Ocean Modelling is an international journal that highlights the significant findings and breakthroughs in all aspects of ocean modelling research to support the advancement of ocean sciences.

Ocean Modelling welcomes submissions in various forms of mechanism analysis, laboratory experiments, ocean model development, improvements and applications, as well as model-observation synergies. In particular, ocean model applications at different scales that aim at understanding the ocean and Earth system and its coupling to biological, geological and chemical systems are welcome. Special attention can be also given to interdisciplinary contributions focusing on interactions between physics, biology and chemistry, cross-scale processes, and machine learning.

The journal publishes topics including:

    Models of ocean circulation, surface waves, tides and sea ice, marine ecosystems, biogeochemical processes, sediment processes, and coastal morphology.
    Earth system models, ocean-atmosphere coupled models, and climate models with a special emphasis on the role of the ocean.
    Innovative modelling, combined with observational, theoretical studies concerning physical and biogeochemical processes in different time and space scales.
    Technologies associated with ocean model development, (e.g., model framework, coupler, data assimilation, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence).
    Simulation, prediction and response strategy of ocean and climate disasters like tsunamis, flooding, volcano eruptions, float stone, marine heat waves, oil spill movements, etc.
    Improved understanding of the variability in the ocean and its past, present and future role in the wider climate system using models and observations.

Topical Collections will be envisaged for timely topics, related to ocean modelling, to promote key advances in specific research areas in ocean modelling and to bring together high-quality contributions in the collection's domain. Ocean Modelling welcome submissions to the 3 ongoing Topical Collections: Cross-Scale Processes in Ocean Modelling, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Methods and Applications for Ocean Modelling, Advancements in Earth System Modelling with Ocean Components.

Ocean Modelling publishes 12 issues per year with 4 categories of articles, including:

1. Research Papers form the core of the journal, with a typical length of 6000 words and a maximum of 10000 words.
2. Reviews are between 8000 and 20000 words, on topics cross traditional lines.
3. Short Communications are short research papers, with a typical length of 2000 words, and a maximum of 5000 words, 3 Figures or Tables.
4. Perspective papers discuss about subjective positions, viewpoints or new concepts within less than 2000 words.

Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Methods and Applications for Ocean Modelling
Submission Date: 2025-12-31

This collection covers the latest advances and challenges in applying artificial intelligence techniques, such as machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and generative adversarial networks, to various aspects of ocean modelling, such as emulation, data assimilation, parameterization, uncertainty quantification and prediction etc. The collection can include broad range of applications of AI in ocean modelling such as (i) improving the accuracy and efficiency of ocean simulations; (ii) predicting and analyzing ocean elements and phenomena; and (iii) monitoring and protecting the ocean ecosystem and resources. Further studies are needed to advance the field of AI for ocean modelling and to ensure its responsible and beneficial use.

Manuscript submission information:

You are invited to submit your manuscript to the topical collection. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact Prof. Joanna Staneva via joanna.staneva@hereon.de.

The journal’s submission platform (EditorialManager®) is now available for receiving submissions to this Topical Collection. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of “Topical Collection: AI Methods and Applications” when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ocean-modelling

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately.

Special Issue on Advancements in Earth System Modelling with Ocean Components
Submission Date: 2025-12-31

This collection focuses on the development and improvement of earth system models that incorporate ocean components, such as ocean circulation, waves, ice, land and biogeochemistry. It also examines the roles of the ocean in the earth system and its response to climate change and human activities.

Manuscript submission information:

You are invited to submit your manuscript to the topical collection. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact Prof. Joanna Staneva via joanna.staneva@hereon.de.

The journal’s submission platform (EditorialManager®) is now available for receiving submissions to this Topical Collection. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of “Topical Collection: Earth System Modelling” when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ocean-modelling

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately.

Special Issue on Cross-Scale Processes in Ocean Modelling
Submission Date: 2025-12-31

The collection explores the complex interactions and feedbacks among different scales and domains of ocean modelling, such as the circulation-tide-internal/surface waves-turbulence interactions, the land-to-ocean continuum, the coastal and regional models, including ocean, waves, hydrology, water quality, transport morphodynamics, biogeochemical models.

Special Issue on Oil spills in aquatic systems
Submission Date: 2025-12-31

Fossil fuel energy occupies 84% of global needs, and oil still provides one third of the total energy demand. While much emphasis has recently been placed on renewable energy, to meet global energy demand, there will be a continuation of offshore oil exploration, production and transport activities for decades to come. Despite technological advances and improvements in operational safety protocols, accidental oil spills can and will occur. Following the Deepwater Horizon Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, funding for oil spill research increased from a few million dollars to hundreds of million dollars . Theis incident, involving the subsurface release of oil at 1,500 m depth, challenged existing policies; for example under the US Congress Oil Pollution Act of 1990, known as OPA90, dispersants could be used only more than three miles offshores and when the depth is greater than 30 feet (10 m), the latter to protect benthic organisms. However, the DWH was at the sea floor, and thus this presented a major challenge for the interpretation of the law. Currently, there is concern over our understanding of the fate and behavior of new fossil fuel formulations (e.g., low sulphur fuels) and other unconventional products (e.g., diluted bitumen) that could be spilled at sea and our capability to respond to such events. Our understanding on the fate, behaviour and environmental effects of oil spilled at sea and the effectiveness of current and emerging countermeasure options has been highlighted in publications from various countries and disciplines. The scientific community has been addressing knowledge gaps and identifying emerging issues of concern related to oil spills. To raise awareness of the latest in the field, Elsevier aims to bring together a broad group international experts to produce special journal issues to cover topics that include the fate and impact of oil spills, the feasibility and effectiveness of response technologies , the mitigation of produced water discharges from oil and gas extraction, techniques to reduce greenhouse gases from oil and gas extractions, etc.

Guest editors:

Michel Boufadel, PhD, PE
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Marine Pollution Bulletin
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey, United States of America
Email: boufadel@gmail.com

Chunjiang An, PhD
Organization: Concordia University Department of Building Civil and Environmental Engineering, Montréal, Canada
Email: chunjiang.an@concordia.ca

Charles Greer, PhD
Organization: McGill University, Canada
Email: cwgreer0@gmail.com

Kenneth Lee, PhD
Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Retired), Ottawa, Canada
Email: kleeyhz@gmail.com

Baiyu Zhang, PhD
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Canada
Email: bzhang@mun.ca

Special Issue on Intelligent Ocean: AI-Driven Solutions for Deep Blue Future
Submission Date: 2025-12-31

The ocean, critical to global sustainability, faces complex challenges from climate change, ecological degradation, and resource management. This special issue explores how artificial intelligence (AI) transforms ocean science and engineering, fostering a "deep blue future" through data-driven innovation. It highlights AI’s role in reshaping ocean science: constructing marine big data infrastructure to integrate sensor, satellite, and autonomous system datasets; developing AI algorithmic frameworks—from machine learning to physics-informed neural networks—to decode complex oceanic patterns; enabling intelligent recognition of marine phenomena, including ocean dynamics, ecosystem dynamics, and anomaly detection; and fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration to create adaptive intelligent ocean models. By bridging data-driven insights with practical applications, these contributions demonstrate how AI transcends traditional boundaries, driving predictive, sustainable, and equitable ocean management—an essential paradigm for safeguarding our planet’s “Deep Blue Future” amid unprecedented environmental change.  

Guest editors: 

Changming Dong, PhD
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
Email: cmdong@nuist.edu.cn
(Physical oceanography; Ocean Numerical Modeling; Artificial Intelligence Oceanography; Experimental Geophysical Fluid Dynamics)

Yu Liu, PhD
Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
Email: liuyuhk@zjou.edu.cn
(Mesoscale Eddy; Oceanic Front; Regional Ocean Numerical Modeling; Artificial Intelligence Oceanography; Ocean Thermohaline Circulation)

Guoqi Han, PhD
Research Scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canada
Email: guoqi.han@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
(Sea level change; Ocean circulation; Marine ecosystems; Satellite remote sensing; Numerical models)

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: Dec. 31st, 2025When submitting your manuscript please select the article type “VSI: Deep Blue AI”.

Ocean Modelling
Editorial Submission Site: Editorial Manager®
Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Ocean Modelling | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

Sustainable Horizons
Editorial Submission Site: Editorial Manager®
Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Sustainable Horizons | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

All submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Once your manuscript is accepted, it will go into production, and will be simultaneously published in the current regular issue and pulled into the online Special Issue. Articles from this Special Issue will appear in different regular issues of the journal, though they will be clearly marked and branded as Special Issue articles.

Keywords:

((Artificial Intelligence) OR (AI)) AND ((Big Data) OR (Algorithm Models) OR (Ocean Phenomena Recognition) OR (Marine Environment Forecasting) OR (Ocean Model Development))

Special Issue on Extreme oceanic waves: generation, modelling and impacts
Submission Date: 2026-06-30

Extreme coastal waves, generated by tsunamis, storms, and hurricanes, have caused numerous coastal disasters in recent years, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and damage amounting to billions of US dollars. For instance, the 2024 Noto tsunami (Japan) claimed more than 20 lives and caused widespread devastation. The 2025 Kamchatka tsunami generated a transoceanic tsunami that impacted all coastlines bordering the Pacific Ocean. To address the destructive impacts of such extreme events and enhance coastal resilience, it is essential to urgently advance our knowledge and computational capabilities related to extreme coastal waves. This is the core objective of this special issue.

Guest editors:

Mohammad Heidarzadeh
University of Bath, UK
Email: mhk58@bath.ac.uk 

Yuchen Wang
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan
Email: ywang@jamstec.go.jp 

Jadranka Sepic
University of Split, Croatia
Email: jsepic@pmfst.hr 

Anawat Suppasri
Tohoku University, Japan
Email: suppasri@irides.tohoku.ac.jp 

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: 30/06/2026

Editorial Submission Site: Editorial Manager®
(Invitation only)

Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Ocean Modelling | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately. It will be published in the latest regular issue, while be presented on the specific Special Issue webpage simultaneously. In regular issues, Special Issue articles will be clearly marked and branded.

Keywords:

Tsunamis, Tsunamigenic earthquakes, Meteo-tsunamis, Landslide tsunamis, Storms, Hurricanes, Numerical modelling, Physical modelling, Field surveys, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Coastal resilience

Special Issue on Negative Results in Oceanography
Submission Date: 2026-12-31

Progresses in science are made mainly based on positive data of experiments, but almost equally, negative results generated to allow navigating the scientific research path in the correct direction to find the truth. For example, the discovery of penicillin was the results of a contamination without being neglected completed to discover the first antibiotic produced by the contaminated fungus to modernize medicine and save so many lives. Many of the most significant scientific achievements are made with many failures before hand by the person involved or others, and even a clear hypothesis at the beginning may also end up with negative or wrong results. However, such negative research data are normally buried in personal files or dumped without knowing their ever presence by the general public. They cannot be published due to the established practice in science to strive for positive results to drive the scientific advancement as a way of knowing in this profession. Thomas Kuhn and Karl Popper defined the way science should be conducted as paradigm shift and refutation, respectively, and they share one thing in common on accumulation of data, both positive and negative ones.

Almost all of the scientific journals process and publish research results of successful studies traditionally as a general accepted rule. This way of doing things is apparently biased, posing an increasing high risk for scientists to publish papers under higher pressure, even violate ethical standards, including fabricating, falsifying and manipulating the experiments and results. This concern is further enhanced by the rapidly enlargement of the scientific community and more fierce competition for available resources, publication, and also career security and promotion. ‘Publish or perish’ is still the rule of game play in academia, and the major difference now from the past is that more and higher impact publications can offer job security, receiving more grants, maintain a large research group and a positive cycle for greater success.

As a means for scientific communication by publishing original results in journals, now it is time to re-define the publishing model and enhance our responsibility with higher quality by encouraging submission and publication of negative results of scientific studies and unsuccessful ones with equally treatment and importance. Such negative results can not only help other researchers define better hypothesis and optimize their own research plans accordingly, but also avoid wasting the financial resources and time on an unfruitful paths by repeating the same non-reported results through personal effort, and divert more effective energy to more original research in the untapped fields.

This is an open proposal to the scientific community and the change in publishing model may impact the science and scientific development in the near future on personal, institutional, national and global levels. As long as the advancement of science is secured in a positive and progressive way with the least impurity through this new initiative, the long-term impact and results will be rewarding to the scientific community and also the responsible publishers to serve the researchers and their outputs as well as our society for forward development.

The submissions of negative results must contain contents of a high impact in the scientific community. The basic requirements of such research for submission to journals include novelty, reproducibility and robustness, and proper analysis and significant conclusions.

    The experiments must be conducted correctly and repeated multiple times to ensure the quality;
    The data must be proved to be statistically negative based on rigorous data analysis;
    Complete access to the methodologies and raw data must be provided together with the submission; and
    The research must be performed in collaboration with other researchers or laboratories in the same or similar research field globally.

It is potentially more time demanding for preparation and submission of manuscript of negative results than the regular submissions currently. To encourage contributions of this new category, we will offer the authors:

    12 months of promotional online access of the full text article as a subscription paper to help dissemination to the widest audience.
    Promote the paper as an Editor Selection Article on the journal homepage and multiple Elsevier social media platforms.
    Invite the author to Elsevier conferences or workshops to present the research published in our journal.
    A certificate of publication or recommendation letter to help them to pursue their scientific career in the future.

Guest editors:

Francois Galgani, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Marine Pollution Bulletin
Ifremer Center of the Pacific, Taravao, French Polynesia
Francois.Galgani@ifremer.fr

Enrique Curchitser, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Progress in Oceanography
Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
enrique@marine.rutgers.edu

Fangli Qiao, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Ocean Modelling
First Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
qiaofl@fio.org.cn

Inna Sokolova, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Marine Environmental Research
University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
inna.sokolova@uni-rostock.de

Thomas Bianchi, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Marine Chemistry
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
tbianchi@ufl.edu

Eileen Hofmann, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Marine Systems
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
hofmann@ccpo.odu.edu

Jiasong Fang, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
jsfang@shou.edu.cn

Tiegang Li, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Sea Research
First Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China
tgli@fio.org.cn

Jihong Chen, Professor, PhD
Editor-in-Chief of Ocean & Coastal Management
Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
cxjh2004@163.com

Manuscript submission information:

This is a collaborative special issue in conjunction with Progress in Oceanography, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Ocean Modelling, Marine Environmental Research, Marine Chemistry, Journal of Marine Systems, Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, Journal of Sea Research and Ocean & Coastal Management. The diverse scopes of these participating journals will lead to a fascinating collection of papers for readers and high visibility for authors together, to explore the multifaceted and transdisciplinary nature of this essential topic.

Each paper is reviewed and accepted as fast as possible, then it will be published quickly online to be available publicly. We will then put all the published papers from multiple journals into a virtual special issue on the same landing page, and also offer global promotions on multiple platforms to all accepted papers belong to this collaborative special issue.

The special issue will be set up in the Editorial Manager® (links below). When submitting your manuscripts, please choose "VSI: Negative Results" from the "Article Type Name" dropdown menu.

Links to each journal's submission platform:

    Progress in Oceanography: https://www.editorialmanager.com/prooce/default2.aspx
    Marine Pollution Bulletin: https://www.editorialmanager.com/mpb/default2.aspx
    Ocean Modelling: https://www.editorialmanager.com/ocemod/default.aspx
    Marine Environmental Research: https://www.editorialmanager.com/mere/default2.aspx
    Marine Chemistry: https://www.editorialmanager.com/marche/default2.aspx
    Journal of Marine Systems: https://www.editorialmanager.com/marsys/default2.aspx
    Deep-Sea Research Part I: https://www.editorialmanager.com/dsr1/default2.aspx
    Journal of Sea Research: https://www.editorialmanager.com/seares/default2.aspx
    Ocean & Coastal Management: https://www.editorialmanager.com/ocma/default.aspx

Submission deadline: 31-Dec-2026

Special Issue on Ocean Decade_Progress in Understanding Ocean and Climate in a Changing World
Submission Date: 2026-12-31

This Special Issue focuses on the response and feedback of ocean processes in a changing climate. It aims to highlight cutting-edge advances in understanding climate variability and change, as well as ocean circulation and temperature variability under global climate change. The issue welcomes innovative modeling approaches, theoretical analyses, and integrated observational studies that shed light on the mechanisms driving ocean–climate interactions across a range of timescales. By bridging insights from physical oceanography and climate science, this issue aims to advance mechanistic understanding and improve the accuracy of climate forecasts in an era of unprecedented change.

Guest editors:

Bolan Gan, PhD
Ocean University of China, China
(Air-sea interaction, Ocean circulation, Climate variability, Climate change)
Email: gbl0203@ouc.edu.cn 

Fukai Liu
Ocean University of China, China
(General ocean circulation, Air-sea interaction, Climate Modeling, Climate Change)
Email: fliu@ouc.edu.cn 

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: Dec. 31st, 2026

Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans
Editorial Submission Site: Editorial Manager®
Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

Ocean Modelling
Editorial Submission Site: Editorial Manager®
Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage here: Ocean Modelling | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

When submitting, please select “VSI: OD-Ocean and Climate” when you reach the “Select Article Type” step at the start of the submission process.

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately. It will be published in the latest regular issue, while be presented on the specific Special Issue webpage simultaneously. In regular issues, Special Issue articles will be clearly marked and branded.

Keywords:

Climate Change, Air-sea interaction, Ocean Dynamics, Climate Variability, Ocean Heat Uptake, Climate Modeling