Jun 18, 2026, Ling Meng

The 16th International Workshop on Modeling the Ocean (IWMO 2026) was successfully held in Palma, Mallorca, Spain, from 2–5 June 2026, bringing together more than 60 scientists, researchers, and students from all continents to exchange the latest advances in ocean modelling and Earth system science. The workshop featured four major themes: Eddies to Fronts: Mesoscale–Submesoscale Dynamics and Ocean Mixing; Earth-System Modeling: Ocean–Atmosphere–Waves–Sea Ice and Extreme Events; Nonlinear Oceans: Instabilities, Coherent Structures, and Biological Applications; and High-Resolution Modeling for Coastal and Operational Oceanography: Hazards, Transport, and Management. Presentations covered a broad spectrum of topics including ocean mixing, climate change impacts, marine heatwaves, Earth-system coupling, coastal hazards, data assimilation, machine learning, digital twins of the ocean, biogeochemical processes, transport dynamics, and operational forecasting. A major highlight of IWMO 2026 was the Outstanding Young Scientist Award (OYSA) competition, which showcased exceptional early-career research. Congratulations to the three finalists and award recipients: 1st Prize – Jen-Ping Peng, 2nd Prize – Ignacio Martínez-Caballero, and 3rd Prize – Florian Le Guillou, whose outstanding presentations demonstrated the bright future of the ocean modelling community. On behalf of the International Steering Committee (ISC), I sincerely thank the Local Organizing Committee, led by IMEDEA and its partners, for their excellent organization, dedication, and warm hospitality, which contributed significantly to the success of the workshop. I also extend my gratitude to all participants, keynote speakers, session convenors, and sponsors for their valuable contributions. We look forward to welcoming the global IWMO community again at IWMO 2027, to be hosted by Zhejiang University in the beautiful ancient city of Hangzhou, China, from 15–18 June 2027.

Group photo

OYSA 1st prize – Dr Jen-Ping Peng