Journal profile · Marine & Freshwater Biology
Coral Reefs
ISSN 0722-4028 · eISSN 1432-0975 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Quarterly · Founded 1982
Coral Reefs: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.51; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,190; median 171 days to acceptance (112 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 195 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Coral Reefs is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies, Marine and fisheries research and Marine and coastal plant biology, together about 64.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology and Oceanography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Coral Reefs, the official journal of the International Coral Reef Society, is committed to publishing diverse and multidisciplinary papers across broad fields of coral reef science. It publishes analytical and theoretical papers focused on understanding and managing coral reef systems and organisms. Some of the subject areas covered by the journal include: reef structure and morphology; sedimentology; diagenesis; biogeochemical cycles; calcification; functional ecology of reef organisms; energy and nutrient flows; animal behaviour; organismal and system responses to global environmental changes; evolution and phylogenetics of reef organisms; reef management; and more. The journal accepts full length papers (Reports), synthetic or systematic literature reviews (Reviews), and short papers (Notes).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Marine & Freshwater Biology
Editor-in-chief Morgan S. PratchettPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 10, Germany 3, Australia 3, Japan 2, Saudi Arabia 2 (25 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems StudiesEnvironmental Science34.1%
- Marine and fisheries researchEnvironmental Science16.6%
- Marine and coastal plant biologyEarth and Planetary Sciences13.7%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences4.5%
- Ichthyology and Marine BiologyEnvironmental Science4.1%
- Marine Sponges and Natural ProductsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology2.7%
- Marine animal studies overviewEnvironmental Science2.5%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science2.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CASCurrent 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
- 3.51LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.9LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.05LetPub ·
- h-index
- 101LetPub ·
- h-index
- 172OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,916OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 52.5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 188LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,000,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,153 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 160 | 110 | 75 |
| 2025 | 195 | 125 | 553 |
| 2024 | 156 | 93 | 1,415 |
| 2023 | 114 | 68 | 1,116 |
| 2022 | 128 | 76 | 1,736 |
| 2021 | 235 | 73 | 3,145 |
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
171 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 120 days – 250 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (113 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 195 days
- Sample
- 112 articles with submission and acceptance dates (393 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)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 19 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 4,190 / EUR 3,290 / GBP 2,790 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; 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 Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required for all original research 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
Competing interests disclosure required Model summary
Authors are required to disclose financial or non-financial interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication.
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
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Coral Reefs, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Authors may suggest or exclude reviewers Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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 Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1982
- ISSN
- 0722-4028
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-0975
- Society / sponsor
- International Coral Reef Society
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 45, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Coral Reefs
What CAS zone is Coral Reefs in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Coral Reefs is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Marine & Freshwater Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Coral Reefs?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.51; CiteScore 5.6, h-index 172.
How long does peer review take at Coral Reefs?
Based on the dates recorded on 112 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 171 days (interquartile range 120–250 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”. 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 Coral Reefs?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. 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 Coral Reefs based?
Of the 25 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Germany (3) and Australia (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Coral Reefs?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Coral Reefs is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Coral Reefs open access, and what is the APC?
Coral Reefs is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,190.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .