The workshop was organized under the ambit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and aimed to provide a platform for ASEAN Member States (AMS) and China to exchange experiences and the best practices of marine scientific research on climate and ocean dynamics, biology and ecosystem, marine disasters and pollution in the SCS, paving the way in exploring further cooperation in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The conference was divided into four sessions, focusing on climate and marine environment change, marine biodiversity and ecosystem protection, marine disaster mitigation and pollution prevention, and future cooperation on marine scientific research. A total of thirty oral presentations were given at the workshop and followed by question-and-answer portion. The presentations cover the fields of marine environment and prediction, monsoon and climate change, marine deposition and acidification, biodiversity and ecosystem, marine disasters and micro plastics, capacity building, etc.
The workshop is the first international meeting focusing on the cooperation on marine scientific research in the SCS held by China under the ambit of the DOC. The success of the workshop has injected new vitality and momentum into China's marine cooperation with AMS and made important contributions to the peace and stability in the SCS.