Announcements

We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Richard DiMarchi Indiana University, USA	Prof. Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University, USA. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. DiMarchi is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He is recognized for his contributions to the discovery and development of rDNA-derived Humulin®, Humalog®, rGlucagon®, and Forteo®. His academic research has broadened the understanding of glucagon and incretin physiology and pioneered the discovery of single-molecule multi-mechanism agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The central element to success has been the chemical vision and technology to install within single molecules simultaneous agonism at related G-protein coupled receptors, coupled to the counter-intuitive discovery that glucagon and GIP agonism could synergize the therapeutic efficacy of GLP-1. These peptides and their conceptual approach have transformed the management of excessive body weight to a condition comparable to how hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, and excess cholesterol are medicinally managed.
“Professor DiMarchi was recognized by the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members as being an exceptional leader in the medicinal chemistry of peptides and proteins of natural origin, and as a pioneer in the field of chemical biotechnology. His very important discoveries have led to breakthroughs in new drugs related to the therapy of diabetes and obesity. He has been named as an inventor on a very large number of patents, and he has had initially a highly successful scientific and administrative career in industry, which was followed by over two decades in academia as a distinguished professor.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee
Rolf Müller Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Infections Research (HZI), Germany; Saarland University, Germany	Prof. Rolf Müller is the Founding and Managing Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University, Germany. Having received his training from the University of Bonn, he held research positions at the University of Washington, USA, and Braunschweig University of Technology, Germany, prior to his appointment as professor to Saarland University. His laboratory has dedicated itself to the exploration of bacterial natural-product biosynthetic pathways for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in working with myxobacteria and other microbial producer strains. Starting from the isolation and characterization of new microorganisms, the scope of work includes microbiology-, biotechnology-, bioinformatics-, and chemistry-based approaches to exploit these isolates as sources of new drugs with a special focus on novel anti-infectives. Müller and his team apply a variety of state-of-the-art analytical methods and biological assays to perform biological and chemical characterizations of the identified compounds. Prof. Müller has received several awards, including the prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the PHOENIX Pharmacy Research Award, the DECHEMA Prize, and the Inhoffen Medal, as well as being an elected member of acatech, Leopoldina, and the German Academy of Sciences and Literature.
“The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members were highly impressed by the truly outstanding past and ongoing contributions of Professor Müller in both microbial natural products isolation chemistry and in biosynthesis, as well as in the development of lead compounds for their potential in treating human diseases, through his global connections with various major funding agencies. He is also a dedicated teacher who has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and he has lectured on his research in countries all over the world.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee

The achievements of Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller highlight the transformative impact of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. We congratulate them and invite the global academic community and public to join us in celebrating their significant contributions.

2024 Award Committee
Committee Chair:

• Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ohio State University, USA.
  

Committee Members (listed in alphabetical order):

• Prof. Angelo Fontana, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy;
• Prof. Binghe Wang, Georgia State University, USA;
• Dr. Diana Pinto, University of Aveiro, Portugal;
• Prof. Hideaki Kakeya, Kyoto University, Japan;
• Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel, University of Strathclyde, UK;
• Prof. Thomas Prisinzano, University of Kentucky, USA
• Prof. Wei Li, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA.

About the Tu Youyou Award:
The 2024 Tu Youyou Award includes a total monetary prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs and a medal for each recipient. Established in 2016 to honor the pioneering spirit of Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, the Tu Youyou Award is an international award honoring exceptional scholars dedicated to the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website.

Conference Name: The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025
Organization: Royal Geographical Society
Date: 26–29 August 2025
Place: Birmingham, UK

We will attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025, which will take place at the University of Birmingham, and online, from 26 to 29 August 2025.

The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference regularly attracts over 2,000 geographers from around the world. The Royal Geographical Society serves an exceptionally wide range of public and professional audiences, including their 16,000 members. The Conference will be chaired by Prof. Patricia Noxolo (University of Birmingham, UK), and focuses on the theme of “Geographies of Creativity/Creative Geographies”. With over 400 sessions, we will hear from Black influencers working creatively with geographical ideas; from researchers using dance and storytelling; and from Midlands-based artists who will discuss how their sense of place contributes to their work.

The following open access journals will be represented at the event:

• Land;
• IJGI;
• Sustainability;
• Conservation;
• Earth;
• Forests;
• Geographies;
• GeoHazards;
• Geomatics;
• Hydrology;
• Quaternary;
• Remote Sensing;
• Soil Systems;
• Urban Science;
• Climate.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have!

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference.

We are pleased to announce that the Young Women in Engineering Award is open for nominations. This award was established to acknowledge the achievements of young women investigators in the field of engineering and to inspire young women to consider research and careers in engineering. All the nominations will be assessed by an Award Evaluation Committee, and winners will be announced online on 8 March 2026.

Prizes:

• CHF 1000;
• An electronic certificate;
• A voucher to waive the article processing charges (APCs) for one submission to a journal within the field of engineering (subject to peer review)—valid for one year.

Number of winners: 2.

Eligibility and requirements:

• This role is designated for female candidates;
• Must have received their Ph.D. no more than 10 years prior to 31 December 2025;
• Must have produced groundbreaking research and made a significant contribution to the advancement of engineering;
• Must be nominated by senior scientists.

List of documents for nomination:

• Detailed curriculum vitae, including an updated publication list and a list of the researcher’s own research grants;
• Scanned copy of doctorate certificate;
• Signed nomination letters from two established senior scientists.

Schedule:

Open for nominations: 23 June 2025;
Nomination deadline: 30 November 2025;
Winner announcement: 8 March 2026.

Nominations and contact:

All nomination materials and award-related communications must be submitted via our official email: ywe-award@mdpi.com.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your nominations.

Young Women in Engineering Award Team

This webinar brings together leading experts to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we observe, understand, and respond to environmental change. Under the broad umbrella of GeoAI, today’s talks highlight cutting-edge innovations in semantic interpretation of satellite imagery, the integration of citizen science and machine learning, and the development of accessible, open-source tools for geospatial analysis.

We are honored to feature two distinguished speakers: Dr. Xiao Huang will share his work on leveraging AI captioning and foundation models to extract deeper meaning from remote sensing data. Following that, Dr. Di Yang will present on the integration of citizen science and AI for enhancing Earth observation efforts at scale. Dr. Qiusheng Wu will close with an introduction to the GeoAI Python package—a user-friendly, open-source library designed to make AI-driven geospatial analysis more accessible to researchers and practitioners.

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to the exchange of ideas and insights during this session.

Date: 25 June 2025
Time: 4:00 p.m. CEST | 10:00 a.m. EDT | 10:00 p.m. CST Asia 
Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5017494938690/WN_SYQ8w1gIS9qjQdAA3b_3Ww
Webinar ID: 895 4650 1334
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/topics-38

Register for free！

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic or institutional email addresses will be prioritized. 

Unable to attend? Feel free to still register; we will inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Qiusheng Wu, Department of Geography & Sustainability, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA;
• Dr. Xiao Huang, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, USA;
• Dr. Di Yang, Department of Geography, University of Florida, USA.

Relevant Special Issues:
“Geospatial Intelligence in Remote Sensing”
Guest Editors: Dr. Samsung Lim and Dr. Badal Pokharel
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025

“Deep Learning Innovations in Remote Sensing”
Guest Editors: Dr. Zhe Wang, Dr. Chao Fan, Dr. Sanaz Salati, Dr. Marshall (Xiaogang) Ma, Dr. Xiang Que and Dr. Hui Wang
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025

“Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) in Remote Sensing”
Guest Editors: Dr. Xian Sun, Dr. Wanxuan Lu, Dr. Lingqiao Liu and Dr. Shucheng You
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025

We are delighted to share some key insights from our recent interview with Dr. Konstantinos Soulis, an Editorial Board Member of Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292), who reflected on his role, the peer-review process, and commitment to scholarly quality. 

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and share some information about your journey as an Editorial Board Member for Remote Sensing?
I am an agricultural engineer, and I work as an Assistant Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece, with a focus on geoinformatics and spatial analysis in agriculture and the environment. My research and teaching combine my passion for geospatial technologies with hydrology and agriculture.
I started serving Remote Sensing and other environmental and earth science journals as a reviewer about 10 years ago. I already had an experience of reviewing manuscripts with many journals. I quickly noticed MDPI journals’ emphasis on expediting the peer-review process, a strategy I readily embraced. My personal philosophy has always been to provide timely, constructive, and fair reviews, treating every manuscript with the same respect and rigor I'd expect for my own work. This alignment made it seamless for me to adapt to a system that prioritizes both speed and quality for authors.
As I gained more experience, I took on roles as a Guest Editor for several successful Special Issues and Topic Collections, approaching each with the same dedication. Being invited to serve as a Section Board Member for Remote Sensing was a truly welcome development. This role, while demanding, has been incredibly rewarding. The excellent support provided by the Assistant Editors throughout the review process has made the work more efficient and effective. While making decisions about others’ research is a significant responsibility and can indeed be a psychological load, I navigate this by consistently upholding the highest standards of integrity and care, ensuring every manuscript receives the thoughtful consideration it deserves. 

2. How has your experience as an Editorial Board Member shaped your approach to ensuring the quality of manuscripts?
My diverse experience in academic publishing, encompassing roles as an author, reviewer, and Academic Editor, has profoundly shaped my approach to ensuring manuscript quality. As an author, I understand the desire to present research with a unique perspective, but I also recognize the inherent difficulty—and sometimes impossibility—of objectively judging one’s own work. This is where the reviewer’s role becomes critical: it’s not just about safeguarding the credibility of published research; it’s about actively helping authors identify and address weaknesses, ultimately leading to significant improvements and greater impact.
Having the opportunity to see all facets of the review process as an Academic Editor has been particularly illuminating. This holistic view has not only refined my own writing and my ability to navigate the review process effectively, but has also fundamentally shifted my understanding of an editor’s responsibilities.
I've learned that an Academic Editor’s role extends far beyond simply inviting reviewers or deferring to the majority opinion. It begins with a thorough initial assessment to grasp the authors’ perspective, discern the manuscript’s merits, and pinpoint its core weaknesses. Identifying suitable reviewers is then paramount. “Suitable” doesn’t just mean qualified; it means finding individuals who are genuinely dedicated to providing constructive feedback that will genuinely help authors elevate their work to a high standard of quality and clarity.
Furthermore, an editor must be ready to critically engage with reviewer feedback, even if it challenges initial impressions. It’s crucial to not just render a decision, but to provide clear, actionable guidance to authors, especially when faced with conflicting reviews. My experience has taught me the delicate balance between identifying areas for improvement and imposing my own perspective. The goal is to empower authors to enhance their work, not to dictate their approach. This nuanced understanding is central to my commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality in the manuscripts I oversee.
Above all, I consistently keep in mind that the editor is the only individual who assumes eponymous responsibility for the integrity and credibility of the entire review process and ensures the trust placed in the journal. 

3. During the precheck stage, how do you exercise balance when recommending reviewers? What criteria are prioritized in this process?
During the precheck stage, recommending reviewers is a critical task that goes far beyond simply identifying subject matter experts. My approach is to exercise a careful balance, prioritizing several key criteria to ensure a robust, fair, and unbiased peer-review process.
Firstly, while qualifications and direct relevance to the studied topic are foundational, they are not the sole criteria. I look for reviewers whose expertise aligns precisely with the manuscript’s specific methodologies, datasets, or theoretical frameworks.
Secondly, previous review work and reliability are highly valued. I assess a potential reviewer’s history of providing constructive, timely, and insightful feedback, where available. A consistent track record demonstrates not only their expertise, but also their dedication to the peer-review process.
Thirdly, diversity in reviewer origin and affiliation is crucial to prevent conflicts of interest and to ensure a broad range of perspectives. This includes considering geographical diversity and avoiding having too many reviewers from the same institution or research group as the authors, or from institutions that have a direct competitive interest.
Fourthly, I strive for a balance between young researchers and more experienced academics. Young researchers often bring fresh perspectives and innovative insights, but sometimes tend to be very strict, while senior experts provide depth of knowledge and a broader understanding of the field’s historical context and future directions and can more easily accept different perspectives. This mix can lead to a more comprehensive and well-rounded evaluation.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I understand that my role doesn’t end with inviting reviewers. I must critically judge the reviews once they are submitted. If reviews are contradictory, unclear, or appear to miss critical aspects of the manuscript, I am prepared to seek additional opinions, invite further discussion among reviewers, or, if necessary, even provide my own expert review to ensure that authors receive clear, actionable, and fair guidance. This ultimate oversight is vital for upholding the quality and integrity of the published work. 

4. When a manuscript is rejected, Academic Editors are expected to provide substantive feedback. How can editors ensure these comments genuinely help authors improve their work, despite its rejected status?
When a manuscript is rejected, the Academic Editor’s feedback is arguably even more critical than for accepted papers. My aim is to ensure these comments genuinely help authors improve their work, even though it won’t be published in Remote Sensing. This requires a nuanced and constructive approach.
Firstly, the feedback must be substantive and actionable. It should not merely enumerate the weak points, but actively suggest concrete ways these can be addressed. I focus on guiding authors on how to overcome the identified difficulties, whether that involves refining methodologies, strengthening the discussion, clarifying the narrative, or broadening the literature review. The goal is to provide a clear roadmap for significant improvement.
Secondly, it’s crucial to convey that all efforts were made to assess the manuscript in an impartial and credible manner. The decision is a result of a thorough peer-review process, reflecting the collective assessment of experts. However, it’s equally important to make it explicit that a negative decision from Remote Sensing does not invalidate the research itself. Authors need to understand that the study often can proceed further.
Finally, I emphasize that opinions and editorial scope can differ between journals. What might not be suitable for Remote Sensing could very well find a home in another journal after targeted improvements. By providing constructive guidance, a clear rationale for the rejection, and a positive outlook on future submission possibilities, editors can transform a potentially discouraging rejection into a valuable learning opportunity, empowering authors to revise and successfully publish their work elsewhere. 

5. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?
I’d like to offer a final comment regarding the evolving landscape of academic publishing, particularly in the era of Artificial Intelligence. We are undoubtedly in a transformative period where AI is beginning to reshape how manuscripts are written, how research is conducted, and even how peer review is approached.
This presents both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, sophisticated AI tools could make detecting plagiarism more complex and there’s a potential risk that over-reliance on AI might, at times, restrict truly innovative human thinking or expression.
However, I believe the proper and ethical use of AI also offers significant opportunities. For authors, especially non-native English speakers, AI tools can be incredibly beneficial in helping them to convey their ideas more clearly, precisely, and effectively, thereby reducing language barriers and giving their valuable research a wider audience and greater impact. It’s about leveraging these tools responsibly to enhance, rather than replace, human intellect and scientific rigor. As an editor, staying abreast of these developments and adapting review strategies accordingly will be paramount to maintaining the integrity and accessibility of published research.

Why This Matters

At Remote Sensing, we value the expertise of our Editorial Board Members in upholding rigorous standards of quality and fairness. Their insights reinforce our mission to support authors in advancing high-impact research while maintaining the highest ethical standards.
We extend our gratitude to Dr. Konstantinos Soulis and all our Editorial Board Members for their invaluable contributions to the journal and the scholarly community.

We are pleased to share that Remote Sensing (ISSN: 2072-4292) has received an increased CiteScore of 8.6 in June 2025, officially placing us in Q1 (ranked 13th out of 198 journals) for the “General Earth and Planetary Sciences” category.

You can find more statistics on our website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/stats.

The current CiteScore measures the average number of citations of a journal over a four-year window (2021–2024). The Scopus database provides a comprehensive suite of metrics that support informed publishing strategies, research evaluation, and enable the benchmarking of journal performance.

This is a milestone that highlights our 10-year continuous improvement. This achievement reflects the collective efforts of our authors, reviewers, and editors. Together we will continue to track the progress of Remote Sensing and its growing impact in the field.

The ocean covers over 70% of the planet and is our life source, providing sustenance to humanity and every other organism on Earth. With 90% of large fish populations depleted and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. There is an urgent need for us to work together to create a new balance with the ocean—one that no longer depletes its bounty but instead restores its vibrancy and brings it new life.

“Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us” is the theme for World Oceans Day 2025. We hope that established MDPI journals in the field of Environmental & Earth Sciences, including Atmosphere, Biology, Climate, Coasts, Conservation, Environments, Fishes, Geosciences, Genes, Hydrology, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, Meteorology, Oceans, Remote Sensing, Sustainability, Taxonomy and Water, will provide a valuable platform for the exchange of innovative ideas regarding ocean protection.

“Sea Surface Temperature and Marine Heat Wave Predictions in the South China Sea: A 3D U-Net Deep Learning Model Integrating Multi-Source Data”
by Bowen Xie, Jifeng Qi, Shuguo Yang, Guimin Sun, Zhongkun Feng, Baoshu Yin and Wenwu Wang
Atmosphere 2024, 15(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010086

Special Issues: 

“The Occurrence and Distribution of Persistent and Emerging Organic Contaminants in the Coast” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Sinagra and Dr. Anna Białk-Bielińska Submission deadline: 20 September 2025	“Long-Term Signature of Carbon Cycle in Marine Systems: Evidence from Geochemistry” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Simon C. George, Dr. Qiannan Xu, Dr. Lian Jiang and Dr. Xiaoqi Wang Submission deadline: 31 October 2025

“Simulation of Seawater Intrusion and Upconing Processes in Mediterranean Aquifer in Response to Climate Change (Plana de Castellón, Spain)”
by Barbara del R. Almazan-Benitéz, Maria V. Esteller-Alberich, Arianna Renau-Pruñonosa and José L. Expósito-Castillo
Hydrology 2024, 11(12), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology11120205

“Estimating the Temporal Impacts of Nearshore Fisheries on Coastal Ocean-Sourced Waste Accumulation in South Korea Using Stepwise Regression”
by Seung-Hyun Lee, Seung-Kweon Hong, Jongsung Lee, Ji-Won Yu, Hong-Tae Kim and Tae-Hwan Joung
Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5663; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135663

“Mercury Biogeochemistry and Biomagnification in the Mediterranean Sea: Current Knowledge and Future Prospects in the Context of Climate Change”
by Roberto Bargagli and Emilia Rota
Coasts 2024, 4(1), 89-107; https://doi.org/10.3390/coasts4010006

Special Issues:

“Physical Interactions Between Ocean-Atmosphere Boundary Layers from Turbulent to Climate Scales” Guest Editor: Dr. Ronald B. Souza Submission deadline: 31 October 2025	“Air-Sea Interactions: Recent Trends, Current Progress and Future Directions” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Flávio Justino Submission deadline: 31 October 2025
“The Dynamics and Impacts of Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling on Regional and Global Climate” Guest Editors: Dr. Aixue Hu and Dr. Mengrong Ding Submission deadline: 31 January 2026

“The Impact of Marine Heatwaves on Isotherm Displacement and Tuna Distribution in Vanuatu”
by Hannah Weinberg, Jessica Bhardwaj, Andrew B. Watkins and Yuriy Kuleshov
Climate 2024, 12(11), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12110181

“Typical Marine Ecological Disasters in China Attributed to Marine Organisms and Their Significant Insights”
by Lulu Yao, Peimin He, Zhangyi Xia, Jiye Li and Jinlin Liu
Biology 2024, 13(9), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13090678

“Diatom Flora from Time-Series Sediment Trap in the Kuroshio Extension Region of the Northwestern Pacific”
by Joon Sang Park, Hyung Jeek Kim, Kyun-Woo Lee, Hyun Ju Ha and Yun Jae Kim
Taxonomy 2024, 4(3), 507-547; https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4030025

“Ecological Impacts of Coastal Protection on the Vegetation of Sandy Coasts at the German Baltic Sea Coast”
by Daniela Glueck, Ulf Schiefelbein and Hendrik Schubert
Coasts 2024, 4(2), 437-453; https://doi.org/10.3390/coasts4020022

“Growth Performance and Environmental Quality Indices and Biomarkers in a Co-Culture of the European Sea Bass with Filter and Deposit Feeders: A Case Study of an IMTA System”
by Efthimia Cotou, Helen Miliou, Evanthia Chatzoglou, Eirini Schoina, Nektarios Politakis, Dimitra Kogiannou, Eleni Fountoulaki, Afrodite Androni, Aggeliki Konstantinopoulou, Georgia Assimakopoulou et al.
Fishes 2024, 9(2), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9020069

“Stage-Specific Transcriptomes of the Mussel Mytilus coruscus Reveals the Developmental Program for the Planktonic to Benthic Transition”
by Yu-Qing Wang, Qi Liu, Yan Zhou, Lizhi Chen, Yue-Ming Yang, Xue Shi, Deborah M. Power and Yi-Feng Li
Genes 2023, 14(2), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14020287

Special Issues:

“Genetic Status and Perspectives of Fisheries Resources” Guest Editor: Dr. Wei Wang Submission deadline: 31 October 2025	“Environmental DNA (eDNA) for Assessment of Coastal Marine Biodiversity” Guest Editors: Dr. Maurizio Pinna and Dr. Valeria Specchia Submission deadline: 15 December 2025
“Sustainable Fisheries Dynamics” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Rong Wan and Prof. Dr. Junbo Zhang Submission deadline: 30 December 2025	“Coastal Ecosystems Under Pressure: Research on Biogeochemistry, Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management” Guest Editors: Dr. Marija Marguš and Dr. Jelena Mandić Submission deadline: 31 December 2025
“Social Sciences in Marine Ecology Conservation” Guest Editors: Dr. Chia-Hsuan Hsu and Dr. Jiefeng Kang Submission deadline: 31 December 2025

“IchthyNet: An Ensemble Method for the Classification of In Situ Marine Zooplankton Shadowgraph Images”
by Brittney Slocum and Bradley Penta
Oceans 2025, 6(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans6010007

“Exploring the Potential of Sentinel-1 Ocean Wind Field Product for Near-Surface Offshore Wind Assessment in the Norwegian Arctic”
by Eduard Khachatrian, Patricia Asemann, Lihong Zhou, Yngve Birkelund, Igor Esau and Benjamin Ricaud
Atmosphere 2024, 15(2), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020146

“CanStoc: A Hybrid Stochastic–GCM System for Monthly, Seasonal and Interannual Predictions”
by Shaun Lovejoy and Lenin Del Rio Amador
Meteorology 2023, 2(4), 509-529; https://doi.org/10.3390/meteorology2040029

Special Issues:

“Oceans from Space V” Guest Editor: Dr. Vittorio Barale Submission deadline: 1 October 2025	“Characterization and Monitoring of Coastal Hydrological Environment for Assessing the Impact of Seawater Intrusion on Coastal Aquifers” Guest Editors: Dr. Francesco Ronchetti, Dr. Marco Doveri and Dr. Marco Pola Submission deadline: 18 October 2025

World Environment Day is an urgent call to action as nature suffers from the devastating impacts of human activity. Annual plastic production exceeds 400 million tons, half of which is single-use plastic, with under 10% recycled. 11 million tons of plastic (equal to 2,200 Eiffel Towers) pollute waterways yearly. Microplastics contaminate our food, water, and air, with humans ingesting over 50,000 particles annually. This pollution harms health and ecosystems globally. A solution does exist, however. Governments, businesses, and individuals must adhere to the 5Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink. Join #BeatPlasticPollution this World Environment Day to create a sustainable future.

On this significant day, we are proud to present a curated collection of articles and initiatives dedicated to groundbreaking research and innovative solutions for protecting the environment and beating plastic pollution. We invite readers to explore these resources and join us in our shared mission of a sustainable vision of the future. Together, we can pave the way for a cleaner, healthier planet.

“Enhanced Separation of Palladium from Nuclear Wastewater by the Sulfur-Rich Functionalized Covalent Organic Framework”
by Junli Wang, Chen Luo, Wentao Wang, Hui Wang, Yao Liu, Jianwei Li and Taihong Yan
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(10), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15100714

“Prevention of Biofouling Due to Water Absorption of Natural Fiber Composites in the Aquatic Environment: A Critical Review”
by Cristiano Fragassa, Sara Mattiello, Martina Fronduti, Jo’ Del Gobbo, Radmila Gagic and Carlo Santulli
J. Compos. Sci. 2024, 8(12), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8120532

“Testing the Effectiveness of an Ecomedia Literacy Environmental Education Lesson”
by Ludovica Lo Iacono, Ludovica Lo Iacono and Emilio Paolo Visintin
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(12), 645; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13120645

“Airborne Microplastics: Challenges, Prospects, and Experimental Approaches”
by Alexey R. Rednikin, Yulia A. Frank, Artem O. Rozhin, Danil S. Vorobiev and Rawil F. Fakhrullin
Atmosphere 2024, 15(11), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15111380

“Emerging Technologies for Remote Sensing of Floating and Submerged Plastic Litter”
by Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy, Victor Martínez-Vicente, Heidi M. Dierssen, Valentina Raimondi, Erio Gandini, Robert Foster and Ved Chirayath
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(10), 1770; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16101770

“The Other Side of Fire in a Changing Environment: Evidence from a Mediterranean Country”
by Dimitrios Kalfas, Stavros Kalogiannidis, Fotios Chatzitheodoridis and Nikolaos Margaritis
Fire 2024, 7(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7020036

“A Review of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling: Technologies, Sustainability, and Open Issues”
by Alessandra Zanoletti, Eleonora Carena, Chiara Ferrara and Elza Bontempi
Batteries 2024, 10(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10010038

“A Comparative Analysis of Different Hydrogen Production Methods and Their Environmental Impact”
by Somtochukwu Godfrey Nnabuife, Caleb Kwasi Darko, Precious Chineze Obiako, Boyu Kuang, Xiaoxiao Sun and Karl Jenkins
Clean Technol. 2023, 5(4), 1344-1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol5040067

“Screening of Microplastics in Aquaculture Systems (Fish, Mussel, and Water Samples) by FTIR, Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Micro-Raman Spectroscopies”
by Kleopatra Miserli, Christos Lykos, Angelos G. Kalampounias and Ioannis Konstantinou
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(17), 9705; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13179705

“Microplastics, Additives, and Plasticizers in Freshwater Bivalves: Preliminary Research of Biomonitoring”
by Giulia Cesarini, Fabiana Corami, Beatrice Rosso and Massimiliano Scalici
Water 2023, 15(14), 2647; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15142647

“Advancements and Applications of Nanomaterials for Removal of Organic Compounds in Aquatic Environment” Guest Editors: Dr. Ramona Riedel and Prof. Dr. Giulio Malucelli Submission deadline: 20 August 2025	“Novel Sources, Designs and After-Use Pathways for Plastics in a Circular Economy” Guest Editor: Dr. María José Arévalo-Caballero Submission deadline: 31 August 2025
“Airborne Micro and Nanoplastics: Detection, Dynamics, and Exposure Assessment” Guest Editor: Dr. Yangyang Liu Submission deadline: 30 September 2025	“Aquatic Microplastic Pollution: Occurrence and Removal” Guest Editor: Dr. Lixin Zhu Submission deadline: 25 October 2025
“Innovative Strategies to Mitigate the Impact of Mining” Topic Editors: Prof. Dr. Chongchong Qi, Dr. Qiusong Chen and Dr. Danial Jahed Armaghani Submission deadline: 31 October 2025	“Enabling Strategies and Policies Toward a Sustainable Environment, 2nd Edition” Topic Editors: Dr. Abdul Majeed, Prof. Dr. Yuantao Xie and Prof. Dr. Judit Oláh Submission deadline: 31 October 2025

The Third National Conference on Coastal Zones will be held from 28 to 30 July 2025 in Yantai, Shandong Province, under the theme of “Sustainable Coastal Zones”. The conference focuses on coastal zone resources and environment monitoring, land- and sea-integrated planning, ecological restoration and disaster prevention and control and other cutting-edge issues, aiming to respond to the strategic needs of the national ocean power and ecological civilization construction and to promote scientific and technological innovation in the field of coastal zone and sustainable development. Through keynote reports, invited special reports, a scholars’ forum, poster presentations, journal columns, and other diversified forms, the conference will systematically highlight the latest achievements in coastal zone research driven by new technologies such as air and space information, big data, artificial intelligence, etc., and discuss the scientific path of the integrated management of coastal zones, ecological protection, and synergistic economic and social development. The conference will provide an interdisciplinary exchange platform for domestic and international experts, scholars, industry representatives, and young researchers to help modernize governance systems and promote the high-quality development of China’s coastal zone.

MDPI will be attending the conference as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from diverse backgrounds to attend and share their latest ideas with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Ecologies;
• Diversity;
• JMSE;
• Land;
• Earth;
• Safety;
• Coasts;
• Conservation;
• Environments;
• Remote Sensing;
• Hydrology.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, we encourage you to visit our booth and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the official website: https://www.science-conference.pro/demo_1023/cn/index.html.