With over 200 enrolled from all over the world, the 4 presenters went deep into a subject of extreme importance, how climate change is affecting the world’s oceans and coasts.

Prof. Dr. Marcel Stive introduced the topic and presented the 3 speakers. Dr. Sam Dupont started the session with a presentation on the " What do we need to limit the impact of climate change and acidification on our oceans?". Dr. Georg Umgieser followed him presenting his research and discussing the topic of “What is the future of Venice under climate change?”. Dr. Kevin Xu was the final speaker and discussed about ‘What is the future of the Mississippi delta under Climate Change and Land Loss?".

The details of experts: Dr. Marcel Stive is emeritus professor of the Coastal Engineering Chair at Delft University of Technology since 2017. He has 40 years experience in research and consultancy projects in the fields of hydraulic engineering, coastal morphodynamics, coastal bio-geomorphology and coastal and estuarine management. He is considered the “father” of the “Sand Engine”, a Building with Nature iconic project. In 2012 he received an Honorary Doctorate from Lund University, Sweden. In 2013 he was knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion. In 2014 he received the Coastal Sediments Award, in 2015 the ASCE Coastal Award, and in 2018 the Jiangsu Province Friendship Award, P.R. China.

Dr. Sam Dupont is an Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Marine Eco-Physiology at the University of Gothenburg. His main research focus is the effect of global changes—such as ocean acidification and warming—on marine ecosystems. He has published in more than 180 publications in journals including Nature, PNAS and TREE. He is also working on the development of innovative science communication and education strategies to tackle global challenges through his roles as Steering Committee member of the Centre for Collective Action Research (CeCAR), communication coordinator of the Nordic Centre of Excellence on Sustainable and Resilient Aquatic Production (SUREAQUA) and contributing author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The third aspect of his work aims at evaluating and building capacities for marine science in developing countries.

Dr. Georg Umgiesser, M.Sc in Oceanography (1986) and M.Sc in Physics (1997) at University of Hamburg, Germany, Ph.D in Biomedical Sciences (2009) at University of Klaipeda, Lithuania. Working at ISMAR-CNR Venice since 1992 he actually covers a position of director of research. He created the modeling framework SHYFEM that is used in the modeling of lagoons and the coastal zone by many groups. He wrote more than 200 papers in peer refereed journals. He is a member of the ETWCH-4 expert team of JCOMM on Waves and Coastal Hazards and is responsible for ISMAR in the MONGOOS (ex MOON) network. In the new ESFRI infrastructure Danubius-RI he is the Italian responsible and the leader of the thematic modeling node.

Dr. Kevin Xu is Interim Director of Coastal Studies Institute and James P. Morgan Distinguished Professor of Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University. He serves as Associate Editor of Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science and Chair of Education and Knowledge Transfer Group of Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System. Dr. Xu’s research is focused on marsh edge erosion, sediment diversion, marsh creation, barrier island restoration and other projects relevant to coastal restoration and protection in Louisiana and around the world under the impact of climate change. Specifically, his studies are focused on the understanding of how climatic and anthropogenic forcings impact a river’s sediment discharge from its drainage basin, how sediment is transported by physical oceanographic processes (e.g., waves and currents), and how it is ultimately preserved in deltas, estuaries, continental shelves and deeper water. Dr. Xu has published >70 peer review journal articles which received >5000 citations globally.