Bio-Promotive Materials for Environmental Restoration and Carbon Sequestration in Marine Environments

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of escalating marine ecosystem degradation and the urgent need for effective carbon sequestration strategies, the development of materials specifically designed to enhance biological growth and proliferation has emerged as a promising frontier in materials science. These "Bio-Promotive Materials" are an innovative approach that comes from the intersection of materials engineering, marine ecology, and climate science, with significant potential for application in environmental restoration and carbon capture.

This Special Issue aims to consolidate cutting-edge research on materials that actively facilitate biological growth, colonization, and carbon sequestration in marine and coastal environments. We seek contributions that explore how material composition, structural design, surface properties, and deployment strategies can be optimized to enhance biological responses and ecological functions. The ultimate goal is to foster the development of next-generation materials that not only support biological attachment but actively promote biological proliferation and ecosystem services. 

The scope of this Special Issue encompasses, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• Material Design and Engineering: Novel materials with enhanced bioreceptivity and bio-promotive properties; modifications of conventional materials to improve their biological responses; biomimetic approaches to material design; composite materials that contain biological components or growth-promoting additives.
• Structural and Textural Innovations: Three-dimensional framework designs that optimize biological colonization; surface texturing and porosity control; hierarchical structures that support diverse biological communities; deployment configurations for maximized biological interactions.
• Performance Assessment: Methodologies for evaluating bio-promotive efficacy; field testing protocols and results; comparative studies of different material formulations and designs; durability and long-term performance evaluations in marine environments.
• Ecosystem Response and Biodiversity: Succession dynamics of biological communities following the deployment of bio-promotive materials; spatiotemporal changes in microbial community structures on material surfaces; influence of material properties on species diversity and functional diversity; role of bio-promotive materials in accelerating ecosystem development and enhancing biodiversity; selective promotion of key functional groups and indicator species by different materials; interactions and connectivity between material-mediated communities and surrounding natural ecosystems.
• Microbial Communities and Biofilm Development: Formation and succession of microbial communities on bio-promotive material surfaces; regulatory mechanisms of material properties based on microbial functional group composition; relationships between pioneer microbial communities and subsequent macroorganism settlement; characterization of microbial metabolic activities and enzymatic reactions on material surfaces; associations between microbial community functions and the efficiency of environmental purification and carbon sequestration; assessment of microbial functional diversity through metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses.
• Ecological Applications: Materials for artificial reef construction; coastal protection structures with enhanced ecological functions; substrate systems for seagrass and mangrove restoration; materials that accelerate natural recovery processes in degraded marine ecosystems.
• Carbon Sequestration Enhancement: Materials designed to accelerate biological carbon fixation; synergistic approaches combining geological and biological carbon capture; quantification methods for assessing carbon sequestration potential; life-cycle assessment of carbon benefits.
• Water Quality Improvement: Bio-promotive materials for bioremediation applications; designs that enhance biological communities’ filtration and pollutant removal; materials that support microbial communities beneficial for water purification.
• Integration with Emerging Technologies: Smart materials with adaptive bio-promotive properties; sensor integration for monitoring biological responses; materials responsive to environmental conditions; integration of materials with renewable energy systems in marine environments.
• Ecosystem Services Assessment: Quantification of ecosystem services following deployment of bio-promotive materials; associations between material-promoted biological functions and environmental services; enhancement of ecosystem functions achieved through increased diversity; comparative influence of different design parameters on ecosystem restoration efficiency.

By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives on this emerging field, we aim to create new collaborations and accelerate innovation in bio-promotive materials for marine ecological restoration and carbon sequestration. We welcome contributions from materials scientists, marine ecologists, environmental engineers, microbiologists, climate researchers, and practitioners working at the forefront of marine conservation and carbon management.

We believe this Special Issue will serve as an important reference for researchers and practitioners seeking to develop and implement advanced material solutions to pressing marine environmental challenges, while highlighting the crucial role that materials science can play in addressing global climate and ecological crises. Through a deeper understanding of how bio-promotive materials influence and shape the structure and function of ecosystems, we will be able to design more effective and targeted solutions that provide strong scientific support for marine environmental restoration and carbon sequestration.

Dr. Junyu He
Dr. Dongdong Zhang
Dr. Qiang Xu
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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.

Dr. Junyu He
Dr. Dongdong Zhang
Dr. Qiang Xu
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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.

• bio-promotive materials
• marine environmental protection
• marine material
• surface roughness
• bio-diversity
• promotive effect
• function evaluation