The coastal zone is a vital component of global sustainable development and a key area of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. However, coastal ecosystems are under increasing stresses from both human activities and climate change. There is an urgent need to establish a long-term and systematic observation and research platform for the coastal ecosystems. This will enable accurate simulation and prediction of the coastal ecosystem, and support and promote the innovation of regional Earth system science theories.
Under the guidance of the National Science and Technology Infrastructure Center, the T-SMART (National Observation and Research Station for the Taiwan Strait Marine Ecosystem, Xiamen University) hosted the Workshop on Networked Observation Planning of Chinese Marine Stations from March 27-28, 2025, in Dongshan, Fujian, China. More than ten national- and ministerial-level marine stations attended the workshop. All attendees agreed to advance the Partnership of Chinese Marine Stations initiative. By leveraging existing observation facilities, the initiative aims to establish a joint observation network for the marine ecosystems, fostering collaborations on major scientific challenges and critical research needs.
Guest post by: Bangqin Huang @ T-SMART.