Journal profile · Oceanography
Limnology and Oceanography
ISSN 0024-3590 · eISSN 1939-5590 · Wiley-Blackwell · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1956
Limnology and Oceanography: CAS Zone 2 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.51; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,530; median 262 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: hard; 364 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Limnology and Oceanography is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Marine and coastal ecosystems, Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics and Marine Biology and Ecology Research, together about 40.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Oceanography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Limnology and Oceanography (L&O) publishes research articles, reports, reviews, comments, and perspectives about all aspects of the sciences of limnology and oceanography. The journal’s unifying theme is the understanding of aquatic systems. Submissions are judged on their originality and intellectual contribution to the fields of limnology and oceanography, whether physical, chemical, or biological in nature, empirical or theoretical in method, and from elemental to geological, ecological to evolutionary, species to ecosystem, or system to global in scale. Preference is given to papers that are based within the scientific philosophy of novel, hypothesis-driven or observational research that contributes significantly to a broader understanding of aquatic sciences. While L&O does not adhere to strict page limits, long or short, papers that are designed in short-format (i.e., concise with limited use of visuals) communications of innovative and broadly appealing research in aquatic science should be submitted to the companion journal, Limnology and Oceanography: Letters. Papers for which the primary focus is methodological should be directed to the companion journal, Limnology and Oceanography: Methods. If you are unsure about appropriateness for L&O, please contact the Editor-in-Chief (dhambright@ou.edu) before submission. Questions about submission or review can be directed to the managing editor at (lo-edoffice@wiley.com).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Oceanography
Editor-in-chief K. David HambrightPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 12, Germany 9, Australia 5, Canada 4, Mainland China 3 (56 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 Sciences21.7%
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science9.7%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences9.1%
- Fish Ecology and Management StudiesEnvironmental Science7.1%
- Marine and fisheries researchEnvironmental Science5.8%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science5.7%
- Isotope Analysis in EcologyEnvironmental Science4.7%
- Soil and Water Nutrient DynamicsEnvironmental Science3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview 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
- 3.51LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 6.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.53LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 179LetPub ·
- h-index
- 357OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 10,084OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.21OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 70.57%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 293LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 299Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,512,287Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 13,460 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 215 | 149 | 60 |
| 2025 | 364 | 267 | 949 |
| 2024 | 304 | 242 | 1,822 |
| 2023 | 258 | 215 | 2,542 |
| 2022 | 301 | 198 | 4,899 |
| 2021 | 338 | 212 | 7,420 |
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
262 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 210 days – 337 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 19 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 285 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (633 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- HardLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 33%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 33%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 48 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 48 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 238 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 18 daysPublisher 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 3,530 / EUR 2,820 / GBP 2,120 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 100.75 | — | — |
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 prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Not considered
- Papers for which the primary focus is methodological
Article types accepted10
- commentsComments discuss prior publications in L&O and generally provide alternative interpretations, often involving substantive disagreement with the original publica…Length not stated
- hypothesisL&O publishes five types of manuscripts: research articles, reports, reviews, perspectives and comments. All five article types are peer reviewed. Research arti…Length not stated
- perspectiveL&O publishes five types of manuscripts: research articles, reports, reviews, perspectives and comments. All five article types are peer reviewed. Research arti…Length not stated
- perspectivesPerspectives provide new viewpoints, prospects, visions, or other ideas for advancing understanding in aquatic sciences.Length not stated
- reportsReports also contain original data and/or analyses presented within the context of novel, hypothesis-driven or observational research that contributes to the br…Length not stated
- research articleL&O publishes five types of manuscripts: research articles, reports, reviews, perspectives and comments. All five article types are peer reviewed. Research arti…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch articles generally contain original data, original analyses, or both, presented within the context of novel, hypothesis-driven or observational researc…Length not stated
- reviewL&O publishes five types of manuscripts: research articles, reports, reviews, perspectives and comments. All five article types are peer reviewed. Research arti…Length not stated
- reviewsReviews generally do not contain original data but are novel in their synthesis and resulting insights that can provide guidance for future scientific advanceme…Length not stated
- viewpointL&O publishes five types of manuscripts: research articles, reports, reviews, perspectives and comments. All five article types are peer reviewed. Research arti…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism, Preprints
- AI use Use of AI in Preparation of a Manuscript
Authors are permitted to use Generative Artificial Intelligence tools (AI) to correct grammatical errors and improve the clarity of text they composed. If AI is used for this purpose, authors are required to disclose the AI tool and how it was used in the preparation of their manuscript. This disclosure should be placed in Acknowledgments. Each author is responsible for content produced by AI tools…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Transfer Agreement
Authors must sign the copyright transfer agreement before their paper can be published. If your paper is accepted, the author identified as the formal corresponding author for the paper will receive an email prompting them to login into Author Services; where via the Wiley Author Licensing Service (WALS) they will be able to complete the license agreement on behalf of all authors on the paper.For …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Publication Fees and Open Access
Page charges will be levied for submitted manuscripts according to the following formula: ASLO member (lead or corresponding author): US$70.50 per typeset page; non-ASLO member (lead or corresponding author): US$100.75 per page. Please note: if Open Access is selected, the standard publication fees will be waived. Open AccessOpen Access is available to authors of primary research articles who wish…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Tips for Surviving Peer Review at L&O
Read & follow author guidelinesPresent a compelling story Motivate the work: explain what you did, what you learned, and why it matters. Use language thoughtfully and correctly; Use active voice; polish your English; avoid artifice (i.e., don’t try to be clever); avoid hype and unfounded claims; Present only necessary data; use Supporting Information for secondary information; Discuss what you lea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism Plagiarism
L&O adheres to the formal Code of Conduct adopted by vote of the ASLO membership in 1994. Authors are permitted to use Generative Artificial Intelligence tools (AI) to correct grammatical errors and improve the clarity of text they composed. If AI is used for this purpose, authors are required to disclose the AI tool and how it was used in the preparation of their manuscript. This disclosure should…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Limnology & Oceanography will consider submissions that previously have been made publicly available on a preprint server such as arXiv, bioRxiv, or PeerJ Preprints. Authors should inform the editorial office at submission if their paper has been posted to such a preprint server, and they must affirm that the preprint posting is consistent with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) required for a…
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
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1956
- ISSN
- 0024-3590
- Electronic ISSN
- 1939-5590
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 71, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Limnology and Oceanography
What CAS zone is Limnology and Oceanography in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Limnology and Oceanography is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Oceanography / Limnology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Limnology and Oceanography?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.51; CiteScore 6.9, h-index 357.
How long does peer review take at Limnology and Oceanography?
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 262 days (interquartile range 210–337 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Hard”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 33% (2025). 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Limnology and Oceanography based?
Of the 56 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), Germany (9) and Australia (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Limnology and Oceanography?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Limnology and Oceanography is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Limnology and Oceanography open access, and what is the APC?
Limnology and Oceanography is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,530.
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: .