Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Coastal and Ocean Engineering

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Ocean Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 285

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CERIS, Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: maritime engineering; coastal engineering; maritime structures; ports and harbors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change represents one of the greatest global challenges to achieving the sustainability of coastal and ocean systems. Sea level rise, intensifying storms, coastal erosion, and changing wave patterns are placing increasing pressure on maritime infrastructure and ecosystems. This Special Issue aims to compile innovative research, strategies, and technologies that contribute to the adaptation of coastal and ocean engineering to climate change impacts, promoting sustainable and resilient approaches.

The proposal aligns with the objectives of The Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JMSE), which seeks to publish cutting-edge research in the field of maritime engineering and ocean systems.

The Special Issue will cover, among others, the following areas:

  • Design and operation of resilient infrastructure: Methods to reinforce and redesign ports, breakwaters, and other critical infrastructures.
  • Nature-based solutions: Strategies such as the restoration of mangroves, dunes, and coral reefs.
  • Modeling and simulation: Predictive tools to assess future impacts of climate change.
  • Risk management and adaptive planning: Methods to mitigate risks associated with climate change in coastal environments.
  • Technological innovation in marine renewable energy: Its role in reducing emissions and protecting coastal areas.
  • Carbon footprint assessment and reduction strategies: Evaluating and minimizing the environmental impact of coastal and ocean engineering projects.
  • Life cycle analysis in maritime infrastructure: Integrating sustainability metrics into design, construction, and operation phases.
  • Decarbonization pathways for maritime transport and operations: Exploring strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in marine industries.

This Special Issue is intended for

  • Researchers in coastal, maritime, and ocean engineering.
  • Specialists in climate change and sustainability.
  • Professionals involved in the planning and design of maritime infrastructure.
  • Coastal managers interested in adaptation strategies.

Dr. M. Dolores Esteban
Dr. José-Santos López-Gutiérrez
Dr. Vicente Negro
Dr. Maria Graça Neves
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • climate change adaptation
  • coastal engineering
  • ocean engineering
  • resilient infrastructure
  • nature-based solutions
  • carbon footprint
  • decarbonization
  • life cycle analysis
  • risk management
  • marine renewable energy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 6238 KiB  
Article
Overtopping over Vertical Walls with Storm Walls on Steep Foreshores
by Damjan Bujak, Nino Krvavica, Goran Lončar and Dalibor Carević
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(7), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13071285 - 30 Jun 2025
Abstract
As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change, coastal urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to wave overtopping and flooding. Retrofitting existing vertical seawalls with retreated storm walls represents a key adaptive strategy, especially in the Mediterranean, [...] Read more.
As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change, coastal urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to wave overtopping and flooding. Retrofitting existing vertical seawalls with retreated storm walls represents a key adaptive strategy, especially in the Mediterranean, where steep foreshores and limited public space constrain conventional coastal defenses. This study investigates the effectiveness of storm walls in reducing wave overtopping on vertical walls with steep foreshores (1:7 to 1:10) through high-fidelity numerical simulations using the SWASH model. A comprehensive parametric study, involving 450 test cases, was conducted using Latin Hypercube Sampling to explore the influence of geometric and hydrodynamic variables on overtopping rate. Model validation against Eurotop/CLASH physical data demonstrated strong agreement (r = 0.96), confirming the reliability of SWASH for such applications. Key findings indicate that longer promenades (Gc) and reduced impulsiveness of the wave conditions reduce overtopping. A new empirical reduction factor, calibrated for integration into the Eurotop overtopping equation for plain vertical walls, is proposed based on dimensionless promenade width and water depth. The modified empirical model shows strong predictive performance (r = 0.94) against SWASH-calculated overtopping rates. This work highlights the practical value of integrating storm walls into urban seawall design and offers engineers a validated tool for enhancing coastal resilience. Future research should extend the framework to other superstructure adaptations, such as parapets or stilling basins, to further improve flood protection in the face of climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Coastal and Ocean Engineering)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop