The coastal regions, teeming with large populations and a multitude of megacities, are of substantial economic significance. Concurrently, these zones harbor the globe's most productive ecosystems, providing vital ecosystem services such as flood mitigation, water purification, and carbon sequestration. These services are crucial in supporting human societies. However, the sustainability of these coastal regions is under threat from a myriad of ecological and environmental challenges. These challenges, amplified by global climate change and escalating human interventions, range from environmental pollution, reclamation and biodiversity loss to sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. Therefore, the Ecological Safety and Green Development in Coastal Zones have emerged as salient research themes.

The 4th International Symposium of COastal Resources and Environment (CORE 2023) will serve as a vibrant hub, uniting a global and multidisciplinary collective of researchers. This event will facilitate the exchange of innovative ideas and foster meaningful connections, all aimed at advancing research on sustainable coastal zones amidst challenging environmental conditions. The CORE symposium series has already enjoyed a successful run, with events in 2017, 2018, and 2021, hosted by Hohai University. The most recent symposium, CORE 2021, took place in Nanjing, China, and drew an impressive crowd of over 160 participants from 20 different countries. This symposium will continue to build on this success, promoting a brighter future for our coastal environments.

CORE 2023 is jointly hosted by Guangdong University of Technology, Hohai University, and Beijing Normal University. The symposium is co-sponsored by Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), the International Association of Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Sun Yat-Sen University, and Delft University of Technology. The symposium is locally organized by the School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, and the Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education.