From October 14^th to 18^th, 2025, the International Conference on Marine Geology: Marginal Seas – Past and Future (MG-MS 2025) hosted by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) / China Geological Survey (CGS) was successfully convened in Guangzhou, China, attended in an onsite/online mode by 40 experts from 10 countries and more than 100 participants from China. The conference theme entitled "Marginal Seas – Sustainable Future of the Continent/Ocean Interface", was aligned with the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and served simultaneously as the 10^th International Marginal Seas Expert Meeting organized by the DDE Marginal Seas Task Group (DDE MS-TG). Prof. Jan Harff from the University of Szczecin, Poland, Leader of the DDE MS-TG, co-chaired the conference together with the Vice President, and representative of the China Geological Survey (CGS) of the DDE Governing Council Prof. Guangsheng Yan. DDE MS-TG member Prof. Jinpeng Zhang chaired the local organizing committee. The Chair of the DDE Executive Committee, Prof. Qiuming Cheng, participated in this conference and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, as well as a presentation entitled "DDE Big Science Program" during the special discussion session "Potential Support for the DDE Program". Lectures, posters and discussions ranged across the following three themes:  

1) Sources-to-Sink models and links to climate development,

2) River Mouth Systems and Urban Seas,

3) Biogeography - biostratigraphy from Deep-time among marginal seas.

After intensive discussions, the participants agreed on the following for future actions:

- Continuation of international cooperation within the framework of the DDE Big Science Program,

- Updating the Marginal Seas Initiative Plan in the spirit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,

- Inviting new members to participate in the DDE program,

- Strengthening cooperation with experts in applying for funding from the DDE program and other sources

- Increasing cooperation with other DDE Working and Task groups within DDE, e.g., the " Standards" Task Group.

Group photo in meeting room (cited from GMGS/CGS website)

Group photo at China Ocean Drilling Core Deposit in GMGS harbor