Professor Li Zhongping, chair professor of the College of Ocean and Earth Sciences at Xiamen University, has been awarded the 2026 Jerlov Medal by the Oceanography Society (TOS), one of the most prestigious international honors in marine science.
Founded in 1988, TOS is an academic organization dedicated to serving the global ocean science community. Its mission is to enhance the professional capacity of its members across all branches of oceanography and to advance interdisciplinary research integrating marine science, technology, policy, and education. TOS confers four major academic medals, which are awarded every two years to recognize outstanding achievements in different subfields of oceanography.
The Jerlov Medal, presented biennially to a single recipient, honors exceptional contributions to theoretical ocean optics and ocean color remote sensing. Named after Swedish scientist Nils Gunnar Jerlov, a pioneer of ocean optics, the medal represents the highest academic distinction in this field.
Professor Li received the honor in recognition of his breakthrough achievements in water transparency theory, his outstanding contributions to the development of ocean color remote sensing, and his sustained leadership in interdisciplinary research, education, and high-impact collaborative projects addressing major societal challenges.
