Submit your abstract for IMBeR Future Oceans₃

Navigating a future ocean: Inward, outward, and forward

Call for Abstracts

IMBeR invites prospective participants to submit abstracts for the following sessions. The organizing committee will select submissions for oral or poster presentations within the available time and space. Plenary sessions and poster presentations will enable participants to engage with broader themes and network with colleagues beyond your selected session.

Abstract submission for the IMBeR Doctoral Forum is now open! NEW

Choose a session and submit an abstract by

20 March 2025!

We will also use the virtual event platform Whova to facilitate poster sessions and networking opportunities. Only registered attendees will have access to the app.

Updates on Synthesis Talks from IMBeR Science Team

Two decades of research under CLIOTOP: IMBER’s Regional Program on Climate Impacts on Oceanic Top Predators

Pethybridge, H.R., Lorrain, A., Allain, V., Brodie, S., Choy, C. A., Huveneers, C., Medieu, A., Meyers, L., Peng, L., Scales, K., Li, Y.

Abstract

This talk will showcase the transformative research and key insights gained from two decades of international collaboration under CLIOTOP. Since 2005, CLIOTOP has established a global network of over 200 researchers investigating the complex interactions among climate variability and human uses of the ocean, and their cascading effects on marine top predators and ecosystems. Through coordinated, interdisciplinary efforts spanning ocean basins and species, CLIOTOP has developed innovative methodologies and integrated approaches that have fundamentally advanced our understanding of marine ecosystem dynamics. The program has also bridged natural and social sciences, fostering a more holistic understanding of coupled human-natural marine systems.

Currently, four active Task Teams are advancing CLIOTOP’s research on oceanic top predators. Two focus on trophodynamics, including global analyses of mesopelagic food web linkages to tunas and the ecological role of white sharks. Another examines the impacts of marine heatwaves on top predators in tropical oceans, while the fourth addresses key challenges and innovations in marine ecological forecasting. These efforts are shaping global research, enhancing international networks and knowledge exchange, and informing sustainable resource management, conservation, and fisheries strategies in an era of rapid ocean change.

Looking ahead, CLIOTOP will focus on emerging research priorities, including integrating novel monitoring technologies, advancing ecosystem models with climate projections, and strengthening pathways to translate scientific findings into adaptive management approaches. Addressing barriers to effective collaboration—such as equitable funding, cross-cultural knowledge exchange, and aligned research priorities—will be key to maximizing global research impact and ensuring sustainable ocean stewardship.

SIBER and the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition

Raleigh R. Hood, Gregory Cowie

Abstract

SCOR, IOC, and the Indian Ocean GOOS program (IOGOOS) are coordinating a new phase of international research focused on the Indian Ocean, which began in late 2015 and will continue through 2025. The goal is to assist ongoing research and stimulate new initiatives in this time frame as part of the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition - IIOE-2. This initiative, which was motivated by IMBeR’s Sustained Indian Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (SIBER) program, has been highly successful, but has not yet achieved all of its stated objectives. In particular, there is still work that needs to be done to fully examine the biogeochemical and ecological impacts of anthropogenic influences on the ocean and how these will, in turn, impact coastal marine environments and human populations. There is also a need to focus more on coastal monitoring and management, data sharing, scientific engagement of Indian Ocean rim countries, and capacity development. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation and postponement of numerous planned meetings and research cruises during 2020–2022. However, there has been a rapid resumption of cruise activity since the COVID-19 lockdown. Given the current momentum of IIOE-2 and the clear need to address the remaining challenges, the IIOE-2 community is seeking to extend IIOE-2 for an additional 5 years to 2030.  

The SOLAS-IMBER Ocean Acidification Working Group – 15 years of ocean acidification science

Dupont, S., Hansson, L.

Abstract

Ocean acidification is broadly recognized as a major problem for marine ecosystems worldwide, with follow-on effects to the economies of ocean-dependent communities. A need for coordination of ocean acidification monitoring, research and synthesis activities led to the creation of the SOLAS (Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study) and IMBeR (Integrated Marine Biosphere Research) ocean acidification (SIOA) working group in 2009. This group facilitated the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) to coordinate, promote, and facilitate global OA activities. These initiatives worked toward the development of tools, best practices, training and communication opportunities and significantly contributed to the development of the field. This presentation will summarize the past, present and the strategy for future activities of the SIOA in parallel with the evolution of ocean acidification science. In close collaboration with international partners such as IOC-UNESCO and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, and networks such as the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) and the UN Ocean Decade endorsed program Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability, the SIOA and OAICC now aim at promoting the science needed to take action to minimize and address ocean acidification. This will require research on ocean acidification in the context of biodiversity, multiple stressors, the modulating role of time, and marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR). 

Key activities, successes and future outlook of the OC-PC Study Group

Park, Y., Shen, F., Hong, G., Zuo, F., Qin, K.

Abstract

The IMBeR OCPC Study Group, formed in 2022 with ocean satellite experts, aims to enhance the use of Earth Observation (EO) data for sustainable development in the Central Indo-Pacific (CIP). Through collaboration with regional participants, the group seeks to improve EO data utilization for specific interests. Experts conducted three online sessions on satellite data archives, tools, and applications. Thirteen participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore proposed diverse projects, including fisheries, climate variability, algal blooms, and bio-optical properties, and advanced their studies receiving mentorship. A workshop was held in Bali in November 2023 to discuss the final results in person. This initiative provided a unique experience for direct mentor-participant collaboration forstering knowlege exchange. Participants requested further training on best practices, from field observations to satellite data use. Given the CIP’s vulnerability to climate change and natural hazards, increased EO data utilization is vital for sustainable development and climate mitigation in the region.

Stay tuned for more updates on Synthesis Talks as new abstracts continue to roll in!

Updates on Invited Talks from Synthesis/Theme Sessions

Stakeholder engagement in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

Ballesteros, M., Dickey-Collas, M.

Abstract

Stakeholder engagement has become pivotal in research and policy processes in the marine realm worldwide. However, participation is still a multilayered puzzle of credibility, legitimacy and saliency. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) mission is to advance and share scientific understanding of marine ecosystems and services and to use this knowledge to generate state-of-the-art advice for meeting conservation, management, and sustainability goals. ICES represents 20 contracting parties from the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and Arctic and engages, on an annual basis, nearly 2000 researchers.

ICES could be considered representative of other major global organizations, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): knowledge-intensive organizations with an advisory role, using information with high levels of uncertainty and receiving demands for stakeholder engagement.

ICES has generated knowledge and advice for more than 100 years, although opening and reflecting on how to dialogue and interact with stakeholders started to be explored only 30 years ago. Our research combines literature review, participatory observation, theory of participation and institutional analysis to develop a typology for managing participation at the science-policy interface.

Typologies of participation conventionally focus on three main variables: the who, the how, and the what for. More comprehensive approaches combine agency (top-down and bottom-up) and participation mode (from communication to consultation and co-production). Our typology explicitly acknowledges that power dynamics are inherent to any participatory process. Innovation relies on the multiple roles stakeholders may play within an organization and the fact that the same stakeholder could assume a different role depending on the process. We will present the theoretical development and implementation through the ICES Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (2023) and how it supports our capability to design participatory processes in light of organizational and societal goals.

The legacy effect of changing nutrient inputs to coastal ecosystems

Jacob Carstensen, Signe Høgslund, Jeremy Testa

Abstract

Nutrient management plans have been successful in reducing nutrient inputs to many coastal ecosystems, but ecosystem responses have been unanticipatedly weak. This lack of recovery has been attributed to a legacy effect of past nutrient inputs, possibly sustaining sediment nutrient release and eutrophication over longer periods. We analyzed sediment pools of carbon (measured as Loss-of-Ignition, LoI), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) sampled over 25 years in two separate periods (1999-2003 and 2017-2023) across 14 Danish estuaries and coastal ecosystems, following substantial reductions in inputs of nitrogen (>50%) and phosphorus (>80%) from land, the majority of these occurring from 1985 to 1997. Sediment properties were not connected with water properties at station level, whereas LoI, TN and TP increased with water column depth and decreased with physical exposure, suggesting that sedimentation properties governed the overall concentrations. Sediment pools of LoI, TN and TP decreased by 6-8% between the two periods, although these changes were not signicant. Variability among sediment cores was high, particularly spatial variability but also temporal variability, although variability could be reduced by normalizing TN and TP to LoI. Only TP changed significantly with sediment depth, but there was no significant difference in the shape of the profiles over time. Given the relatively large sampling effort (>130 cores), we estimated that it should be possible to detect changes of 15-20% with a probability of 80%. The changes in sediment pools are consistent with other studies, when considering the relative reductions in nutrient inputs. Collectively, the trends also suggest that the legacy effect of nutrient reductions was within a few years rather than decades and that the legacy effect is small. Hence, the lack of coastal ecosystem recovery is most likely due to other factors.

Expanding blue carbon assessments: the overlooked role of alkalinity in seagrass meadows

Wen-Chen Chou, Mariche B. Natividad, Jian-Jhih Chen, Wei-Jen Huang

Abstract

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems (CBCEs), including seagrass meadows, play a crucial role in carbon sequestration. While traditional assessments have largely focused on particulate organic carbon (POC) burial, emerging research highlights the significant yet often overlooked contributions of total alkalinity (TA) to long-term carbon storage. This study synthesizes insights from two recent investigations: one emphasizing the role of TA and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as "invisible" blue carbon sinks, and another demonstrating how sediment composition influences TA production in seagrass meadows. The findings reveal that seagrass meadows situated in organic carbon (OC)-rich reef sediments exhibit benthic TA fluxes up to two orders of magnitude higher than those in OC-poor terrestrial sediments. This enhanced TA production fosters CO₂ uptake through alkalinity-driven processes, reducing the partial pressure of CO₂ in seawater and strengthening the ocean’s buffering capacity against acidification. Key biogeochemical mechanisms facilitating these processes include metabolic carbonate dissolution and sulfate reduction, which together contribute to enhanced TA production. Given that TA outwelling from CBCEs may surpass in situ organic carbon burial, we propose expanding blue carbon assessments to incorporate these overlooked pathways. Integrating TA dynamics into global carbon accounting will provide a more comprehensive understanding of coastal ecosystems’ contributions to climate mitigation. Additionally, prioritizing seagrass restoration in high-OC reef sediment regions could maximize long-term sequestration benefits, improving coastal resilience and supporting marine biodiversity. To optimize the effectiveness of these conservation efforts, further research is needed to refine our understanding of TA production mechanisms, their variability across different environments, and their long-term stability. Incorporating these insights into climate policy and blue carbon credit frameworks will enhance the role of CBCEs in global carbon budgets, ensuring that their full sequestration potential is realized in climate mitigation strategies.

Biogeochemical modeling to investigate the impacts of ocean acidification and hypoxia in Tokyo Bay, Japan

Lawrence Patrick C. Bernardo, Masahiko Fujii, Tsuneo Ono

Abstract

There is growing concern in recent years that, like global warming, ocean acidification primarily caused by excessive anthropogenic CO₂ may adversely affect calcifying organisms. Similarly, hypoxia, the long-term decline in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in seawater, has also been linked to global warming and ocean acidification. The combined effects of these concurrent phenomena on various species and life-stages of marine organisms are complex and need further elucidation. This study aims to develop an approach to help evaluate and predict the combined effects of ocean acidification and hypoxia on calcifying organisms for Tokyo Bay. The Coastal and Regional Ocean COmmunity (CROCO) modeling system (Jullien et al., 2019) was used to couple the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) (Shchepetkin and McWilliams, 2005) with the Pelagic Interactions Scheme for Carbon and Ecosystem Studies (PISCES) model (Aumont and Bopp, 2006), to simulate physical and biogeochemical processes in the highly eutrophic Tokyo Bay. The model grid resolution was ~1 km with bathymetry derived from the ~500 m General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). While mostly reproducing the general trends in observed physical parameters, the simulations failed to properly capture the relatively low pH levels and omega aragonite saturation states detected by the continuous monitoring sensors, especially in deeper waters. Trends in DO were generally well-reproduced, except for the summer season in near-bottom waters. River nutrient inputs may be still greatly underestimated, and biogeochemical initial and boundary condition settings need to be improved. Overall, this study stresses the importance of having model setups capable of incorporating both local and regional factors affecting ocean acidification and hypoxia as potentially useful tools in the determination of necessary mitigation and adaptation measures.

Introducing Indonesia Marine Biogeochemistry Forum (IMBF): Mainstreaming marine biogeochemistry research and synergizing IMBeR's global objectives

A’an Johan Wahyudi

Abstract

The Indonesia Marine Biogeochemistry Forum (IMBF) is a new collaborative initiative dedicated to advance marine biogeochemistry research in Indonesia while aligning with the global objectives of the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) program. Indonesia’s marine environment plays a crucial role in regional and global biogeochemical cycles, yet it faces challenges such as ocean acidification, deoxygenation, eutrophication, and anthropogenic pressures. Addressing these issues requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach that connects research, policy, and sustainable ocean management. IMBF focuses on mainstreaming marine biogeochemistry by fostering collaboration among researchers, institutions, and stakeholders. Its key activities include marine biogeochemistry literacy programs (webinars, scientific discussions), capacity-building programs (short courses, technical training), data-sharing initiatives, and interdisciplinary joint research. These efforts enhance understanding of key biogeochemical processes and their implications for ocean health while strengthening Indonesia’s role in regional and global marine research networks. By supporting IMBeR’s global objectives, IMBF contributes to research on climate-ocean interactions, biogeochemical variability, and ecosystem resilience. The forum also provides a platform for young scientists and early career ocean professionals (ECOPs) to engage in international collaborations and knowledge exchange. This presentation highlights IMBF’s mission, core activities, and strategic roadmap for integrating Indonesian marine biogeochemistry research into the broader IMBeR framework, ensuring a coordinated and impactful approach to ocean sustainability.



Stay tuned for more updates on Invited Talks as new abstracts continue to roll in!

Sessions

Grand Challenges Synthesis sessions:

• Session 1: Understanding multi-stressors of marine environments and achievements and challenges from ecosystem resilience and environmental management
• Session 2: Achievements from IMBeR Grand Challenge 2 and opportunities for IMBeR 3.0: from scenarios, predictions and projections to actions, solutions and interventions
• Session 3: Blue Transformations: Governance for the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus

Theme sessions:

• Session 4: Stakeholder engagement in complex ocean multilevel governance settings
• Session 5: Island biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in the Anthropocene (IMBeR and the Institute of Eco-Chongming co-organized session)
• Session 6: Coastal blue carbon ecosystem: Carbon resources evaluation, sources-sinks processes and management collaboration
• Session 8: Synthesizing ecosystem-social interactions in coastal seas
• Session 9: Optical remote sensing in the Northwest Pacific and the Central Indo-Pacific Oceans
• Session 10: Coastal ecosystems in a warming sea (Update Coming Soon)
• Session 11: International research and educational collaboration for sustainable tropical and subtropical marine ecosystems
• Session 12: SIBER and the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition

IMBeR-partner session:

• Session 7: IMBeR strategic partnership: Recognizing interfaces and building synergies with relevant projects and UN Ocean Decade Programmes



*Each session will invite an Early Career Researcher to serve as a co-convener and/or rapporteur as the program develops.

IMECaN Event

Reflecting on IMECaN’s Journey:

Achievements, Insights, and Future Directions

This hybrid session will explore the Interdisciplinary Marine Early Career Network’s (IMECaN) evolution and impact over its first eight years, bringing together current and past members from diverse career stages and geographical locations. Participants will reflect on IMECaN’s achievements since its 2016 establishment, examining its role in fostering collaborations, providing training opportunities, and promoting leadership development for early career researchers, particularly from developing countries. IMECaN now has 1,243 members from 103 countries, excluding Antarctica, with diverse participation across all continents. At least 25% of members are students at various levels, while the remaining members range from postdoctoral researchers to professors. Although the primary research themes include biodiversity, systematics, marine ecology, fisheries, and climate change, only 12% of the members focus on these topics, highlighting the diversity of the broad range of research interests within the network. The session will analyze the network’s growth, evaluate its success in supporting interdisciplinary marine research, and discuss future directions as IMBeR enters a new phase. By reflecting on our past and envisioning our future, this session aims to strengthen IMECaN’s role in shaping the next generation of marine researchers and contributing to sustainable ocean governance. Following the session, an in-person meeting will synthesize the gathered information for a peer-reviewed article, with authorship opportunities for all contributors.



Learn more here



ONE-DAY EXCURSION

Chongming Island Field Trip

-Xisha Wetland Park

-Institute of Eco-Chongming

-Chongming Planning Exhibition Hall

-Chinese Sturgeon Base

Registration and payment details will be available soon.

Learn more here

Capturing IMBeR: Share Your Photos and Memories

We invite all IMBeR participants - past and present - to contribute photos that capture the spirit of IMBeR’s activities over the years. Whether from fieldwork, meetings, workshops, summer schools, or community engagement events, your photos will help illustrate IMBeR’s impact and legacy.

Please send high-resolution images, along with a brief description and credit information, to imber@ecnu.edu.cn.

IMBeR Synthesis and Future Planning Conference (Future Oceans 3) is an endorsed United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development activity.

Meeting Secretariat: IMBeR International Project Office

Contact us: imber@ecnu.edu.cn