Coastal Ecosystem Processes, Functions, Services and Protection

Coastal ecosystems, characterized as dynamic and complex transitional zones where land meets the sea, are among the most productive and valuable environments on Earth. They encompass a diverse array of habitats, including mangrove forests, salt marshes, seagrass beds, estuaries, and coral reefs, which collectively support an extraordinary concentration of biodiversity and provide a wide range of critical ecosystem services. However, these ecosystems are increasingly subjected to unprecedented anthropogenic and climate-induced pressures that fundamentally alter the intricate biogeochemical cycles governing their health, productivity, and resilience.

This Research Topic aims to attract cutting-edge studies focusing on the intricate linkages between coastal ecosystem protection and underlying biogeochemical processes. We invite contributions that investigate the mechanisms driving the degradation of essential coastal functions, elucidate the complex interactions among multiple environmental stressors, and explore the interconnected regulatory processes operating within these vital systems.

The development and application of innovative and sustainable technologies for the effective restoration of degraded coastal habitats are crucial for enhancing biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and improving the resilience of coastal communities. Through multi-scale temporal and spatial observations, researchers can examine the multifunctional characteristics of coastal ecosystems and their dynamic feedback responses to climate change and anthropogenic pressures, thereby supporting the advancement of nature-based solutions for coastal protection and sustainable management.

We welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes. Studies may employ methodologies such as field observations, remote sensing, mesocosm experiments, environmental DNA (eDNA), omics approaches, Earth-system modeling, machine learning, or socio-ecological valuation tools. Methodological innovations will be given equal consideration.

1. Anthropogenic and Climate-Induced Pressures on Coastal Biota

• Responses of coastal organisms to multiple, interacting stressors

• Impacts on biodiversity from genes to ecosystems

• Consequences for biological evolution, vegetation dynamics, and ecosystem succession

2. Key Biogeochemical Processes in Coastal Ecosystems

• Carbon sequestration mechanisms and blue-carbon stability

• Nitrogen and phosphorus cycles: sources, transformations, and budgets

• Biogeochemical feedbacks and their biological effects

3. The Critical Role of Coastal Ecosystems in Global Sustainability

• Coastal ecosystems as vital carbon sinks

• Biodiversity-mediated functions, including productivity, nutrient retention, and habitat provisioning

• Biophysical and socio-economic valuation of coastal ecosystem services

4. Advances in Coastal Ecosystem Protection and Restoration

• Innovative restoration approaches for coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves, and adjacent habitats

• Effective strategies for enhancing or maintaining coastal biodiversity

• Interventions to strengthen ecosystem resilience

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Coastal ecosystems, Biodiversity, Biological evolution, Vegetation dynamics, Ecosystem succession, Biogeochemical processes, Carbon & nutrient cycles, Anthropogenic & climate pressures, Nature-based restoration, Blue carbon, Habitat degradation mechanisms

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.