Journal profile · Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aquatic Botany
ISSN 0304-3770 · eISSN 1879-1522 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Bimonthly · Founded 1975
Aquatic Botany: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.24; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,180; review about 125 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 83 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Aquatic Botany is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics, Marine and coastal plant biology and Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics, together about 42.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Oceanography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An International Scientific Journal dealing with Applied and Fundamental Research on Macroscopic Submerged, Floating and Emergent Plants in Marine and Freshwater EcosystemsAquatic Botany offers a platform for papers relevant to a broad international readership on fundamental and applied aspects of marine and freshwater macroscopic plants in a context of ecology or environmental biology. This includes molecular, biochemical and physiological aspects of macroscopic aquatic plants as well as the classification, structure, function, dynamics and ecological interactions in plant-dominated aquatic communities and ecosystems. It is an outlet for papers dealing with research on the consequences of disturbance and stressors (e.g. environmental fluctuations and climate change, pollution, grazing and pathogens), use and management of aquatic plants (plant production and decomposition, commercial harvest, plant control) and the conservation of aquatic plant communities (breeding, transplantation and restoration). Specialized publications on certain rare taxa or papers on aquatic macroscopic plants from under-represented regions in the world can also find their place, subject to editor evaluation. Studies on fungi or microalgae will remain outside the scope of Aquatic Botany.Interesting for further reading:Editorial: What is a plant? and what is aquatic botany?Elisabeth M. Gross, Thomas Wernberg, Jorge Terrados http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(16)30052-3Editorial: Aquatic botany since 1975: Have our views changed?Jan E. Vermaat, Elisabeth M. Gross http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2016.07.001
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Marine & Freshwater Biology
Editor-in-chief Thomas WernbergPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 12%); most named United States 8, Mainland China 6, Spain 6, Germany 3, Italy 3 (51 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science16.1%
- Marine and coastal plant biologyEarth and Planetary Sciences16%
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science10%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences7.6%
- Plant responses to water stressAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.9%
- Marine and coastal ecosystemsEarth and Planetary Sciences3.3%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science3.1%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.24LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.86LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.93LetPub ·
- h-index
- 85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 157OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,271OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.97OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 24.55%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 70LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,808 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 54 | 23 | 12 |
| 2025 | 83 | 31 | 109 |
| 2024 | 71 | 38 | 289 |
| 2023 | 95 | 29 | 697 |
| 2022 | 75 | 31 | 897 |
| 2021 | 86 | 20 | 956 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
125 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 7.5 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 7.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 63 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 125 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,180 / EUR 2,970 / GBP 2,550 / JPY 394,420 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,650 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,500 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted11
- letter1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- letters to the editor1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- original research1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- original research paper1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- original research papers (regular papers)1. Original research papers (Regular Papers)Length not stated
- regular paper1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- review1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- review article1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- review articles2. Review articlesLength not stated
- short communication1. Original research papers (Regular Papers) 2. Review articles 3. Short Communications 4. Letters to the Editor Regular papers should report the results of ori…Length not stated
- short communications3. Short CommunicationsLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1975
- ISSN
- 0304-3770
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-1522
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Aquatic Botany
What CAS zone is Aquatic Botany in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Aquatic Botany is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Marine & Freshwater Biology / Plant Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Aquatic Botany?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.24; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 157.
How long does peer review take at Aquatic Botany?
The publisher reports about 125 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 7.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Aquatic Botany?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,500 words; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Aquatic Botany based?
Of the 51 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (8), Mainland China (6) and Spain (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Aquatic Botany?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Aquatic Botany is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Aquatic Botany open access, and what is the APC?
Aquatic Botany is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,180.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .