**Preface to "Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies"**

Over the last decade, public interest in how animals are raised and managed has grown substantially, and, as a result, there is an increased need for valid and reliable methods of assessing animal welfare. Welfare assessment is an important aspect in the continual improvement of animal welfare, with effective assessment leading to better welfare outcomes. There are, however, many challenges associated with animal welfare assessment, such as the validity and consistency of measures over time and across individuals and the utilization of multiple welfare indicators associated with different species and management styles. Research in this developing field is vital for improving the lives of animals in natural or managed environments.

This Special Issue is focused on recent research and reviews that investigate many areas of welfare assessment, such as novel approaches and technologies used to evaluate the welfare of farmed, captive, or wild animals. Key approaches included welfare assessment, the use of sensors or wearable technologies, non-invasive measures, novel biomarkers of stress, environmental effects on welfare, and discussions of natural behaviour in farm animal welfare.

This Special Issue will be useful for scientists, researchers, animal managers, and policy makers.

**Melissa Hempstead and Danila Marini** *Editors*
