Recent advances in wave–structure interaction

This editorial introduces the special issue Recent advances in wave–structure interaction. It collects 59 peer-reviewed papers from 21 countries and regions, which are organized into nine thematic areas, including offshore renewable energy, breakwater systems, seabed bathymetry, porous and plate-like structures, very large floating structures, resonance phenomena, and other marine applications. The collection demonstrates how the field is moving toward more integrated, multi-physics, and design-oriented approaches, combining analytical theory, numerical simulation, laboratory experiments, and optimization methods to address increasingly complex wave–structure problems. Across the selected papers, the themes include improved energy capture for wave and hybrid wind–wave systems, better understanding of wave attenuation and resonance in coastal protection structures, refined treatment of seabed and bathymetric effects on wave evolution, and more accurate modeling of hydroelastic and nonlinear structural responses under realistic environmental loading. In summary, the special issue demonstrates both the breadth of current research and the growing emphasis on practical engineering guidance for resilient, efficient, and environmentally responsible marine systems.