Coastal and Continental Shelf Dynamics in a Changing Climate II

Dear Colleagues,

In an ever changing Earth, the coastal settings and continental shelves represent the dynamic transition zone between the land and ocean, including a variety of geomorphic features as well as rich living and non-living natural resources. They are also extremely important environments that enhance prosperity in many societies by integrating ecosystem services and a plethora of activities (e.g., agriculture, tourism, fishing, aquaculture, maritime transport, exploitation of natural resources, development of submarine infrastructure). In addition, and most importantly, shelf seas have been contributing, throughout the geologic time, to climate amelioration via the absorption of the excess amounts of the climatically-crucial greenhouse gases, while they accommodate processes that have been affecting the stratigraphy of the deep-water depositional systems.

The successful completion of the first volume of the Special Issue "Coastal and Continental Shelf Dynamics in a Changing Climate" included a diversity of studies within the context of climate variability, dealing with the following topics: (i) geomorphologic evolution and local and regional paleoclimate reconstructions of coastal settings in the Mediterranean Basin, which is a hotspot of global climate changes; (ii) coastal vulnerability due to the acceleration of the present sea level rise; (iii) thermal maturity of the pre-Messinian sediment strata in the Mediterranean Ridge occurring below the evaporite giant formed during the Messinian Salinity Crisis (triggered by a combination of tectonics and global climate change); (iv) compounding effects of sea level rise and fluvial flooding; (v) iron biochemistry in Antarctica affected by the circumpolar deep water current in the Southern Ocean; (vi) increase in salinization in river estuaries and unconfined coastal aquifers due to the enhancement of the current sea level rise rate; and, finally, (vii) need for an effective implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD) for the amelioration of the effects of the current climate trend.

Now we offer a second volume focusing on the degree of impacts of the present climate trend on specific coastal environments (e.g., beach zones, lagoons, coastal dunes, coral reefs, estuaries, river deltas) and their mitigation in terms of adaptation, building capacity (through monitoring and remote sensing tools) and assessment of their social and economic consequences. Further, the second volume has the ambition to address issues related to marine biology such as invasion of alien species, acidification and eutrophication phenomena. Finally, submissions concerning the reconstruction of paleoclimate and paleoceanographic conditions throughout the world are highly recommended, since the understanding of past climate can provide vital clues for a reliable assessment of the future global warming and its effects on ecosystems and human prosperity.

Dr. Ioannis Panagiotopoulos
Dr. Serafeim E. Poulos
Dr. Vasilios Kapsimalis
Guest Editors

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