Journal profile · Oceanography
Ocean & Coastal Management
ISSN 0964-5691 · eISSN 1873-524X · Elsevier BV · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1992
Ocean & Coastal Management: CAS Zone 2 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 5.92; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,350; review about 135 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 449 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Ocean & Coastal Management is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Coastal and Marine Management, Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies and Marine and fisheries research, together about 42.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Ocean & Coastal Management is the leading international journal dedicated to the study of all aspects of ocean and coastal management and governance.Ocean & Coastal Management aims to advance management, policy and/or governance scholarship related to the sustainable development and conservation of the world's oceans and coasts.It publishes rigorously peer-reviewed articles on ocean and coastal management and governance from the natural and social sciences, humanities and law, and design professions, and inter-/trans-disciplinary and co-designed research.Submissions must engage directly with the ocean and coastal management scholarly literature and apply findings to the international context. Submissions involving robust analysis, development of theory, and improvement of governance and management practices are especially welcome. Locality-specific case studies are discouraged unless they have wider application. Comparative studies (from sub-national to trans-national cases, and other management / policy arenas) are encouraged, as are studies that critically assess management theories, policies, practices, and governance approaches.The journal publishes topics including:Interactions between ocean and coastal uses and actors in government, the private sector, civil society, local communities, science, and Indigenous Peoples. Bridging the science-policy-practice interfaces in the ocean and coastal context. The roles of traditional knowledge, local knowledge, and science in ocean and coastal management. Ocean Literacy and Education Institutional change and ocean and coastal management.Resolution of multiple-use conflicts; alternative management regimes and institutional arrangements for integrated management of ocean and coastal areas (e.g., national coastal management programmes, Regional Seas programmes); and governance of resources, systems, and activities from the land-sea interface to territorial waters, Exclusive Economic Zones, high seas, and the poles.Developments related to the Law of the Sea Convention and to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), including consideration of legal regimes for the conservation and development of ocean and coastal resources from the shoreline to beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, including emerging Legal and Policy Challenges in the High Seas.International maritime and shipping regulations, policies, and governance under the framework of the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) or the local governments of various countries. Port and shipping operations, management, and governance. Impact of Global Supply Chains on Coastal and Marine Environments.Assessing and managing environmental impacts due to the development of ocean and coastal areas. Specific shoreline management issues such as coastal protection policies, responses to accelerated sea-level rise, public access, waterfront redevelopment, cultural heritage, public education and participation, port management, estuarine management, marine protected areas, and governing coastal urbanization.Governance and management of activities like aquaculture, commercial fisheries, offshore mining, shipping and navigation, energy facilities, coast-dependent industries, and tourism, recreational development, and marine conservation and protected areas.Climate change and ocean and coastal management, including adaptation in coastal and marine settings; tackling ocean acidification; Blue Carbon; and climate-resilient development.Ocean and coastal disasters, risk reduction, and resilience building. Vulnerability, sustainable livelihoods, and maritime communities.The Blue Economy and marine governance. Marine spatial planning. Marine ecosystem-based management. Addressing marine plastics and pollution. Technological Innovations in Oceanography and Coastal Management.Politics, democracy, civic engagement, and public decision-making for the ocean and coasts. Historical, cultural, ethical, philosoph
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Oceanography
Editor-in-chief J. ChenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 10 in mainland China (about 12%); most named United Kingdom 11, Mainland China 10, Australia 8, New Zealand 5, United States 4 (84 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Coastal and Marine ManagementEnvironmental Science19.7%
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems StudiesEnvironmental Science13.1%
- Marine and fisheries researchEnvironmental Science9.9%
- Coastal and Marine DynamicsEarth and Planetary Sciences6.8%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science6%
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture StudiesEnvironmental Science4.6%
- International Maritime Law IssuesEnvironmental Science4.3%
- 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)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 2 |
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
- 5.92LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.33LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.53LetPub ·
- h-index
- 70LetPub ·
- h-index
- 146OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,986OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.05OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.96%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 421LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,283 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 248 | 117 | 114 |
| 2025 | 449 | 173 | 1,802 |
| 2024 | 435 | 176 | 4,932 |
| 2023 | 416 | 132 | 8,052 |
| 2022 | 342 | 118 | 8,245 |
| 2021 | 411 | 158 | 11,929 |
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
135 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports 9–24 weeks
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)
- 9–24 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 54 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 135 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 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 4,350 / EUR 4,070 / GBP 3,480 / JPY 539,530 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,130 | — | — |
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 papers8, by deadline
- Negative Results in OceanographyDeadline
- Ocean Decade: Conservation, Biodiversity, and management of fisheriesDeadline
- Ocean Decade_ MegaDelta Programme Deltas Associated with Large Rivers: Seeking Solutions for the Problem of SustainabilityDeadline
- Ocean Decade_Blue Carbon Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration for Carbon NeutralityDeadline
- Global Green Shipping CorridorsDeadline
- Global Maritime Disruption and Recovery GovernanceDeadline
- Science to Governance for Ocean DecadeDeadline
- Ocean Decade-Blue EconomyDeadline
What to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Not considered
- Locality-specific case studies
Article types accepted7
- commentaryUpon submission, besides selecting one of the paper types below, please also indicate on your manuscript what kind of paper it is:Research papers: this includes…Length not stated
- research paperUpon submission, besides selecting one of the paper types below, please also indicate on your manuscript what kind of paper it is:Research papers: this includes…Length not stated
- research papersResearch papers: this includes studies on matters related to ocean and coastal management. Typical length: around 6000 wordsLength not stated
- reviewUpon submission, besides selecting one of the paper types below, please also indicate on your manuscript what kind of paper it is:Research papers: this includes…Length not stated
- review articleUpon submission, besides selecting one of the paper types below, please also indicate on your manuscript what kind of paper it is:Research papers: this includes…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles: this includes reviews of current and emerging topics on ocean and coastal management. Typical length: around 6000 wordsLength not stated
- short communicationUpon submission, besides selecting one of the paper types below, please also indicate on your manuscript what kind of paper it is:Research papers: this includes…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
File format Model summary
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 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 one reviewer 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.Rea…
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 BV
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1992
- ISSN
- 0964-5691
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-524X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Ocean & Coastal Management
What CAS zone is Ocean & Coastal Management in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Ocean & Coastal Management is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Oceanography / Water Resources. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Ocean & Coastal Management?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.92; CiteScore 10.3, h-index 146.
How long does peer review take at Ocean & Coastal Management?
The publisher reports about 135 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of 9–24 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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.
Where are the editorial board members of Ocean & Coastal Management based?
Of the 84 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 10 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (11), Mainland China (10) and Australia (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Ocean & Coastal Management?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Ocean & Coastal Management is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Ocean & Coastal Management open access, and what is the APC?
Ocean & Coastal Management is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,350.
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: .