Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We are honored to announce that the 8th Annual World Congress of Ocean (WCO-2019) will be held during November 2-4, 2019 in Xiamen, China. On behalf of the organizing committee, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to attend the influential event. WCO-2019 intends provide an unique international platform for exchange of ideas and experiences, to facilitate the healthy development of marine industries and to promote sustainable utilization of marine resources, and involves the participation of the public and raise their awareness of marine environmental protection.

This conference will be an outstanding experience, both scientifically and socially. WCO-2019 will be jointly held with the famous World Ocean Week in Xiamen, which will make the conference more grander than ever before. World Ocean Week (WOW) in Xiamen serves as a platform for regional cooperation as well as for connecting marine and social science, technology, education, public awareness in making policies, management decisions and actions to achieve sustainable use of coastal and marine resources and for achieving sustainable development of the oceans. The World Ocean Week in Xiamen has been held for 12 years. In 2018, the event attracted more than 2,000 enterprise representatives and 200 officials and scholars from 45 countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road.

High qualified speakers will be Selected from all over the world, and they usually be the distinguish leaders of their organizations. Except to enjoy the excellent meeting, you can also enjoy the local natural scenery and delicious food. Xiamen is a coastal city in China. It has been an important port for centuries and became one of China's earliest Special Economic Zones in the 1980s. The name Xiamen means "door to the house", referring to the city's centuries-old role as a gateway to China. Xiamen is definitely a very vibrant, affluent and modern place. It got an international award in a contest for most livable cities in 2002. In 2006, Xiamen was ranked as China's 2nd-"most suitable city for living", as well as China's "most romantic leisure city" in 2011.

I look forward to your participation, and wish everyone have an unforgettable stay in China.

Sincerely yours,

Xiaodan Mei, Ph.D. Executive Chair of WCO-2019 President, BIT Group Global Ltd.