Journal profile · Marine & Freshwater Biology
Harmful Algae
ISSN 1568-9883 · eISSN 1878-1470 · Elsevier · UNITED STATES · Quarterly · Founded 2002
Harmful Algae: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.09; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,910; median 111 days to acceptance (99 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 182 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Harmful Algae is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Marine and coastal ecosystems, Marine Toxins and Detection Methods and Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics, together about 57% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
This journal provides a forum to promote knowledge of harmful microalgae and macroalgae, including cyanobacteria, as well as monitoring, management and control of these organisms. Both original research and review papers will be considered.Papers dealing with the following aspects of harmful microalgae and cyanobacteria in marine and fresh waters will be considered: • The distribution, life histories and taxonomy of harmful microalgae; • The physiology and toxicology of harmful microalgae; • Harmful microalgal bloom ecology; • Trophic, socio-economic, public health and aquacultural impacts of harmful microalgal bloom events; • Occurrence, methods of detection and chemical structure of toxins in harmful microalgae, cyanobacteria, foodwebs and seafood; • Factors controlling toxin production, biosynthesis and chemical ecology.Note: Papers dealing with pharmacology fall outside of the scope of the journal.All papers will be subject to peer review. Authors will receive proofs. The editors, referees, and publisher will make every effort to expedite publication, the co-operation of authors in this task is welcomed.Cover picture by Joe Hlebica, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Multi-Media Group
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Marine & Freshwater Biology
Editor-in-chief Christopher J. GoblerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 12 in mainland China (about 21%); most named United States 15, Mainland China 12, Australia 6, United Kingdom 4, Germany 3 (58 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Marine and coastal ecosystemsEarth and Planetary Sciences24.4%
- Marine Toxins and Detection MethodsEnvironmental Science20.4%
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science12.2%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science8.5%
- Protist diversity and phylogenyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.9%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences5.2%
- Biocrusts and Microbial EcologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences2.2%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance2.2%
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: yesReview 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: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 1 |
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
- 4.09LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.34LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.39LetPub ·
- h-index
- 75LetPub ·
- h-index
- 139OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,027OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.96OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 17.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 35.89%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 172LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,843 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 137 | 62 | 53 |
| 2025 | 182 | 81 | 632 |
| 2024 | 153 | 79 | 1,182 |
| 2023 | 123 | 68 | 1,541 |
| 2022 | 127 | 70 | 2,528 |
| 2021 | 139 | 69 | 5,105 |
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 PubMed · to
111 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 88 days – 137 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (99 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 112 days
- Sample
- 99 articles with submission and acceptance dates (335 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 7.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 45 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 119 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 4,910 / EUR 4,590 / GBP 3,930 / JPY 608,990 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,190 | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted18, with length limits
- book reviewOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- book reviewsBook Reviews will be included in the journal on a range of relevant books which are not more than 2 years old.Length not stated
- commentaryOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- letterOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- literature reviewOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- mini reviewOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- mini-reviews (short communication)Mini-Reviews. Authors of Mini Reviews must be a scientific authority for the topic of the manuscript, they must document their relevant own experience for the a…Length not stated
- opinionOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- original researchOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- original research articleOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- original research articles (regular articles)Original research articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimi…Length not stated
- perspectiveOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- regular articleOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- review articleOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- review papersReview Articles. Review papers are considered, authors should consult with the Editor prior to preparation and submission.Length not stated
- short communicationOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length not stated
- viewpointOriginal research articles (Regular Articles) Review Papers Book Reviews Policy Analysis (Short Communication) Mini-Reviews(Short Communication) Perspectives (S…Length 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
Follow Elsevier's 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 allowed; does not count as prior publication. 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.
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
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2002
- ISSN
- 1568-9883
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-1470
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Harmful Algae
What CAS zone is Harmful Algae in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Harmful Algae is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Marine & Freshwater Biology; it is a Top journal. 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 Harmful Algae?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.09; CiteScore 7.6, h-index 139.
How long does peer review take at Harmful Algae?
Based on the dates recorded on 99 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 111 days (interquartile range 88–137 days); authors report an average review time of about 7.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. 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 Harmful Algae?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: 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 Harmful Algae based?
Of the 58 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 12 (about 21%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (15), Mainland China (12) and Australia (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Harmful Algae?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Harmful Algae is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Harmful Algae open access, and what is the APC?
Harmful Algae is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,910.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .