JMSE Webinar| Celebrating World Ocean Day 2026
the chair
World Oceans Day, celebrated annually on 8 June, is a global reminder of the fundamental role the oceans play in sustaining life on Earth. Covering more than 70% of our planet, the oceans regulate climate, support biodiversity, provide food and resources, and connect communities worldwide. At the same time, they face unprecedented pressures from pollution, climate change, habitat degradation, and unsustainable human activities. In this context, international scientific collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue are more important than ever.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the World Oceans Day Webinar 2026, bringing together leading experts from across the world to discuss urgent priorities for ocean protection, marine sustainability, and technological innovation. Today’s program will explore key themes, including strong marine protected areas, marine pollution and microplastics, blue carbon ecosystems, and climate adaptation, as well as advances in deep-sea exploration and engineering.
We are honored to host several distinguished speakers, such as Prof. Dr. Weicheng Cui, who will be delivering a presentation on China’s path in deep-sea exploration technologies; Dr. Pedro Brito, who will be discussing the importance of protecting marine ecosystems; Dr. Giuseppe Suaria, who will focus on textile microfibers and marine pollution; and Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet, whose talk will highlighting the ecological significance of blue carbon marsh systems. I hope today’s discussions will inspire collaboration, innovation, and meaningful action to ensure the future of our blue planet.
Date: 8 June 2026
Time: 2:30 pm CEST| 8:30 am EDT | 8:30 pm CST Asia
Webinar ID: 891 5251 4419
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Meet Our Speakers
Prof. Dr. Weicheng Cui
Westlake University, China;
Prof. Dr. Weicheng Cui is a Section Board Member and researcher at the Deep Sea Technology Research Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University in Hangzhou, China. His work focuses on advanced marine and deep-sea engineering technologies. He specializes in multidisciplinary design optimization and its applications in ocean systems. Prof. Cui is actively involved in the development of innovative deep-sea equipment, including robotic fish and bio-inspired technologies. His research also includes live fish-based marine environmental monitoring systems and the miniaturization of ocean sensors.
Dr. Pedro Brito
Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), Portugal;
Dr. Pedro Brito is a Section Board Member and researcher at the Oceanography and Marine Environment Division of the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) in Lisbon, Portugal. His work focuses on marine environments and the impacts of pollutants on aquatic ecosystems. He has strong expertise in the study of rare earth elements (REEs) in marine systems and their biogeochemical behavior. Dr. Brito also applies advanced analytical techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), in environmental research.
Dr. Giuseppe Suaria
National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR), Italy;
Dr. Giuseppe Suaria is a Section Board Member and researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR) in Lerici, Italy. His research focuses on plastic pollution and its growing impact on marine environments. He has strong expertise in marine litter monitoring, including the study of microplastics and microfibers. Dr. Suaria’s work contributes to understanding the distribution and sources of marine debris across different marine ecosystems. He is actively engaged in research addressing global environmental challenges related to ocean pollution.
Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, USA;
Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet is an Editorial Board Member affiliated with the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, USA. She is a distinguished researcher in the fields of paleoecology and paleoclimate, with a strong focus on long-term environmental and climate change processes. Her work explores blue carbon ecosystems, particularly tidal and salt marsh environments, and their role in climate regulation. Dr. Peteet also contributes to climate modeling and studies related to marsh restoration and coastal resilience. Her research provides important insights into how coastal ecosystems respond to environmental change over time.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
"Addressing/Mitigating Anthropogenic Impacts in Coastal Marine Environments: Interdisciplinary Approaches"
Special Issue Editors: Dr. Alberta Mandich and Dr. João Pedro Barreiros
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026