The Mediterranean Sea has recently shown clear signs of climate change, including an increase in sea surface temperature, salinization of the intermediate and deep waters, and a rise in sea level over the last century that makes it a very vulnerable environment given its particularities of semi-enclosed densely populated basin.

Urgent social and economic drivers need targeted improvements in weather, climate, water, oceans, and relevant environmental information and services. Risks associated with climate variability and extreme environmental events may create social and economic stress which would require new meteorological, hydrological, oceanographic, and climate services in order to ensure the safety and security of populations and the development of adaptive economic strategies.

This special issue is devoted to scientific advances in multidisciplinary studies at several spatial and temporal scales in the Mediterranean Sea. We seek for new approaches and methods in physical and biogeochemical observations and models as well as in developments in operational oceanography (e.g. the fusion of observations and modelling products as well as downstream product development).

The purpose of this special issue is to illustrate the role of a sustainable coastal research infrastructure in supporting monitoring, sciences, and management of the coastal marine areas. As such the JERICO-RI research infrastructure is most suitable, gathering 34 partners in Europe with the same overarching objective: to strengthen and enlarge a solid and transparent European network of coastal observatories and to provide an operational service for the timely, continuous, and sustainable delivery of high-quality environmental (physical, biogeochemical, and biological) data and services related to the marine environment in European coastal seas. Six scientific areas are targeted, from the sensor development to the data analysis and the scientific results. These are the following:

1. the pelagic biodiversity with phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms;
2. the benthic biodiversity and habitats;
3. the contaminant transports;
4. the coastal transport and hydrology;
5. the carbonate systems and C cycle; and
6. the coastal operational oceanography and modelling.

The Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMeX, https://www.hymex.org/) programme is a 10-year concerted effort at the international level started in 2010 with aims to advance the understanding of the water cycle, and with emphases on the predictability and evolution of high-impact weather events, as well as on evaluating social vulnerability to these extreme events. The special issue is jointly organized between the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Ocean Science, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, and Geoscientific Model Development journals. It aims at gathering contributions to the areas of understanding, modelling, and predicting at various timescales and spatial scales of the Mediterranean water cycle and its related extreme events, including cyclones, heavy precipitation, flash floods and impacts, drought and water resources, strong winds, and dense water formation. The special issue is not limited to studies conducted within HyMeX: any multiscale or multidisciplinary approaches related to the Mediterranean water cycle are encouraged.

In this special issue papers resulting from the project “Marine biological production, organic aerosol particles and marine clouds: a Process Chain – MarParCloud” and closely related projects shall be aggregated. MarParCloud is a highly interdisciplinary project funded by the German Leibniz Society (https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/about-us/leibniz-competition/projekte-2016/funding-line-2/), which aims to improve our knowledge on the nature, formation, transfer and effects of organic matter (OM) in the marine environment. To this end the biological formation of OM in the ocean, its accumulation in the sea surface microlayer (SML), the export to marine aerosol particles and, finally, the importance of OM for the formation of cloud droplets and ice crystals are investigated. Within MarParCloud several field and tank studies were performed to investigate ambient seawater, the SML, aerosol particles and cloud water as well as water and air samples obtained during artificial bubble experiments. Closely related campaigns comprise the EU project MARSU (“Advanced analytical and mass spectrometric techniques to study ocean-atmosphere interactions”) and the MILAN study (“sea-surface MIcroLAyer at Night”), focusing on diel dynamics of the uppermost layer of the ocean, as well as the cruise EMB184 “Aerosol” performed with the R/V Elisabeth Mann Borgese. In addition to results from these projects and campaigns, this special issue is open for all submissions concerning the cycling of OM in the marine environment with potential atmospheric implications.

The Weddell Sea and the ocean off Dronning Maud Land, constituting the Weddell Gyre, are representative of the high-latitude Southern Ocean due to its pronounced seasonality, circumpolar currents, deep-water formation and seasonal sea-ice cover. The Weddell Gyre connects water masses from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current with those shaped by the large ice shelves and sea-ice formation in the southern perimeter of the Weddell Gyre. Biological and biogeochemical processes are strongly influenced by these conditions and contribute to a unique Weddell Sea ecosystem.

A portion of the western Weddell Sea is already experiencing consequences of climate change, including the acceleration of mass loss from ice shelves, enhanced ocean warming and freshening, rising air temperatures, and changes in wind patterns. This likely has an emerging influence on the local biological and biogeochemical processes. The eastern part of the Weddell Gyre, off Dronning Maud Land, however, appears relatively stable but is expected to experience warming, sea-ice retreat and ice-shelf loss in the course of this century. The re-emergence of the Maud Rise Polynya, with a potentially significant impact on regional water masses and biogeochemistry, underscores the importance of observing and understanding this region. Establishing knowledge of the present biological and biogeochemical processes and coupling with physics prior to major changes in this region is essential.

This special issue emerged from an October 2020 workshop organized by the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Weddell Sea and Dronning Maud Land Regional Working Group that brought together numerous scientists across multiple disciplines. However, the issue is open to anyone and we welcome additional contributions.

The Arctic is undergoing the most rapid changes in the climate system globally, as shown by the thinning and reduction of sea ice, the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, thawing permafrost, and the potential for more extreme weather events. Given the complexity of Arctic ecosystems, reducing uncertainties in the long-term response of Arctic ecosystems to climate change requires an interdisciplinary study of the relationships among physical, chemical, biological, and human processes with an emphasis on the interactions among system components. This special issue collects contributions from a wide range of fields supported by the Horizon 2020 project INTAROS (Integrated Arctic Observation System), including ocean and sea ice, atmosphere, the terrestrial sphere (e.g. patterns and controls of greenhouse gas emissions and their response to climate change particularly during the cold season), and the cryosphere. The ocean studies will be complemented by a wide range of other studies across the cryosphere, the atmosphere, and the terrestrial Arctic systems. The goal is to produce an integration of multi-disciplinary observations in the Arctic and report on innovative analysis and methods which can stimulate new products and improved services and to demonstrate the benefit of a continuous long-term effort in these observations to assess the temporal changes across the Arctic.

The Weddell Sea and the ocean off Dronning Maud Land, constituting the Weddell Gyre, are representative of the high-latitude Southern Ocean due to its pronounced seasonality, circumpolar currents, deep-water formation and seasonal sea-ice cover. The Weddell Gyre connects water masses from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current with those shaped by the large ice shelves and sea-ice formation in the southern perimeter of the Weddell Gyre. Biological and biogeochemical processes are strongly influenced by these conditions and contribute to a unique Weddell Sea ecosystem.

A portion of the western Weddell Sea is already experiencing consequences of climate change, including the acceleration of mass loss from ice shelves, enhanced ocean warming and freshening, rising air temperatures, and changes in wind patterns. This likely has an emerging influence on the local biological and biogeochemical processes. The eastern part of the Weddell Gyre, off Dronning Maud Land, however, appears relatively stable but is expected to experience warming, sea-ice retreat and ice-shelf loss in the course of this century. The re-emergence of the Maud Rise Polynya, with a potentially significant impact on regional water masses and biogeochemistry, underscores the importance of observing and understanding this region. Establishing knowledge of the present biological and biogeochemical processes and coupling with physics prior to major changes in this region is essential.

This special issue emerged from an October 2020 workshop organized by the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Weddell Sea and Dronning Maud Land Regional Working Group that brought together numerous scientists across multiple disciplines. However, the issue is open to anyone and we welcome additional contributions.

The Arctic is undergoing the most rapid changes in the climate system globally, as shown by the thinning and reduction of sea ice, the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, thawing permafrost, and the potential for more extreme weather events. Given the complexity of Arctic ecosystems, reducing uncertainties in the long-term response of Arctic ecosystems to climate change requires an interdisciplinary study of the relationships among physical, chemical, biological, and human processes with an emphasis on the interactions among system components. This special issue collects contributions from a wide range of fields supported by the Horizon 2020 project INTAROS (Integrated Arctic Observation System), including ocean and sea ice, atmosphere, the terrestrial sphere (e.g. patterns and controls of greenhouse gas emissions and their response to climate change particularly during the cold season), and the cryosphere. The ocean studies will be complemented by a wide range of other studies across the cryosphere, the atmosphere, and the terrestrial Arctic systems. The goal is to produce an integration of multi-disciplinary observations in the Arctic and report on innovative analysis and methods which can stimulate new products and improved services and to demonstrate the benefit of a continuous long-term effort in these observations to assess the temporal changes across the Arctic.

The Mediterranean Sea has recently shown clear signs of climate change, including an increase in sea surface temperature, salinization of the intermediate and deep waters, and a rise in sea level over the last century that makes it a very vulnerable environment given its particularities of semi-enclosed densely populated basin.

Urgent social and economic drivers need targeted improvements in weather, climate, water, oceans, and relevant environmental information and services. Risks associated with climate variability and extreme environmental events may create social and economic stress which would require new meteorological, hydrological, oceanographic, and climate services in order to ensure the safety and security of populations and the development of adaptive economic strategies.

This special issue is devoted to scientific advances in multidisciplinary studies at several spatial and temporal scales in the Mediterranean Sea. We seek for new approaches and methods in physical and biogeochemical observations and models as well as in developments in operational oceanography (e.g. the fusion of observations and modelling products as well as downstream product development).

In this special issue papers resulting from the project “Marine biological production, organic aerosol particles and marine clouds: a Process Chain – MarParCloud” and closely related projects shall be aggregated. MarParCloud is a highly interdisciplinary project funded by the German Leibniz Society (https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/about-us/leibniz-competition/projekte-2016/funding-line-2/), which aims to improve our knowledge on the nature, formation, transfer and effects of organic matter (OM) in the marine environment. To this end the biological formation of OM in the ocean, its accumulation in the sea surface microlayer (SML), the export to marine aerosol particles and, finally, the importance of OM for the formation of cloud droplets and ice crystals are investigated. Within MarParCloud several field and tank studies were performed to investigate ambient seawater, the SML, aerosol particles and cloud water as well as water and air samples obtained during artificial bubble experiments. Closely related campaigns comprise the EU project MARSU (“Advanced analytical and mass spectrometric techniques to study ocean-atmosphere interactions”) and the MILAN study (“sea-surface MIcroLAyer at Night”), focusing on diel dynamics of the uppermost layer of the ocean, as well as the cruise EMB184 “Aerosol” performed with the R/V Elisabeth Mann Borgese. In addition to results from these projects and campaigns, this special issue is open for all submissions concerning the cycling of OM in the marine environment with potential atmospheric implications.

The Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMeX, https://www.hymex.org/) programme is a 10-year concerted effort at the international level started in 2010 with aims to advance the understanding of the water cycle, and with emphases on the predictability and evolution of high-impact weather events, as well as on evaluating social vulnerability to these extreme events. The special issue is jointly organized between the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Ocean Science, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, and Geoscientific Model Development journals. It aims at gathering contributions to the areas of understanding, modelling, and predicting at various timescales and spatial scales of the Mediterranean water cycle and its related extreme events, including cyclones, heavy precipitation, flash floods and impacts, drought and water resources, strong winds, and dense water formation. The special issue is not limited to studies conducted within HyMeX: any multiscale or multidisciplinary approaches related to the Mediterranean water cycle are encouraged.

The purpose of this special issue is to illustrate the role of a sustainable coastal research infrastructure in supporting monitoring, sciences, and management of the coastal marine areas. As such the JERICO-RI research infrastructure is most suitable, gathering 34 partners in Europe with the same overarching objective: to strengthen and enlarge a solid and transparent European network of coastal observatories and to provide an operational service for the timely, continuous, and sustainable delivery of high-quality environmental (physical, biogeochemical, and biological) data and services related to the marine environment in European coastal seas. Six scientific areas are targeted, from the sensor development to the data analysis and the scientific results. These are the following:

1. the pelagic biodiversity with phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms;
2. the benthic biodiversity and habitats;
3. the contaminant transports;
4. the coastal transport and hydrology;
5. the carbonate systems and C cycle; and
6. the coastal operational oceanography and modelling.