Reproductive Biology in Aquatic Animals: Implications for Aquaculture and Environmental Conservation

Dear Colleagues,

The seafood production sector already provides more than 50% of the total seafood protein in the world. At the same time, the percentage of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels in 2017 drop down to 65.8%. Growing demand for healthy food and effective protein source drives the aquaculture sector to reach each year new production records. In this situation advances in the aquatic animal's reproduction as well as knowledge useful in wild aquatic animals protections are crucial for reaching the sustainable goals in the sector development.

The Special Issue welcomes contributions of valuable basic and applied researches that address reproductive biology in a wide range of aquatic animals including, but not limited to, fish, shellfish, shrimps and corals. Special consideration is taken to researches that provide us with valuable information to develop aquaculture practices for commercially important species and endangered species and to assess ecological perspectives of aquaculture practices on the aquatic environment based on basic researches on the reproductive system. In this regard, the effects of environmental pollutants and climate change on reproductive physiology in male aquatic animals are within the scope of the Special Issue. However manuscripts oriented on research/review of taxa-specific events of gamete interaction are also very welcomed. Moreover, submissions of studies that consider the development of assisted fertilisation methods to increase aquaculture production or biological restocking actions are highly appreciated.

In practice, the issue is divided into the following parts:

1. Recent advances in reproductive biology in aquatic animals
2. Development of aquaculture practices for the reproduction of commercially important species of fish, shellfish and shrimps in aquaculture
3. Gene banking and biological conservation of wild and endangered aquatic animals
4. The effects of environmental pollutants on reproductive physiology in aquatic animals
5. The effects of climate change on reproductive physiology in aquatic animals 

Dr. Radosław Kowalski
Dr. Sayyed Mohammad Hadi Alavi
Dr. Borys Dzyuba
Dr. Daniel Żarski
Dr. Ákos Horváth
Guest Editors

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