On April 19-20, 2024, the Frontier forum on cross-sectional studies of coastal hydrogeochemistry was successfully held at Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (YIC-CAS). Prof. Kai Xiao invited several internationally renowned experts including Prof. William C. Burnett (Florida State University, an international authority in the field of isotope oceanography), Prof. Adina Paytan (University of California, Santa Cruz, AGU Fellow, ALSO Fellow), Prof. Isaac R. Santos (University of Gothenburg, AGU Fellow, ALSO Fellow, Chief Editor of Global Biogeochemical Cycles), Prof. Henrietta Dulai (Director of the Department of Earth Science, University of Hawaii, Associate Editor of Limnology and Oceanography Letters/Marine Chemistry), Associate Professor Natasha T. Dimova (University of Alabama), as well as more than 30 representatives from domestic universities and research institutions such as Ocean University of China, Jilin University, Westlake University, Jimei University, and the Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, China Geological Survey, attended the conference. Director Song Qin of YIC-CAS, delivered the opening remarks, and the conference was co-chaired by Deputy Director Guangxuan Han and Prof. Kai Xiao.

At the meeting, Director Song Qin introduced that YIC-CAS keeps remaining the original aspiration of "explore the nature of the coastal zone and support its sustainable development" has developed into a national strategic scientific and technological strength in the fields of coastal zone environmental protection, ecological security and sustainable use of strategic resources. YIC will endeavour to boost the development of Future Earth Coasts, seize the scientific and technological leading height in the field of coastal zone system science, and continue to promote more in-depth academic exchanges and cooperation between scholars at home and abroad.

Deputy Director Guangxuan Han introduced the experts attending the conference, extending sincere welcome and gratitude for their presence and support. Prof. Adina Paytan and Prof. Isaac R. Santos delivered excellent keynote academic presentations titled "Blue carbon sequestration - A nature-based solution to combat climate change" and "Carbon outwelling from mangroves and saltmarshes - a major blue carbon sequestration pathway," respectively. These presentations sparked wide-ranging discussions and exchanges among the participants.

Prof. Adina Paytan was delivering the academic presentation

Prof. Isaac R. Santos was delivering the academic presentation

Group photo of participants at the YIC

After the meeting, the experts visited the Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences for on-site inspections. Deputy Director Guangxuan Han, along with station staff and students, provided detailed explanations to the experts about the design concepts, monitoring indicators, and monitoring methods of field control experimental sites and platforms, including surface flooding, rainfall, warming, tidal control CO₂ doubling, nitrogen addition, etc.

Field trip

Finally, the deputy director guangxuan Han shared the fruitful research outcomes achieved in recent years based on field control experimental sites. Researchers presented relevant research progress and achievements in the soil carbon cycling of blue carbon ecosystems along China's coastal zone.

Seminar on the field station

This forum brought together renowned experts from home and abroad to discuss the cutting-edge issues in the field of coastal zone hydrogeochemistry, sparked teachers and students to think about the carbon cycle and ecological environment of the coastal zone, promoted academic exchanges and co-operations with counterparts, and provided new ideas and inspirations for carrying out relevant research in the future.