The Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JMSE, ISSN: 2077-1312) is proud to present the winner of the JMSE Travel Award—Dr. Ioannis (John) Karagiorgos.

Dr. Ioannis Karagiorgos is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Ocean Physics and Modelling Group, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece; his research interests include physical oceanography, climate, coupled earth-system modelling and software development.

Dr. Ioannis Karagiorgos will be present at the upcoming AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting in Scotland to showcase his study of “Wave-Coupled Modulation of Air–Sea Fluxes in the Mediterranean”. In this interview, we will discuss further in relation to his research field, as well as the award-winning experience.

We hope you enjoy the interview below:

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself to the readers? Could you introduce your current research direction and provide an update on your progress?

I come from a physics background and now work as a post-doctoral researcher at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, studying topics related to ocean physics and air–sea interaction. My research centres on coupled ocean–atmosphere modelling, and more recently, I am exploring how ocean surface waves and marine biogeochemical processes can influence climate simulation in the Mediterranean.

2. How did you first become aware of this award, and what inspired you to submit your application?

I first learned about the award through email announcements shared within the JMSE community. As a young researcher, the travel and conference registration cost was a real concern for me, so I was actively looking for funding opportunities, and this travel award felt like a meaningful opportunity for practical and timely support.

3. Could you introduce the core content of your conference presentation at the AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting conference and what you hope to contribute or gain from the discussion?

In this presentation, I focus on how ocean surface waves influence air–sea heat and momentum exchanges. Actually, waves have a buffering role across the air–sea interface, but their representation in Earth system models still involves important open questions. Focusing on the Mediterranean, I developed a fully coupled ocean-wave–atmosphere modelling system and ran sensitivity experiments to isolate and understand the contribution of wave-induced processes. Through this work, I hope to receive constructive feedback and new perspectives from the community that will help me to refine and further advance this research.

4. Looking ahead, what do you anticipate will be the key emerging topics in your field over the next few years?

AI and hybrid modelling are likely to be major topics in the coming years. However, I feel that it is really important not to lose sight of the fundamentals of ocean physics and modelling, as a deep physical foundation is what makes the AI tools truly effective.

5. What inspired you to pursue your research field? As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express or someone you wish to thank most?

Perhaps it was the mysterious veil of the sea that first drew me to this field. At this point, I would like to sincerely thank JMSE for this award and for the support that allows me to share my work at the Ocean Sciences Meeting. I am also grateful to my supervisors, Sarantis Sofianos and Vassilios Vervatis, for their guidance and support throughout my research at the Ocean Physics and Modelling Group at the University of Athens.

6. What qualities do you think young scientists need?

Giving advice is never easy, especially as I am still early in my own journey, but perhaps curiosity and mettle come first.

7. As an open access journal, how do you think open access impacts the authors?

In my opinion, open access (OA) is an important step toward increasing transparency and shareability of research. However, publication fees in most ΟΑ journals are sometimes prohibitive, especially for small research groups with limited funding.