Ecotoxicology in Aquatic Animals: 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

The aquatic environment has become the ultimate repository for a vast array of anthropogenic pollutants originating from diverse sources, including industrial activities, agriculture, urbanization, transportation, tourism, and daily human life. Unfortunately, these pressures on aquatic ecosystems are intensifying, with growing concerns over environmental pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss. These challenges pose significant threats not only to aquatic organisms, but also to broader ecological balance, scientific research, and societal well-being.

Human-induced environmental changes have led to profound alterations in aquatic ecosystems, triggering complex stress responses in aquatic organisms. To adapt and survive under these increasingly adverse conditions, aquatic species undergo a range of physiological, biochemical, immunological, metabolic, and structural modifications. However, these adaptive responses often come at a cost, influencing life-history traits such as survival, growth, immune function, reproductive success, and overall fitness. These individual-level effects can cascade into population dynamics, community interactions, and ecosystem stability, raising urgent concerns for biodiversity conservation and resource management.

Despite these challenges, some aquatic organisms exhibit remarkable resilience, demonstrating their ability to survive and even thrive in altered environments. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of stress tolerance and adaptation is crucial for predicting the long-term impacts of environmental changes and developing effective conservation strategies. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to consolidate research that explores the physiological, biochemical, behavioral, genetic, and ecological responses of aquatic animals to environmental stressors. We seek to highlight the key biomarkers, adaptive mechanisms, and energetic costs associated with stress responses while also examining the broader implications these have for aquatic ecosystem health and sustainability.

In this context, we invite researchers from various disciplines—including ecophysiology, environmental biochemistry, hydrobiology, zoology, toxicology, immunology, behavioral biology, and molecular biology—to contribute original research articles and review papers. We particularly welcome studies that investigate the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on aquatic animals, whether they use controlled experiments or field-based observations of natural populations. By bringing together diverse perspectives and methodologies, this Special Issue aims to enhance our understanding of stress adaptation in aquatic ecosystems and provide valuable insights for conservation efforts, environmental management, and policy development.

We look forward to your contributions and to fostering a rich exchange of knowledge that can inform future research and conservation strategies for the protection of aquatic life.

Prof. Dr. Halina Falfushynska
Dr. Piotr Rychter
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• metals
• pesticides
• personal care products and pharmaceuticals
• nanoparticles
• oxidative stress
• biotransformation
• water animals
• environmental pollution
• immune toxicity
• cytotoxicity

• Ecotoxicology in Aquatic Animals in Animals (6 articles)