Introduction

The South China Sea Annual Meeting is a series of international academic conferences that are organized voluntarily by scholars engaged in ocean science research in the South China Sea and its adjacent sea area. The Organizing Committee of SCSAM coordinates the event and selects host institutions. The first conference was hosted by Xiamen University in 2013, and nine successful events have been held since then, hosted by Guangdong Ocean University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Hohai University, the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fudan University, Guangdong Ocean University, and Jiangxi Normal University.

The South China Sea Annual Meeting 2023, the 10th annual Meeting, is hosted by the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (Xiamen University), the College of Ocean and Earth Sciences (Xiamen University) and China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences (Xiamen University Malaysia) with the agreement of the Organizing Committee of SCSAM. It aims to foster knowledge and ideas exchanges on the dynamic processes of regional oceanography in the surrounding sea areas of the South China Sea, the dynamic processes of the South China Sea basin and continental shelf, the interaction between the South China Sea and the ocean, climate change, Marine biogeochemical processes, Marine ecological environment, Marine living resources and other related topics. The theme will focus on The South China Sea under Climate Change: Multi-scale Dynamics and Their Ecological and Environmental Effects.

Sessions

1. Air-Sea Interaction and Climate Variability

Conveners:

Prof. LIN Xiaopei (Ocean University of China) and Dr. HAN Lei (Xiamen University Malaysia)

Session Description:

The session aims to advance our understanding of the mechanisms, processes, and feedbacks involved in the dynamic interplay of the ocean and atmosphere, with a particular focus on its implications for climate patterns, ocean dynamics, and ecosystem responses. Key Topics include Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation Patterns, Ocean-Atmosphere Feedbacks, Climate Modes and Variability, and Impacts on Ecosystems and Coastal Communities. The session welcomes interdisciplinary studies integrating observational, modeling, and remote sensing approaches. Contributions focusing on long-term trends, climate projections, and the understanding of underlying physical processes are encouraged. The session aims to foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the advancement of research on air-sea interactions and their role in climate variability within the South China Sea region.

2. Multi-scale Dynamical Processes in the Ocean

Conveners:

Prof. LIU Zhiyu (Xiamen University, China) and Prof. XIE Lingling (Guangdong Ocean University)

Session Description:

The ocean hosts a variety of motions characterized by contrasting dynamical regimes and spatial-temporal scales, such as large-scale ocean circulation on O(1000 km), mesoscale eddies on O(100 km), submesoscale motions on O(1-10 km), internal waves on O(0.1-10 km), and small-scale turbulence on O(0.01-10 m). As oceanographic research focuses more on increasingly smaller scales, the importance of fine-scale and small-scale processes, as well as interactions between multi-scale oceanic motions, has become increasingly recognized. However, limited by available computational resources, many of the processes are unresolvable in some ocean models and most climate models, and thus must be parameterized. It has been widely known that present-day climate simulations are subject to systematic biases, mainly due to inaccurate representation and parameterization of multi-scale oceanic processes presently unresolvable in climate models. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the multi-scale dynamical processes in the ocean is crucial for developing global ocean models and understanding climate change. This session aims to reveal dynamical processes of multi-scale oceanic motions and modulation mechanisms related to their interactions. Abstracts employing observations, modeling, or theory to address multi-scale dynamical processes are all welcome.

3. Extreme Weather Events and Their Environmental and Ecological Effects

Conveners:

Dr. WANG Yuntao (Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources), Prof. WANG Guihua (Fudan University), and Prof. CHAI Fei (Xiamen University)

Session Description:

Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including tropical cyclones, heat waves, droughts, extreme precipitation, and dust storms among others, across the globe, which are having significant impacts on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These events pose significant threats to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The United Nations proclaimed the "Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)" with the aim of promoting a safe and predictable ocean. However, monitoring and forecasting extreme weather events and understanding their impact on ecosystems remain challenging scientific questions. This section encourages new studies to share knowledge on monitoring extreme events and predicting their ecological effects. An improved forecasting system can be developed to increase the credibility of predictions and mitigate associated threats. By enhancing our understanding of the ocean's response to extreme events, we hope to develop fundamental management actions that promote sustainable development.

4. Coupling of Marine Biogeochemical and Dynamical Processes

Conveners:

Prof. CAO Zhimian and Prof. LUO Ya-Wei (Xiamen University)

Session Description:

The South China Sea is a highly dynamic region that is intricately connected to neighboring oceans and seas through complex feedback mechanisms, which modulate physical and biogeochemical processes in both coastal and open-ocean regions. These processes have attracted increasing attention from the scientific community in recent decades. However, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains limited. This session aims to promulgate critical insights into the biogeochemical and physical mechanisms that regulate the dynamics of carbon, nutrients, and other biogenic elements in the South China Sea, particularly in the background of global change. We welcome all related work and comparative studies; regional and global syntheses are particularly encouraged. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: (1) the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, and other elements and the controls that govern them; (2) the transport and transformation of materials within the land-marginal sea-open ocean continuum; (3) plankton carbon fixation and carbon export efficiency; and (4) the responses of ecosystems to global change.

5. Coastal Wetlands and Coral Reef Ecosystems' Response to Global Change

Conveners:

Prof. CHEN Luzhen (Xiamen University) and Dr. CHEAH Wee (University of Malaya)

Session Description:

Coastal wetlands such as mangroves and seagrasses, and coral reef ecosystems are essential coastal ecosystems supporting countless of species and providing essential ecological services such as nursery, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection to many marine organisms and millions of coastal communities relying on these ecosystems for a living. However, these ecosystems are facing a series of challenges as a result of ongoing global changes, including climate change, pollution, habitat degradation, sea level rise, erosion and ocean acidification. This session aims to offer a platform for interdisciplinary discussions among the scientists, researchers, conversationists, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders to exchange knowledge and share their experiences on the latest findings, methodologies, and insights into the understanding of the impacts of global change on coastal wetlands and coral reef ecosystems in the South China Sea and neighbouring oceans. This session is in line with the United Nations Ocean Decade Challenge #2: Protect and Restore Ecosystems and Biodiversity, in which the latest development in effective conservation and management strategies as well as innovation solutions to preserve our valuable and vulnerable coastal wetlands and coral reef ecosystems are welcome.  

6. Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence Oceanography

Conveners:

Prof. DONG Changming (Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology) and Prof. SHANG Shaoling (Xiamen University)

Session Description:

Remote sensing data plays an essential role in driving the advancement of artificial intelligence in oceanography, while ocean big data serves as a vital connector between AI and remote sensing in oceanography. This session, titled "Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence Oceanography", aims to foster discussions and gather latest ideas in these two areas. The scope of this session includes, but is not limited to, the following topics that utilize AI and remote sensing techniques in oceanography:

1. AI-based algorithms for identifying ocean features and predicting ocean parameters, techniques for retrieving sea surface parameter, filling in missing-data and reconstructing three-dimensional underwater parameters.
2. Development of AI-based ocean numerical models and intelligent forecasting techniques, including data assimilation, parameterization, model correction, integration of AI with ocean dynamic theory, and equation solving.
3. AI-based fusion of multi-source satellite data, advancements in "ocean digital twins," application of ocean big data technologies, as well as preprocessing and postprocessing techniques for marine remote sensing data.
4. New algorithms and applications in passive and active ocean remote sensing, including researches using satellite, airborne and unmanned aerial systems, and high-frequency radar.

Event

Early Career Forum

Conveners:

Dr. LIN Wenqiang, Dr. YU Xiaolong, Mr. WANG Zhixuan (Xiamen University) and Dr. WANG Chuanyin (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai)),

Session Description:

To encourage greater involvement of young scientists in scientific investigations in the South China Sea and promote international academic exchanges and collaborations, the Organizing Committee of SCSAM is proud to announce the Early Career Forum of SCSAM 2023, which will be held on Nov. 3rd, 2023 at Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia.

Through this forum, young scientists will have the opportunity to present their research findings through oral presentations, poster exhibitions, and group discussions, enabling them to engage in in-depth discussions with experts from different fields.

The theme, The South China Sea under Climate Change: Multi-scale Dynamics and Their Ecological and Environmental Effects, will be collectively explored by talented young scholars from various parts of the world.

Who can participate?

Postdocs and graduate students.