在我们瞬息万变的时代，自然和社会正在以前所未有的速度变化。前所未有的人口增长以及技术的不断改进和发展正在前所未有地改变我们的星球。我们这个时代最大的挑战来自全球范围内日益增加的复杂性，互连性和联系性，其超越了传统的学科界限。科学知识也迅速发展。它变得更加多样化和多面。这尤其适用于海洋-地球上最大的环境资源。在过去的几十年中，我们认识到海洋环境中的化学，生物和物理过程相互影响和相互反馈。不能孤立地看待这些过程，这需要一种更加综合的方法来解释科学数据和开发有效的解决方案。在科学和工程领域的一种协同方法将促进跨
In our fast-moving age, nature and society are changing ever more rapidly. A faster than ever population growth and the progressive improvement and development of technologies are changing our planet to an unprecedented extent. The greatest challenges of our time result from growing complexity, interconnectedness and linkages across the globe that exceed traditional disciplinary boundaries. The scientific knowledge, too, has grown apace. It has become more diverse and multifaceted. This applies especially to the ocean the largest environmental resource on Earth. Over recent decades, we have recognized that chemical, biological and physical processes in the marine environment influence and feedback on each other. These processes cannot be viewed in isolation, requiring a more integrated approach to our interpretation of scientific data and to the development of effective solutions. A synergistic approach at the frontiers of science and engineering will advance scientific knowledge and problem solving in transdisciplinary areas such as those relevant to ocean systems. Georgia Tech (GT) is one of a very few institutions with the engineering and scientific prowess and interdisciplinary culture to effectively address these critical challenges of sustainability that threaten all of us.