate elements are then often combined into toolboxes or Decision Support Systems (DSS) or Tools (DST). These are especially important for providing scientific advisory support for managers of industries and statutory bodies, policy-makers and policy-implementers, in taking informed decisions for a better management of the sea. This special session invites papers and posters which describe toolboxes and DSS/DST which aim to address problems and challenges in these environments. For example, DSS/DST may consider: Spatial tools for decision making; Ecosystem services and societal goods and benefits models; Collaborative platforms for participatory decision making, or Prescribed approaches to implement ecosystem-based management. The toolboxes and DSS/DST may include primarily natural or social science aspects but those which integrate two or more interrelated fields will appreciate the complex dynamics of marine social-ecological systems and will be of special interest to a wider audience. In particular, the session will discuss the creation of such systems by natural and social scientists, their actual or projected uses and their uptake and use (or otherwise) by practitioners. It is likely that contributions will include the types of tools and approaches to be included, the role of numerical and conceptual modelling, of AI, of systems analysis and of the technologies required to create and use the toolboxes and DSS/DST. The session encourages the submission of papers and posters on the lessons learned from previous and ongoing initiatives including the science-policy interplay and the recommendations for the way ahead, regarding its uses, misuses and multiplicity of competing toolboxes.


Submission id: 19

Title: Operationalizing Coastal Wetlands for Negative Emissions: From Mechanisms to Scalable Solutions

Authors: Siyuan Ye,Qingdao institute of marine geology, China Geological Survey (CGS), China
Nianzhi Jiao,Xiamen University, China
Hans Brix,Aarhus university, Denmark
Ken Krauss,Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), Chauvin, Louisiana, USA

Category: Biogeochemistry

Special session proposal:
Addressing the conference core theme of bridging science and policy, this session confronts the critical challenge of scaling coastal wetlands from natural carbon sinks to verifiable Negative Emission Technologies. While their potential is recognized, significant scientific and policy gaps hinder implementation. This session is of critical importance as it systematically bridges scales—from micro-scale mechanisms (e.g., microbial communities, plant physiology) to macro-scale dynamics (e.g., landscape geomorphology, sea-level rise)—to build a predictive understanding of carbon sequestration and its vulnerability to global change.

We will critically evaluate real-world carbon sink enhancement practices (ONCE/CDR), focusing on scalability, permanence, and the development of robust monitoring protocols. Moving beyond pure science, a key goal is to foster a dialogue on integrating these advances into effective policy and carbon market frameworks. We aim to co-develop a pathway with scientists, managers, and policymakers to transform coastal wetlands into credible, investable assets for achieving climate neutrality, directly supporting the "Science-meets-Policy" ambition of ECSA 61.


Submission id: 20

Title: The use of artificial intelligence in coastal environmental monitoring

Authors: Alfredo Fernández-Alías,Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, CNRS, IRD, UMR 8187,Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 42 Rue Paul Duez, 59000 Lille, France
Sébastien Lefebvre,Univ. Lille, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, CNRS, IRD, UMR 8187,Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 42 Rue Paul Duez, 59000 Lille, France

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Coastal ecosystems are among the most dynamic and vulnerable of the marine realm, facing unprecedented pressures from climate change, urbanization or pollutants among many others. Monitoring systems have emerged as essential tools to manage these threats, enabling systematic observation, data gathering, and regular measurement. These systems have traditionally required a large, specialized workforce to collect samples, conduct laboratory procedures, perform statistical analyses and develop management proposals. The high cost of establishing and maintaining one of these monitoring systems – which, beyond personnel, also requires equipment and reagents – often compromises either the spatial or the temporal scale. Recent advances have improved our capacity for quasi-automated data collection, generating massive databases through sophisticated systems such as sensor-equipped permanent buoys, continuous water pumps for flow cytometry or satellite image analysis, etc. The next step is to integrate deep learning techniques (such as random forest, support vector machines, and convolutional neural networks) into monitoring systems for data collection and analysis. This special session seeks to showcase how the implementation of these cutting-edge technologies, from upstream data collection (e.g. AI cameras) to downstream analysis and interpretation (e.g. Large Language Models), can enhance our capacity to monitor coastal ecosystems, anticipate critical events and provide adequate recommendations to managers and policymakers.


Submission id: 21

Title: Co-development of innovative monitoring approaches and tools for biodiversity and ecosystem assessments in marine environments

Authors: Ulrike Schückel,Schleswig-Holstein Agency for Coastal Defence, National Park, and Marine Conservation, National Park Authority, Schlossgarten 1, 25832 Tönning, Germany
Diana Giebels,Institut für Chemie und Biologie des Meeres, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Schleusenstraße 1, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Kai Hoppe,Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Daniela Henkel,GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3 24148 Kiel, Germany

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
In response to the urgent need to address the global biodiversity crisis, this session will focus on innovative methods for biodiversity monitoring and assessment in marine ecosystems. The session aims to highlight interdisciplinary approaches and foster collaboration between science, policy, and management to support sustainable marine governance. It is organized within the framework of the German Research Mission „sustainMare“. The mission working group “Monitoring and Assessment” integrates knowledge and tools across multiple ecosystem components and will lead the session.
The session will address non-invasive monitoring methods in marine protected areas and the development of new assessment tools and indicators relevant to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Habitats Directive and regional agreements such as OSPAR and HELCOM. In addition, requirements for ecosystem-based monitoring and assessment from a governance perspective will be examined. Relevant questions range from, but are not restricted to:
What are existing governance arrangements to facilitate ecosystem-based monitoring and assessment and are these arrangements sufficient?
How do mandated actors work together across institutional and sectorial boundaries?
Should societal actors be involved in monitoring and assessment? Are participative methods, such as pGIS suitable for this purpose?
We invite scientists and  stakeholders to present case studies, conceptual developments, and technological innovations that improve our understanding of species and inform ecological status assessments. Discussions will focus on how traditional and new methods can be integrated to meet national and cross-European requirements and on how such tools can better capture anthropogenic stressors and inform adaptive management.


Submission id: 22

Title: Benthic habitat mapping using novel technologies

Authors: Louise Forsblom,Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Finland (OBAMA-NEXT project)
Hege Gundersen ,Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Norway (OBAMA-NEXT project)
Kasper Hancke,Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Norway (C-BLUES project)
Patrizio Mariani,DTU AQUA, Denmark (MARCO-BOLO project)

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
The session aims to bring together a list of talks on how emerging technologies can be applied to accelerate research, mapping, and monitoring of benthic habitats and species.
Benthic habitats are central to coastal biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate adaptation, and policy commitments under several EU instruments. Benthic habitats provide a range of essential functions, including shoreline stabilization, nutrient and carbon regulation, and nursery grounds for juvenile fish and invertebrates. However, effective monitoring remains challenging due to their spatial complexity and dynamic nature and likely requires the combined use of multiple approaches, sensors and platforms. This session highlights how emerging technologies, ranging from satellites, flying-, surface- and underwater drones (UAVs, USVs, ROVs, AUVs), to eDNA, artificial intelligence-based data analysis, and Citizen Sciences, are transforming our ability to map and monitor benthic habitats with higher accuracy, larger coverage, and lower costs. We invite contributions that demonstrate how these innovations support novel research, evidence-based management, reporting obligations, and adaptive conservation strategies. The session will facilitate discussions on the applications and implications of these new tools and technologies.


Submission id: 23

Title: Demonstrating Flood Mitigation in Combination with Nature Restoration

Authors: Gunther Van Ryckegem,Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Belgium
Tom Maris,Antwerp University, Belgium
Joris Vanlede,Flanders Hydraulics, Belgium
Koen Sabbe,Ghent University, Belgium

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Across Europe, densely populated river basins, estuaries and coastal zones are increasingly exposed to storm surges, riverine flooding and climate-driven hydrological change. These pressures intersect with strong socio-economic demands—navigation, agriculture, recreation—as well as ongoing biodiversity loss and the spread of invasive species. As a result, many regions must simultaneously strengthen flood resilience and restore degraded ecosystems.
This special session will bring together scientists, practitioners and managers from across Europe to showcase diverse approaches where flood mitigation is successfully combined with nature restoration. These cases include long-term nature-based solution programmes, integration of grey and green infrastructure, and innovative concepts such as managed realignment, controlled tidal systems, multifunctional floodplains and restored wetlands. Many of these initiatives are supported by multi-decadal monitoring of water quality, biodiversity, sediment transport and socio-economic dynamics, enabling robust evaluation of ecological and protective outcomes. Strong institutional collaboration in several regions ensures that scientific evidence is systematically embedded into decision-making.

Despite this growing maturity, significant challenges remain. Adaptation strategies are often fragmented, data and knowledge systems remain compartmentalised, and trade-offs—including disservices associated with nature-based solutions—are not consistently evaluated. The session will therefore showcase approaches and explore how systemic integration of ecological, socio-economic and governance information, combined with active stakeholder engagement, can enhance the performance, optimisation and social acceptance of nature-restoration-based flood mitigation across Europe.


Submission id: 24

Title: End-to-End Ecosystem Models to Inform Biodiversity Management under Multiple Pressures

Authors: Jeroen Steenbeck,Ecopath International Initiative, Spain

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Rationale: Marine ecosystems are increasingly exposed to multiple interacting pressures, from climate change to resource exploitation, altering biodiversity, food-web structure, and ecosystem functioning. End-to-end ecosystem models that integrate physical, biogeochemical, ecological, and socio-economic processes, provide a powerful means to assess these complex interactions and to inform policymakers and environmental managers about the potential consequences of different management interventions.
Based in case studies, this session will demonstrate how such models can estimate and compare key ecosystem-level indicators (e.g., total biomass, productivity, carbon sequestration), linking biodiversity and food-web dynamics to ecosystem services. By connecting model projections with observed changes, an integrated understanding of how multiple pressures and climate change shape ecosystem stability and services will be provided, supporting more effective, adaptive biodiversity management.

Objectives of the Session:

- To showcase integrated modelling approaches that capture multi-driver and climate change impacts on marine biodiversity.
- To discuss the translation of model outputs into actionable insights for managers and policymakers.
- To strengthen collaboration among modelers, ecologists, and decision-makers for adaptive management.

Expected Outcomes:

- Improved understanding of ecosystem responses to multiple pressures.
- Identification of model-based indicators linking biodiversity, food-web structure, and ecosystem services.
- Practical pathways for integrating end-to-end models into marine policy frameworks and adaptive management strategies.


Submission id: 25

Title: Decision-Support Tools for Marine Biodiversity Conservation

Authors: Ana Queirós,Plymouth Marine Laboratory, United Kingdom

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Rationale: Sustainable management of marine biodiversity requires adaptive, ecosystem-based approaches that integrate climate change and multiple human pressures. However, decision-makers often lack practical, data-driven tools to assess and plan interventions under future scenarios.
Co-created with policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders, ACTNOW develops a web-based Decision Support Tool (DST) that integrates historical, current, and projected datasets to evaluate how climate change and management strategies affect the resilience and vulnerability of ecosystem service provision. Using spatial meta-analysis, this DST identifies adaptation pathways for future climate-ready MPA networks, in line with the requirements and objectives of EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the European Green Deal.

Objectives of the Session:

- To showcase operational DST enabling adaptive, ecosystem-based management.
- To provide guidance for integrating climate resilience into biodiversity and MPA planning.

Expected Outcomes:

- Practical insights into DST use for ecosystem-based management.
- Recommendations for scaling digital tools to support climate-ready marine governance.
- Strengthened collaboration across EU projects and policy frameworks.


Submission id: 26

Title: Large-scale development of marine renewable energy: Challenges for marine ecosystems, marine users and marine planning

Authors: Andreas Kannen,Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon
Ute Daewel,Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon
Anita Gilles,Stiftung Tieraerztliche Hochschule Hannover, Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Renewable energy production in marine areas, specifically from offshore wind farms, form key elements of current European energy and climate change policies. Over the last few years, the pace of this development has accelerated significantly. This development became most visible in the Ostende Declaration of nine North Sea countries in April 2023, when Germany, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Ireland, Norway and UK officially declared the North Sea to become the “Green Powerplant of Europe”. With setting this new marine narrative, the declaration aims for a 10-fold increase of offshore wind energy capacities in the North Sea from currently 30 GW to more than 300 GW by 2050. However, it is imperative to consider the implications of this development for the marine ecosystem and the challenges it poses to marine area planning. These questions are tackled in several national and international research initiatives, e.g. internationally in ICES with its Offshore Renewable Energy Roadmap or nationally in the research mission sustainMare of the German Marine Research Alliance. In this session, we aim to address specifically large-scale impacts on marine ecosystems from marine renewable energy development and contrast this with administrative approaches and current or potential future structures for Maritime Spatial Planning. Relevant topics addressed in presentations may include (but are not restricted to)
We invite scientists as well as practitioners from administrations, NGOs and industry to present case studies, innovative research and technological innovations to mitigate impacts. We aim for cross-disciplinary discussions involving scientists as well as practitioners from the field.


Submission id: 27

Title: Transforming Tidal Wetland Science into Coastal Adaptation Action

Authors: Ken Schoutens,University of Antwerp, Belgium
Marte Stoorvogel,University of Twente, the Netherlands
Pim Willemsen,Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
Ignace Pelckmans,University of Antwerp, Belgium

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Tidal wetlands, including mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows, provide many opportunities for sustainable nature-based climate change adaptation and mitigation. Yet despite growing scientific knowledge, information produced by researchers does not always align with the needs of coastal managers and policy makers. This mismatch may hinder the effective design, upscaling, and implementation of nature-based shoreline adaptation strategies, particularly in the face of accelerating climate change and increasing socio-economic pressures in estuarine and coastal regions. This special session focuses on bridging science and policy to support data-driven, large-scale implementation of tidal wetland restoration and adaptation strategies.

To move from small pilot studies to landscape-scale action, better integration is needed between biophysical datasets (e.g., sediment, morphological,  hydrodynamical and ecological monitoring; in-situ and through remote sensing) and socio-economic information (e.g., cost-benefit assessments, land-use planning, stakeholder analyses, governance frameworks). Major research questions include: What socio-economic and/or biophysical data are generated from small pilot to landscape-scale studies and do these outputs match the needs of managers and policy makers? How can data-driven tools and interdisciplinary collaboration reduce uncertainty and enhance implementation of tidal wetlands as nature-based solutions? To what extent does scientific information reach policy makers effectively, and where are communication or mismatched formats limiting knowledge transfer?
We invite contributions from scientists, coastal managers, policy makers, industry partners, and facilitating actors working at the interface of knowledge production and decision-making. Submissions may address examples of successful science-policy collaborations; practical tools that translate complex datasets into actionable guidance; advances in ecosystem monitoring, modelling, and valuation;  and approaches for co-creation, communication, and stakeholder integration.

The session will conclude with a multidisciplinary discussion to identify concrete pathways for aligning scientific outputs with policy needs, thereby enhancing the effective implementation of tidal wetlands as nature-based solutions and strengthening the resilience of estuarine and coastal systems.


Submission id: 28

Title: Operationalising ecosystem-based management for human multi-uses of the sea

Authors: Julie Bremner,Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, UK
David Lusseau,DTU Aqua, Denmark
Emma Verling,University College Cork, Ireland
Vanessa Stelzenmüller,Thünen Institute, Germany

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Ecosystem-based management aims for long-term sustainable use of marine resources within a resilient ecosystem. It recognises how ecological systems intertwine with the economic and social systems that govern resource use. Societal needs for energy, food and transport drive marine livelihoods and their pursuit can impact the structure and function of marine ecosystems. EBM requires the impact of these activities to be assessed across species and habitats while at the same time considering equitable opportunities for humans to use the sea. EBM as a concept encapsulates the appraisal of management interventions, applying methods to determine the trade-offs between societal and environmental priorities.

EBM is approached in different ways by different people; for some via conceptual frameworks, ecosystem overviews, or geospatial visualisation of nature and human pressures, for others via quantitative statistical and ecosystem models. Some subsets of EBM focus specifically on fisheries, while others frame multiple human activities.
Many practical tools and methodologies have been devised over recent decades to support integrated governance processes and therefore EBM implementation, and EBM could be very effective for the biodiversity and climate crises that require decision-making across a complex landscape. However, it is also clear that, whilst scientifically robust, many tools lack a greater practical use. How can we enable tool-uptake to access the power of EBM for managing multiple human demands on coastal and estuarine ecosystems?  This session explores the pathway from tool development to real uptake in EBM processes such as marine spatial planning. We seek contributions that showcase how tools and methods developed in the scientific realm have been taken up in EBM-related management process, or that have been co-developed with multiple stakeholders to inform decision-making.

We propose a two-part session combining presentations and a subsequent panel to discuss what we still need to do to make EBM an operational reality.


Submission id: 29

Title: Marine biodiversity and ecosystem services for a sustainable future

Authors: Julie Bremner,Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Emma Verling,University College Cork, Ireland
Cristina Huertas,LifeWatch ERIC, Spain
tbc,

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Healthy, clean and productive marine ecosystems provide societal benefits, support human well-being and enable economic sustainability and resilience. Biodiversity is vital for our marine ecosystems, both in the contributions it makes to society but also intrinsically as a feature of our shared Earth. However, the seas are a busy space; with energy generation, minerals extraction, tourism, transport and trade, fisheries, aquaculture and waste management occurring in a shared medium. These activities put pressure on coastal and estuarine ecosystems that are already challenged by the spectre of the climate crisis.

Marine conservation and restoration are solutions to the problem, but real-world solutions require biodiversity preservation to be traded-off against human needs for food/energy security and livelihoods, or other human wellbeing benefits that are not always compatible with nature-first actions. These trade-offs require us to fully understand the importance and value of marine biodiversity and the benefits it provides to humanity, together with the impact of interventions and management measures on ecosystem services.

This session will address the general question “what do we need to know in order to protect and maintain the structure and function of marine ecosystems and their associated ecosystem services, societal goods and benefits?”
It will explore what we know about the value of biodiversity, its connection to ecosystem function, services and benefits, and approaches for understanding how humans may impact on these both now and into the future. We welcome presentations on topics addressing the value of biodiversity (ecological, economic, social/cultural), links between marine biodiversity and ecosystem function and services, the impacts of human activities on ecosystem services, and scenarios of what biodiversity/ecosystem services might look like in future societies. Talks can be theoretical, policy-driven or applied, can focus on tools and methods, or can present case studies from specific geographic regions.


Submission id: 30

Title: Image processing for monitoring and forecasting coastal marine and estuarine pollution

Authors: Ali Alzeyadi,Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq.

Category: Physics

Special session proposal:
Using an efficient monitoring technique to assess the condition of coastal and estuarine ecosystems has become crucial in the field of environmental protection. For causes like eutrophication and acidification, early pollution detection is essential to regulating and minimizing their detrimental effects on the environment. Based on satellite and aerial imagery, this session will motivate the researchers to investigate novel approaches for applying cutting-edge image processing techniques to forecast and track possible estuarine contamination. 

 The concentration of this session will be on image processing applications for water quality monitoring in real time. Researchers can assess changes in pollution levels and water quality for aquatic bodies in a way that sends out timely alerts by employing high-resolution drone and satellite imagery. By acting as a monitoring and alarm system, this session's methodology will help to strengthen environmental management and protection initiatives in coastal areas. 

 This session's possible main topics include utilizing drones, satellites, and imagery to monitor coastal pollution; utilizing image processing tools to assess water quality; integrating image processing techniques with current monitoring systems; and providing case studies of image processing used for coastal pollution monitoring. 
 Gaining understanding of how these techniques can be a useful tool for early warning systems and real-time pollution monitoring in order to conserve coastal ecosystems is anticipated.


Submission id: 31

Title: Microbial communities in mangrove ecosystems: from diversity, resilience, and pivotal roles of microbial communities to potential biotechnological applications

Authors: Salom Vincent,University of Kerala, India
Yustian Alfiansah,Research Center for Applied Microbiology, Indonesia
Astrid Gaerdes,Applied University of Bremerhaven, Germany

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Mangrove sediments harbor great microbial diversity serving important roles in biogeochemical cycles, including carbon sequestration and biodegradation of recalcitrant pollutants (i.e. oil, diesel, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) as well as organic carbon matter (i.e. lignin, cellulose, tannin). Moreover, in the last two decades, global mangrove ecosystems suffered significantly under persistent organic pollutants (i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls/PCBs, flame retardants/FRs, chlorinated pesticides/CLPs, perfluoroalkyl polyfluoroalkyl substances/PFASs, and chlorinated paraffins/CPs, polyaromatic hydrocarbons/PAHs), heavy metals, aquaculture effluents, and other contaminants (i.e. different types of plastics including microplastics) originating from anthropogenic activities. Especially, the persistent organic pollutants and effluents discharged from intensive pond aquaculture were reported to destabilize mangrove carbon storage capacity resulting in reduce in carbon stocks, increase of methane emissions, impair photosynthesis and accelerate biomass losses (Li et al., 2025, Sun et al. 2025, Hargan et al, 2020). These anthropogenic activities may replace mangrove deforestation as the current major threat to the mangrove forest. Therefore, the special session will focus on these issues, elucidating;
a. Fate, succession, and resilience of mangrove associated microbes in disturbed ecosystems,
b. Roles of microbes in the polluted mangrove sediment in terms of pollutant degradation, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas production in various types of mangrove ecosystems,
c. Bioprospecting beneficial microbes and novel biotechnological application harnessing the natural capabilities of microorganisms for example in sustainable coastal aquaculture, biological pollutant and contaminant removal in coastal ecosystems, improvement of mangrove regeneration (germination and survival rate/growth of the mangrove propagules), and in coastal agriculture practices.
The special session aims to collect information based on robust research/findings and best practices to formulate a recommendation or policy brief later on, that can be offered to local, regional, and even global policy for mangrove conservation for climate mitigation, especially those in a vulnerable stage.


Submission id: 32

Title: Guarding marine and estuarine waters from biological invasions: improving prevention, monitoring, management, public engagement and support

Authors: Stelios Katsanevakis,University of the Aegean, Greece
Heliana Teixeira,University of Aveiro, Portugal
Eva Amorim,International Estuarine & Coastal Specialists (IECS) Ltd., UK
Gil Rilov,Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research (IOLR), Israel

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
The special session will explore how scientific innovation can effectively inform policy and management to mitigate the escalating threat of invasive alien species (IAS) in aquatic environments. IAS are one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss and their impacts are expected to intensify under the combined pressures of climate change and expanding trade and shipping networks. Bridging science and policy is critical to strengthen prevention, early detection and adaptive control across marine, estuarine and connected freshwater systems. By encouraging international examples, the session will address advances in biosecurity and early-warning mechanisms, such as AI-supported data integration, risk modelling that explicitly factors in shifting climate regimes, and eDNA-based surveillance. It will encourage oral presentations and posters on novel monitoring technologies such as autonomous robotics, hyperspectral imaging, passive acoustics, and remote sensing. Management and restoration of invaded habitats will be discussed, including interventions that combine ecological restoration, systematic conservation planning, ecosystem-services valuation, as well as cost-benefit and scenario-based socio-economic analysis. The session will aim to highlight the dynamic interaction of invasive species with climate change (e.g., range expansions, altered vector pathways, and novel ecosystems) and the implications for policy and governance, while recognizing the role of marine and estuarine protected areas and corridors. Interdisciplinary innovations will be showcased that span the full invasion process – from pre-border prevention to post-border control and ecosystem recovery – and link science to implementation via stakeholder co-design, citizen science, arts-informed engagement and policy alignment. The session welcomes contributions on integrating social sciences, participatory frameworks, and public and stakeholder engagement to enhance awareness, literacy and collective responsibility for invasion management. By bringing together ecologists, policymakers, social scientists and practitioners, this session aims to chart the way forward for a cohesive, science-informed and socially inclusive strategy to guard marine, estuarine and transitional ecosystems against biological invasions.

Sponsored by: GuardIAS/GES4SEAS/VALIAS/OBAMANEXT/MARBEFES/ACTNOW/HELCOM/OSPAR


Submission id: 33

Title: Smart Coasts for a Sustainable Future: Multi-Disciplinary Integration and Innovative Solutions

Authors: Jingjing Zhang,Ludong university， China
Zhenbo Lv,Ludong university， China
Yibin Wang,First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China
Fan Li,Shandong Marine resource and enviornment Research Institute, China

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Climate change and anthropogenic pressures are transforming coastal systems at an unprecedented pace. This special session addresses the ECSA 61 theme by exploring the frontier of "Smart Coasts," which leverages emerging technologies (e.g., AI, IoT, remote sensing) and multi-source data to build an integrated management framework. We will focus on enhancing real-time monitoring, dynamic modeling, and predictive early-warning capabilities for coupled physical-ecological-social systems. A key focus is evaluating the role of Nature-based Solutions in enhancing coastal resilience. The session scope spans from molecular-level biosensors and ecosystem-scale blue carbon assessments to collaborative governance models with community engagement. We actively seek interdisciplinary contributions that showcase innovative monitoring tools, data fusion methods, and successful decision-support case studies. By bridging the gaps between the General Sessions on Physics, Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and Human Dimensions, this session aims to synthesize a future-oriented roadmap for managing the complex challenges facing our estuaries and coasts. We encourage submissions in various formats to foster dynamic discussion.


Submission id: 34

Title: Ocean literacy as a bridge to foster effective cooperation between science and policy for the sustainable future of the coastal areas.

Authors: Jan Marcin Weslawski,Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Yolanda Koulouri,Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Greece
Andrew Best-Dunkley,Academy of Art Helsinki, Finland
Tymon Zielinski,Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Ocean Literacy is defined as “the understanding of human influence on the ocean and the ocean’s influence on humans.” It is more than awareness—it empowers citizens, communities, and stakeholders to take responsible action for the health of our ocean and the sustainable use of its resources. Ocean literacy provides ocean framework for all, including scientists, policy makers and ocean and coastal communities. Therefore, the role of ocean literacy in all ocean study related projects is clearly important and the philosophy, objectives and methodology of research reflect the ocean literacy principles. Vast engagement of a variety of stakeholders, including policy makers, throughout any ocean research project (e.g. MARBEFES), initiatives which aim to promote ocean and ocean science, co-creation of a variety of events with different stakeholders, provide a great amount of information on the state of ocean literacy among citizens. Such activities create critical mass for the effective informing of the policy makers, hence create platforms for making a real change in tackling ocean and coastal issues. 

The session organizers welcome contributions on Ocean Literacy activities, projects, programs etc., from all perspectives, local, regional and/or global, especially with focus on science to policy interface.

We are seeking submissions in following themes:

- Building Ocean Literate communities: Integrating science, education and policy,
- Showcasing Ocean Literacy efforts: good practices, policies, lessons learnt, etc.,
- Identifying challanges and opportunities, fostering collaboration to advance Ocean Literacy across regions and in science andpolicy interface,
- Challenges of Ocean Literacy outreach and dissemination,
- Other.


Submission id: 35

Title: Sustainable use in estuarine and coastal areas of East Asia: approaches from Japan, China and the Republic of Korea

Authors: Xiang Gao,Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Estuarine and coastal areas of East Asia constitute some of the most dynamic and productive ecosystems in the world, supporting dense human populations, vital fisheries, major port cities, and culturally significant landscapes. Yet these regions are increasingly threatened by rapid economic development, land-use change, habitat degradation, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. This session explores innovative approaches and governance frameworks that advance the sustainable use of estuarine and coastal zones across Japan, China and the Republic of Korea, with a particular focus on integrated management that balances ecological integrity with socioeconomic needs.

This 150-minute session brings together researchers from Japan, China and the Republic of Korea who investigate the complex interplay from economic, social, and ecological points of view. Topics include landscape conservation and use, such as the preservation and transmission of traditional fishing culture; community resources use and conflicts resolution; the structural transition of the industry—including the development of the recreational use of the sea—to contribute to higher incomes for fishers. Special attention is given to governance challenges, co-management approaches with local communities, and policy instruments that promote resilience and equitable resource use.

By highlighting case studies from diverse cultural, ecological and social contexts in the three countries, the session aims to foster cross-regional learning and identify pathways toward more adaptive and inclusive management. Presenters will discuss both successes and ongoing challenges, including conflicts among fisheries, industry, and conservation interests, as well as the need for transboundary cooperation in shared management challenges. Ultimately, this session seeks to contribute to a shared vision of sustainable estuarine and coastal stewardship in the main maritime countries in East Asia—a vision that safeguards ecosystem services, supports coastal livelihoods, and enhances resilience towards environmental change.


Submission id: 36

Title: Engineering for ecology: interdisciplinary science to advance living shorelines

Authors: Rebecca Morris,The University of Melbourne, Australia
Oliver Lojek,Technische Universität Braunschweig , Germany
Laura Airoldi,University of Padova, Italy

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Climate change and accelerating coastal urbanisation are driving demand for resilient, adaptive shoreline protection. Conventional structures such as seawalls and breakwaters remain widely used, yet they are costly, non-adaptive, and offer limited ecological or social benefits. Living shorelines provide an alternative by integrating natural habitats, including coastal vegetation and biogenic reefs, to stabilise shorelines, enhance biodiversity, support blue carbon, and adapt to future climate conditions. Despite these advantages, global implementation remains limited. Key uncertainties persist around site suitability—what techniques work best, how, and where—alongside questions about long-term performance, self-adaptivity, climate resilience, and the social, economic, and governance conditions needed for broader acceptance.

Living shoreline approaches vary widely with physical exposure, geomorphology, environmental conditions, and socio-cultural context. Although progress has been made in designing and implementing living shorelines that meet ecological and protective objectives, wider uptake requires stronger technical guidance, clearer evidence of long-term sustainability, and integrated frameworks that link ecological processes with engineering design. This symposium aims to address these gaps by bringing together interdisciplinary researchers, coastal engineers, restoration practitioners, Indigenous knowledge holders, economists, and policy makers advancing living shoreline science and practice.

We invite contributions that improve understanding of living shoreline suitability, performance, and governance across spatial and temporal scales. Topics may include predictive modelling of longevity; evaluations of hydrodynamic, geomorphic, ecological, and biological constraints; assessments of cost-effectiveness; and the role of living shorelines in ecosystem restoration and coastal economies. We also welcome research that identifies pathways to improved governance, including equity, justice, community-based co-design, cross-boundary management, multi-habitat restoration, conflict avoidance, and policy coherence.

The goal of this symposium is to highlight transferable metrics, frameworks, and insights that can accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable, ecologically informed, and socially supported living shoreline solutions at regional and global scales.


Submission id: 37

Title: Valuation methods for marine biodiversity assessments

Authors: Tiziana Luisetti,Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), UK
Daryl Burdon,International Estuarine and Coastal Specialists (IECS) Ltd, UK
Carlo Fezzi,University of Trento, Italy

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Complex policy questions on marine biodiversity loss and the pressures affecting it (e.g. anthropogenic activities and changing climatic conditions) require assessing ecological, economic and socio-cultural values to explore environmental management options. The current status and future potential condition of a specific environmental context need to be explored, assessed and understood using different perspectives, from the ecological perspectives to societal ones, which includes perceptions of and preferences for the environment by individuals and society. Marine biodiversity underpins the delivery of ecosystem services, and subsequently the supply of benefits for society. Valuation of coastal and marine ecosystems and ecosystem services provides the basis for assessing cost-effective environmental monitoring and management options. To assess the multifaceted value of marine biodiversity, and how these values change over time, a range of ecological, economic and socio-cultural valuation methods exist. Some valuation methods are well established, while others are in their infancy. This session welcomes the presentation of papers and posters that discuss valuation methods which have been developed, applied, refined and at times integrated, to innovatively value marine biodiversity around the globe, including papers and posters on marine natural capital / ocean accounting research for future applications and arts-based valuation methods papers and posters. With the aim of understanding current and potential uses by policy and management decision-makers of the valuation methods presented, lessons learned will be highlighted and further development and application needs for interdisciplinary marine biodiversity valuation methods considered.


Submission id: 38

Title: Advancing coastal monitoring and forecasting to bridge the gap between coastal science and policy

Authors: Joanna Staneva,Hereon, Germany
Lorinc Meszaros,Deltares, Netherlands
Lotta Beyaard,Deltares, Netherlands

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Building and improving existing coastal monitoring capabilities and developing innovative coastal products to enhance our understanding of coastal hazards in the face of climate change is vital to help bridge the gap between science and policy in coastal areas. Through new coastal observations (satellite and land-based remote sensing data in addition to in situ observational data), advanced hydrology models, coastal models, and unified coastal management systems, coastal protection and forecasting are improved, with new approaches using numerical models and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods that enable knowledge on the pan-European scale. This session focuses on advanced, seamless ocean monitoring and forecasting, from global/regional systems to coastal systems, through demonstrations of new products and improved co-produced services that impact policy-making in coastal areas. These services aim to provide the marine knowledge needed for coastal applications addressing environmental and social challenges and those enhanced by climate change. This session welcomes contributions from those working on such challenges, including: pollution hazard/risk mapping, coastal erosion, resource management, harmful algal blooms, and combating ecosystem degradation, supporting Marine Protected Areas, and addressing natural hazards and extreme events. Contributions are expected to highlight links with coastal governance and policy, socio-economic and socio-ecological systems impacts and adaptation, community engagement and stakeholder involvement, decision support tools and marine spatial planning, as well as science communication, citizen science and ocean literacy.


Submission id: 39

Title: Healthy estuaries for resilient fisheries: Improving fish critical habitat management in a changing world

Authors: Nathan Waltham,Estuaries and Coastal Wetland Research Lab, School Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineer, James Cook University, Australia
James Tweedly,School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, College of Environmental and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
Eva Amorim,CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos, Matosinhos 4450-208, Portugal
Audrey Darnaude,MARBEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, 34095 Montpellier, France

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Estuaries are among the world’s most productive ecosystems and support diverse fish communities with important commercial, cultural, and recreational values. As climate change, coastal development, altered freshwater flows, and declining water quality reshape estuarine landscapes, understanding and restoring the habitats that underpin fisheries productivity is increasingly urgent. Many species depend on estuaries for tightly timed life-history phases, and traits-based approaches offer powerful tools for predicting how species respond to environmental change and habitat modification. This session will explore the science, policy, and practice of estuarine habitat conservation and restoration, with a strong focus on connectivity, from local habitat linkages to full land–sea migration pathways of diadromous species. Contributions will highlight new research on habitat mosaics, hydro-ecological processes, and the roles of tidal wetlands, saltmarsh, mangroves, seagrass, and floodplain lagoons in supporting fish recruitment, movement, and population structure. Case studies will showcase restoration actions that enhance habitats’ nursery function, reinstate connectivity and fish passage, improve water quality, rebuild structural habitat, and support climate-ready management of estuarine and migratory fish. By bringing together ecologists, fisheries scientists, managers, and restoration practitioners, the session will promote coordinated, ecosystem-scale planning that recognises estuaries as dynamic, multifunctional systems. It aims to advance strategies that enhance ecological resilience, support species persistence, and sustain the long-term social, economic, and cultural benefits of healthy estuarine fisheries.


Submission id: 41

Title: Hydrodynamics and Morphodynamics of Storm Surge

Authors: Junjie Deng,School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, China
Melisa Menendez,University of Cantabria, Spain
Maitane Olabarrieta,University of Florid, US
Giovanni Coco ,Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Spain

Category: Physics

Special session proposal:
Storm surge is a critical driver of coastal flooding and geomorphic change during extreme events, posing a significant threat to ecosystems, communities and infrastructure. This special session will explore the interplay between the hydrodynamics of storm surges (water levels, waves, and currents) and the resulting morphodynamic response (erosion, overwash, and sediment deposition) in estuarine and open coast environments. We invite contributions that utilize field observations, numerical modelling, and remote sensing to address hindcast, forecast and projections of such processes and impacts. Topics of interest should include: the role of waves and vegetation in modulating surge propagation and run-up; the quantification of sediment transport and barrier island/dune response during overwash; the impact of surge events on vegetated environments (from saltmarshes to mangroves) and mudflat stability. We also welcome contributions on the impacts on ecosystem resilience, on possible feedback related to the implementation of nature-based solutions as well as on the coupled evolution of hydrodynamics and morphology during a storm's onset and progression. This session aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue to improve predictive models and inform sustainable coastal management strategies in an era of rising sea levels and changing weather-type climatology.


Submission id: 42

Title: Marine and coastal ecosystem services research: recent advances and future opportunities

Authors: Sarai Pouso,AZTI, Spain
Silvia Ferrini ,UEA, UK

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Some of the projects supporting the ECSA 61 embed the term “ecosystem services” in their names (GES4SEAS, MARBEFES). Others include it as one of their main research objectives (ACTNow, BiOcean5D), or as part of their work packages (DiverSea). Nowadays, the concept of “marine ecosystem services” (MES) or the closely related concept ‘nature’s contributions to people’, are mainstreamed in marine research, involving projects and researchers from diverse and complementary disciplines and perspectives. Despite the increasing number of resources and fundings for this topic, the multiple disciplines to approach it, contribute to the dispersion of results, limiting the clarity of information for decision-makers. It is difficult to keep track of the significant advances achieved, the development of new methodologies and tools, as well as identifying the main research needs and challenges.
This session aims to gather the latest developments in MES research, with a particular interest in findings and results from European-funded projects (Overseas and local studies are welcome, if they present innovative methodologies, relevant results, or applications for future policies). Examples of such studies could be: mapping the distribution of MES and human benefits; innovative tools and techniques for valuation of MES and benefits; assessment and accounting tools for reporting holistic values; valuation of the impact of human stressors on marine ecosystems and their effect in provision of MES, including economic risks from reduced flows of MES; development of platforms/tools for the evaluation and mapping of MES.
We will provide an overview of the progress made in the last years to map future challenges and opportunities for marine and coastal areas, and ecosystem services. We especially welcome studies whose results could facilitate policy and decision making. The results of this session will contribute to identifying potential research gaps, ensuring that future projects are oriented towards meaningful results for policy making.


Submission id: 44

Title: Participatory habitat mapping: why, when and how to include public in addressing knowledge gaps?

Authors: Vitor de Souza,Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
Luis Américo Conti,Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
Jarbas Bonetti,Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Participatory habitat mapping offers a time- and cost-effective way to engage local communities in the characterization of ocean floor features and coastal ecosystems. By incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into mapping processes, local perceptions and values are integrated into a broader understanding of oceanographic dynamics. This inclusive approach is particularly valuable in data-poor contexts, where collaborative efforts can fill critical knowledge gaps and support evidence-based decision-making.
In addition, interacting with decision makers is potentially helpful for researchers to understand what are the main needs in order to ensure scientific ocean knowledge is relevant to policy frameworks. By fostering these exchanges, participatory techniques can become powerful tools for bridging the gap between science and governance, contributing to sustainable coastal and estuarine management.
The proposed session seeks to gather researchers working at different scales for dialogue to share experiences in public participation for mapping marine ecosystems. We aim to explore innovative techniques, tools, and perspectives on engaging both local communities and decision-makers in producing knowledge that supports public policies. Thus, the session will focus on addressing the following research questions: “How can participatory habitat mapping be tailored to address the specific information needs and decision contexts of policymakers (e.g. environmental licensing, strategic planning, MPA design and monitoring)?”; “What strategies and methodologies can ensure the inclusive, equitable, and effective engagement of diverse local stakeholders in participatory habitat mapping?”; “At which stages of the habitat mapping process does stakeholder participation have the greatest impact on knowledge co-production, scenario development, and policy uptake, and how can participation be sustained throughout the project lifecycle?” and “How can participatory mapping platforms (e.g., SeaSketch, GIS, mobile apps) be optimized to integrate local and scientific knowledge, ensure data quality and interoperability, and uphold ethical standards of consent, data governance, and Indigenous data sovereignty?”.


Submission id: 47

Title: Environmental DNA for coastal and estuarine biodiversity monitoring and assessment: connecting scientific innovation with policy needs

Authors: Naiara Rodriguez-Ezpeleta,AZTI, Spain
Nicolas Pade,EMBRC, France
Raffaele Siano,IFREMER, France

Category: Ecology

Special session proposal:
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a game-changing source of information, and field, laboratory, and bioinformatic methods to analyse eDNA have rapidly evolved over the past decade. These advances provide unprecedented resolution for detecting species, estimating biomass, characterising communities, and tracking ecological change. Coupled with the increasing need for cost-effective, early-detection monitoring in estuarine and coastal systems, eDNA offers a unique opportunity to improve biodiversity assessments and inform timely management actions.

Despite these technological advances and clear end-user needs, the translation of eDNA-based approaches into operational monitoring and policy frameworks remains uneven. Key challenges include methodological standardisation, understanding the ecology of DNA, interpretation of ecological signals, adaptation of indices and assessment frameworks to molecular data, integration of datasets across regions, and effective communication between researchers, managers, and policymakers.

This session aims to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and practical implementation by bringing together researchers, environmental agencies, decision-makers, and stakeholders involved in coastal and estuarine management. It will encourage case studies, methodological innovations, intercalibration efforts, and examples where eDNA based tools have informed, or have the potential to inform, management decisions or conservation actions, fostering dialogue to identify barriers, opportunities, and the way forward for the wider adoption of eDNA-based monitoring and assessment in estuarine and coastal ecosystems.

Promoted by the Horizon Europe-funded projects BIOcean5D, MARCO-BOLO and OBAMA-NEXT, the session aims to foster a constructive dialogue between scientists, managers, and policymakers, highlighting the practical applications of eDNA approaches and promoting its integration into evidence-based decision-making for the conservation and sustainable management of estuarine and coastal biodiversity.


Submission id: 48

Title: Advancing the integration of monitoring and modelling of the physico-chemical and biogeochemical state of coastal systems

Authors: Isabella Scroccaro,National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS. Italy
Fabio Brunetti,National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS. Italy
Francesca De Pascalis,Institute of Marine Science ISMAR CNR. Italy
Manel Grifoll,UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech. Spain

Category: Biogeochemistry

Special session proposal:
The integration of monitoring and modelling represents a critical step towards improving our understanding of the coastal environment. By leveraging observational data to enhance and validate numerical models, it is also possible to support the development of more targeted and effective monitoring and management strategies. The reciprocal interaction between models and data acquisition systems ultimately strengthens our ability to predict, assess, and safeguard the ecological health and ecosystem services of coastal zones.
We invite contributions that present methodological advancements and applied research on key integration strategies, including: data assimilation applications, improving model performance through the incorporation of real-time observational data; coupled physical-biogeochemical modelling, capturing the complex interactions between physical dynamics and ecological processes; enhanced monitoring networks, utilizing advanced platforms such as instrumented buoys, autonomous gliders, and remote sensing technologies, to provide high-resolution and high-frequency data streams.
The session also welcomes studies addressing the impacts of climate change, approaches to coastal–river continuum modelling, and the development of early warning systems for risk assessment and management of vulnerable coastal areas.


Submission id: 49

Title: Bridging Science and Policy for Bycatch Reduction through Innovative Tools, Gear, and Knowledge-Transfer Frameworks

Authors: Julia Calderwood,Marine Institute, Ireland
Ivo Grigorov,DTU Aqua, Denmark
Keegan Porter,ERINN Innovation, Ireland
Caecilia Manago,ICES, Denmark

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
Bycatch remains one of the most persistent challenges to estuarine and coastal marine biodiversity, with direct implications for ecosystem resilience, sustainable fisheries, and progress toward the EU Mission “Restore our Oceans and Waters.”This special session addresses the joint challenge of reducing bycatch while strengthening the science–policy interface through structured knowledge-transfer approaches and innovative fishing-gear solutions.

The session brings together four major EU-funded or European science–policy initiatives — ECO-CATCH, Marine Beacon, MarineGuardian, and ICES WGING — each operationalising a distinct, evidence-based impact framework:
ECO-CATCH applies Narratives of Impact, drawing on principles used in the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF), to demonstrate how selective fishing-gear innovations reduce bycatch of juvenile and sensitive species and generate measurable ecological and socio-economic benefits.

Marine Beacon employs a 3-Step Knowledge Transfer Method — collection, analysis, transfer — to integrate bycatch data, fisher knowledge, and technological mitigation tools into decision-ready outputs for managers and practitioners.
MarineGuardian develops a combined Theory of Change (ToC) – PESTEL approach to co-design, test, and evaluate bycatch-reduction strategies, ensuring that political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal dimensions are embedded from the outset.

The ICES Working Group on Innovative Fishing Gear (WGING) applies PESTEL analyses to provide science-based advice for the EU Technical Measures Regulation, enabling policy uptake of new gears and practices.

Together, these methods offer complementary pathways for accelerating impact, improving policy relevance, and enabling the transition from innovation to implementation. The session will highlight how these approaches contribute to the Ocean Pact, the Ocean Act, and the UN Ocean Decade Challenges, fostering dialogue among scientists, policymakers, fishers, technologists, and NGOs.

This session will provide actionable insights into how structured knowledge-transfer frameworks and co-developed gear innovations can effectively reduce bycatch and support biodiversity restoration in estuarine and coastal systems.


Submission id: 51

Title: Transforming Coasts via Participatory Pathways to Sustainability and Equity - Celebrating Marion Glaser’s Legacy

Authors: Marie Fujitani,Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Germany
Annette Breckwoldt,Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Germany
Achim Schlueter,Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Germany

Category: Human dimension

Special session proposal:
This special session celebrates the pioneering contributions of Marion Glaser to the study of coastal and marine social–ecological systems in honor of her retirement. She was an early adopter of what is now known as co-design and transdisciplinary science, and has advanced integrative frameworks that connect ecological dynamics, livelihoods, and governance across scales. Her decades-spanning career has exemplified the power of long-term collaborative international research partnerships, and has been at the leading edge of integrating social-ecological and qualitative-quantitative data, as well as transdisciplinary inquiry for addressing challenges in complex social-ecological systems. This session aims to celebrate Glaser’s vision of research to support socially just and ecologically sound management of coastal spaces, supporting sustainability transformations in locally meaningful ways. The session seeks to foster dialogue among researchers and practitioners who continue to bridge the natural and social sciences, crossing boundaries and applying and evolving integrative approaches to new challenges in marine and coastal governance.

Scientific topic and research questions: The session aims to reflect on the evolution of interdisciplinary and participatory social-ecological systems research and to look ahead to where the field is moving-- particularly how these approaches can advance equity and support co-designed visions of sustainability. As we celebrate Marion’s legacy and retirement, we will reflect on decades of challenges, successes, lessons learned, and future directions with recent work.

Expected contributions: While bringing together her collaborators from across her career presenting past and current work and reflecting on how she has influenced them (of which we have a list of international scholars who could potentially contribute, 15+), the session is open to all contributions focusing on integrative approaches to new challenges in marine and coastal governance, to reflect together on how these methodological traditions and mode of inquiry can best contribute to equity and sustainability.

 

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