From November 13 to 17, 2023, the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences hosted the XXV International Scientific Conference (School) on Marine Geology, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the founder of the School, Academician Alexander Petrovich Lisitzin.

There were 8 sections covering almost all current topics in marine geology:

1. Marine Geology of the Arctic and Antarctic
2. Paleoceanology, paleoecology, biostratigraphy, cross-correlation of marine and land sediments
3. Bezrukov Symposium “Minerals of the World Ocean, hydrothermal fluids at the bottom of oceans and seas”
4. Nano- and microparticles, flows of matter and energy (atmo-, cryo-, hydro-, litho-, sedimentospheres)
5. Biogeochemical processes in seas and oceans
6. Aibulatov Symposium “Geoecology, pollution of the World Ocean, new methods of four-dimensional monitoring”
7. Zonenshain Symposium “Geophysics and geomorphology of the bottom of seas and oceans. Tectonics of lithospheric plates"
8. White Sea system, 4-D studies.

This is the second time the conference is being held in a hybrid mode, and thanks to the help of the IT Center of the Institute of Oceanology RAS, first of all, A.V. Muratov, two-way communication with the speakers, and broadcasting of the entire conference, as well as recording of all reports, were provided. Over these five days, we listened to 25 plenary reports, more than 100 sectional reports, poster reports were posted on the conference website and at the stands. More than 200 people from 52 organizations (scientific, educational and industrial institutions) took part in the conference. The geography of the School, as always, is vast: from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Vladivostok to Kainingrad, from Murmansk and Arkhangelsk to Rostov-on-Don.

The problem of this year's conference was the general shift of the expedition season to late autumn, which resulted in the absence of a large group of geologists from the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who traditionally present many oral presentations. 4 volumes of School materials were released, available on the conference website geo.ocean.ru. The work of the School website was provided by E.V. Serdtseva, and the latest information on the IO RAS website appeared thanks to I.A. Umanskaya, for which we are very grateful to them.

I would like to note that the topics of the reports included studies not only of the sedimentosphere of modern seas, but also of ancient marine and lacustrine sedimentation, the study of not only sea, but also land aerosols, biological and hydrophysical work. It is a tradition of our School to invite speakers from specialties “adjacent” to marine geology. Section meetings were held in a very friendly and productive atmosphere. It should be noted that the reports were also varied and interesting, fresh, and often very original in execution. I was very pleased with the participation of young researchers, graduate students and students at the conference, who presented their reports both orally and at stands. The best reports of the young people were awarded with diplomas and gifts.

During the School’s work, the museum of Institute of Oceanology RAS was opened, and in the evening after the plenary presentations, those who was interested could watch films with the participation of A.P. Lisitzin.

The conference ended with a very interesting event at the Vernadsky State Geological Museum. On Friday, November 17, 2023, as part of the Legends of Geology series, the Fifth Readings were held dedicated to Academician A.P. Lisitzin. In addition to the museum, the organizers of this event are the Department of Geosciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Federal Agency for Subsoil Use of the Russian Federation and Russian Geological Society. The readings were opened and the guests were greeted by the director of the Vernadsky State Geological Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Technical Sciences S.V. Cherkasov. Academician-Secretary of the Department of Earth Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences N.S. Bortnikov and academician V.G. Bondur welcomed the participants and spoke about their meetings with Alexander Petrovich Lisitzin. At the Readings, as part of the scientific program, reports were made on the role of A.P. Lisitzin in the development of marine geology.

These conferences, Schools of Marine Geology, were conceived by Alexander Petrovich Lisitsyn and his associates as meetings of geologists with the aim of discussing the most pressing problems of marine geology, learning about the newest discoveries, new methods in this area of oceanology. And we hope that we will continue these traditions. And the new School will be in November 2025!