Journal profile · Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aquatic Ecology
ISSN 1386-2588 · eISSN 1573-5125 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Quarterly · Founded 1968
Aquatic Ecology: CAS Zone 4 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.2; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,790; median 142 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 75%; 84 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Aquatic Ecology is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics, Fish Ecology and Management Studies and Marine and coastal ecosystems, together about 35% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology and Oceanography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Aquatic Ecology publishes peer-reviewed, original papers relating to the ecology of fresh, brackish, estuarine and marine environments. Papers on fundamental and applied novel research in both the field and the laboratory will be included in the journal. Preference will be given to studies that address timely topics and are integrative and critical in approach. We discourage papers that describe presence and abundance of aquatic biota in local habitats as well as papers that are pure systematic.The aim of Aquatic Ecology is to provide a forum for the aquatic ecologist -both limnologist and oceanologist alike- to address and evaluate ecological issues related to processes and structures at different integration levels (individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems). Studies that reveal the organization of lower levels into higher levels and those that concern the intraspecific and interspecific interactions are especially welcome. Food web studies are thus of particular interest. Studies that are hypothesis driven and with an experimental approach are especially welcome. Aquatic Ecology will also accept manuscripts concerning the influence of environmental factors on aquatic ecosystems. The latter factors also include those that cause environmental impacts and modifications and thus have implications for the structure and functioning of individuals, populations and communities within ecosystems.Studies may concern the ecological aspects of all kinds of organisms living in marine, brackish, estuarine or freshwater environments, including viruses. In addition, the studies that consolidate modelling and theoretical aspects from the above topics may also be submitted. Such contributions should be of interest to ecological theory formation in general.In addition to original peer-reviewed papers, review papers and proceedings of thematic symposia/workshops are considered for publication in the journal. Short communications, book reviews and critical comments as well as reactions to other papers published in Aquatic Ecology may also be submitted for publication. Before submitting such a contribution, the Editor-in-Chief should be contacted.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Marine & Freshwater Biology
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 20%); most named Mainland China 5, Brazil 5, France 3, United States 2, Japan 1 (25 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science14.9%
- Fish Ecology and Management StudiesEnvironmental Science10.9%
- Marine and coastal ecosystemsEarth and Planetary Sciences9.2%
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and BehaviorEnvironmental Science8.9%
- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecologyEnvironmental Science7.6%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences6.3%
- Marine and fisheries researchEnvironmental Science3.7%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 2.2LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.52LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 53LetPub ·
- h-index
- 87OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,381OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.56OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.22%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 84LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 229,900Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,660 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 108 | 49 | 26 |
| 2025 | 84 | 15 | 127 |
| 2024 | 85 | 16 | 278 |
| 2023 | 82 | 27 | 578 |
| 2022 | 71 | 13 | 717 |
| 2021 | 112 | 35 | 1,287 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
142 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 89 days – 238 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 16 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 167 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (224 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 75%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 3,790 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- No page charges
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 4
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs cannot be authors; AI-assisted copy editing need not be declared Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Authors must disclose competing interests Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Species distribution records should be deposited in GBIF-endorsed public databases Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Journal follows COPE guidelines for publication ethics Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open Choice articles retain author copyright under Creative Commons license Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Aquatic Ecology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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
- Springer Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1968
- ISSN
- 1386-2588
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-5125
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Aquatic Ecology
What CAS zone is Aquatic Ecology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Aquatic Ecology is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Limnology / Marine & Freshwater Biology / Ecology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Aquatic Ecology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.2; CiteScore 3.6, h-index 87.
How long does peer review take at Aquatic Ecology?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 142 days (interquartile range 89–238 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 75%”. 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 Ecology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Required, 4. 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 Ecology based?
Of the 25 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 20%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (5), Brazil (5) and France (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Aquatic Ecology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Aquatic Ecology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Aquatic Ecology open access, and what is the APC?
Aquatic Ecology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,790.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .