Announcements

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. João Miguel Dias has been appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JMSE, ISSN 2077-1312).

Prof. Dr. João Miguel Dias received his MS in geophysical sciences—oceanography from University of Lisbon (1993), and he holds a PhD in physics from University of Aveiro (2001). He is currently a full professor and the Director of the Department of Physics at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He founded and leads the Estuarine and Coastal Modeling Division (NMEC) and is a researcher at the Centre for Environment and Marine Studies (CESAM), where he has served as Scientific Vice-Coordinator and Co-Coordinator of the Integrated Environmental Systems thematic line. With more than 30 years of professional experience, he is a specialist in the numerical modeling of physical processes in estuarine and coastal zones and in assessing the impacts of climate change on these systems. His work has made significant contributions to our understanding of the hydrodynamics of the Aveiro lagoon. The results of his research have been published in a significant number of scientific articles, whose quality and impact are reflected in their high number of citations and his recent inclusion in the World’s Best Scientists ranking in the field of Earth Sciences. He has participated in and coordinated several national and international research projects and has extensive experience in consulting for public and private organizations. He also has extensive experience as an evaluator of research projects for several national and international funding agencies, as well as a reviewer of manuscripts for numerous journals, where he has also held several editorial roles.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. João Miguel Dias, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about JMSE that made you want to take on the role of Editor-in-Chief?
I have always believed that the most significant advances in marine science occur at the interfaces between disciplines, where different perspectives and methodologies converge to address complex questions. Throughout my career, although my own background is in physics, physical oceanography, and numerical modeling of coastal systems, I have had the privilege of working with scientists and engineers from many different fields. These collaborations have continually reinforced my conviction that interdisciplinary research is essential for advancing our understanding of the marine environment and for developing solutions to the challenges our oceans face.
That is precisely what attracted me to JMSE. The journal has established itself as an outstanding platform where researchers from across the broad spectrum of marine science and engineering can exchange ideas and publish research that is both scientifically rigorous and relevant to society. Its interdisciplinary scope, international reach, and commitment to high-quality open access publishing make it uniquely positioned to foster innovation and collaboration within the marine science community.
I was therefore delighted to accept the invitation to become Editor-in-Chief. It is both an honor and a responsibility. I look forward to working closely with the Editorial Board, Guest Editors, reviewers, authors, and the MDPI editorial team to build on the journal’s achievements, further strengthen its scientific excellence, and ensure that JMSE remains a trusted and influential forum for the global marine science and engineering community.

2. What is your vision for JMSE, and what are your main strategic priorities during your term as Editor-in-Chief?
My ambition is for JMSE to continue establishing itself as one of the leading international journals in marine science and engineering, recognized above all for the quality and integrity of the research it publishes.
From my experience as a researcher and, more recently, as Director of the Physics Department at the University of Aveiro, I have learned that excellence depends on creating an environment where quality, fairness, and collaboration are valued. I believe the same applies to scientific publishing.
One of my priorities will therefore be to maintain rigorous, constructive peer review while ensuring an efficient, transparent editorial process. I would also like to reinforce the journal’s interdisciplinary character by encouraging submissions that bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries and address the major challenges facing our oceans, including climate change, coastal resilience, marine renewable energy, digital ocean technologies, and sustainable ocean management.
Finally, I hope to further strengthen JMSE’s international reach by engaging researchers from around the world and encouraging contributions that combine scientific excellence with real societal impact.

3. What does the future of marine science and engineering research look like, in your view? Where do you see the most exciting developments emerging?
Marine science is evolving at an extraordinary pace. We are seeing rapid advances in ocean observing systems, autonomous platforms, satellite remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing, all of which are transforming the way we study the ocean.
As someone who has spent much of his career developing and applying numerical models of coastal and estuarine systems, I am particularly excited by the increasing integration of observations, physics-based models, data assimilation, and machine learning. These advances are opening entirely new possibilities for understanding marine processes and improving our capacity to predict environmental change.
At the same time, the scientific questions we face are becoming increasingly complex. Climate change, sea-level rise, coastal hazards, biodiversity conservation, offshore renewable energy, and the sustainable development of the blue economy all require close collaboration between scientists, engineers, decision-makers, and society.
I believe the most significant advances will come from integrating disciplines, technologies, and perspectives, and I see JMSE as an ideal forum for publishing research that reflects this evolution.

4. How do you view the development of open access publishing, and what role do you see for open access journals like JMSE in shaping the future of scholarly communication?
Open access has fundamentally changed the way scientific knowledge is shared. Making research immediately available to anyone, anywhere in the world, greatly enhances collaboration and allows new knowledge to reach not only researchers but also policymakers, industry, educators, and the wider public.
For marine science, this is especially important because many of the challenges we study are global in nature and require international cooperation.
At the same time, accessibility must always be accompanied by scientific rigor. Open access publishing can only fulfill its potential if it is built on strong peer review, editorial independence, transparency, and research integrity.
I believe JMSE is well-positioned to contribute to this future by combining open accessibility with high editorial standards, ensuring that the research it publishes is both widely available and scientifically robust.

5. What are your expectations of Editorial Board Members and Guest Editors, and how would you like to engage them more effectively in attracting high-quality submissions and promoting the journal?
A journal is only as strong as its editorial community. Editorial Board Members and Guest Editors play a fundamental role in maintaining scientific quality, identifying emerging research areas, and attracting outstanding contributions.
I hope they will continue to be active ambassadors for JMSE by encouraging excellent submissions, proposing Special Issues on timely topics, and supporting a rigorous, fair, and constructive peer-review process. Their scientific expertise and professional networks are invaluable for the journal’s continued development.
As Editor-in-Chief, I also see it as my responsibility to foster an open and collaborative relationship with our editorial community. I want to listen to their ideas, encourage new initiatives, and work together to ensure that JMSE continues to evolve in response to the needs of the international marine science and engineering community.
Ultimately, my goal is for authors to choose JMSE not only because of its visibility and efficient publication process, but also because they recognize it as a journal that values scientific excellence, integrity, and service to the research community.

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. João Miguel Dias as our Editor-in-Chief and wish him every success in his new position.