MDPI’s Journal Cluster of Aquatic Sciences

Aquatic science is a multi-disciplinary and dynamic field dedicated to understanding the biology, management, and sustainable utilisation of aquatic organisms and ecosystems. This discipline encompasses the study of diverse aquatic species, including marine and freshwater fish, crustaceans, molluscs, plankton, and aquatic plants. It further explores the complex relationships between aquatic organisms and their physical, chemical, and biological environments, examining their vital roles within freshwater and marine ecosystems. By integrating knowledge from various fields, such as biology, oceanography, limnology, ecology, environmental science, and resource management, aquatic sciences aim to optimize sustainable aquaculture and fisheries practices, conserve biodiversity, enhance ecosystem resilience, and address critical challenges related to food security, water quality, climate change, and the responsible stewardship of aquatic resources.

MDPI’s Aquatic Sciences Cluster is designed to be a dynamic hub for cutting-edge research, fostering a comprehensive understanding of aquatic systems and their vital role in the natural environment. Our mission extends beyond simply publishing; we aim to accelerate the dissemination of discoveries that advance aquatic health, sustainable resource management, ecosystem conservation, and environmental protection. This cluster offers authors diverse publishing options, ensuring their research reaches the most relevant and impactful audience within the evolving landscape of aquatic sciences.

The five participating journals include the following:

Aquaculture Journal (ISSN: 2673-9496) focuses on research covering all aspects of aquaculture-related aquatic sciences, including topics such as aquatic organisms, aquatic environments, aquatic-related industries, and techniques/technologies, as well as legislation and policy related to aquatic resources. Aquaculture Journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Aires Oliva-Teles (Faculty of Sciences and CIIMAR, Porto University, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal);

Fishes (ISSN: 2410-3888) focuses on research on fishes and other aquatic animals. Fishes is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Maria Angeles Esteban (Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain);

Hydrobiology (ISSN: 2673-9917) covers all aspects of hydrobiology, spanning from freshwater, groundwater, estuarine, and marine habitats. Hydrobiology is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Martin Edwards (Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK);

Phycology (ISSN: 2673-9410) focuses on microalgae and macroalgae, including their origin, evolution, ecology, structure, biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, and the many diverse applications that involve monitoring, cultivation, harvesting, processing, and compound extraction. The journal aims to publish high-quality research across a wide range of psychology topics that advance scientific knowledge while addressing local and global areas of significance. Phycology is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Peer Schenk (Plant-Microbe Interactions Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia);

Smart Fisheries (ISSN: 3043-002X) is dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research and innovation at the intersection of fishery science, data science, engineering, and socio-economics. It publishes research on the innovative application of information technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), including the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, big data, and machine learning, to address critical challenges in aquaculture and fisheries. The journal emphasizes the use of these technologies to enable precision aquaculture, intelligent fishery resource management, and resilient aquatic food systems, addressing key challenges from resource assessment to climate adaptation. By bridging fishery science, data science, engineering, and socio-economics, the journal aims to accelerate the digital transformation and sustainable development of global fisheries. Smart Fisheries is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Dapeng Li (College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China).

Name	Launched	Impact Factor (2024)	CiteScore 2024	First Decision (median)	Acceptance to Publication (median)	APC (CHF)
	2021	/	/	20.1 days	5.8 days	1200
	2016	2.4	3	18.7 days	3.6 days	2600
	2022	/	3.7	22.5 days	7.1 days	1200
	2021	2.9	5.2	20.4 days	4.7 days	1200
	pending release	/	/	19 days	8 days	1000

MDPI Mission and Values:
As a pioneer in academic open access publishing, MDPI has been serving the scientific community since 1996. Our mission is to foster scientific exchange across all disciplines and in all forms. MDPI's guidelines for disseminating open science are based on the following core values and guiding principles:

• Open Access: All of our content is published in open access and distributed under a Creative Commons License, providing free access to science and the latest research, allowing articles to be freely shared and content to be reused with proper attribution;
• Timeliness and Efficiency: Publishing the latest research through thorough editorial work, ensuring a first decision is provided to authors in under 32 days and papers are published within 7-10 days upon acceptance;
• Simplicity: Offering user-friendly tools and services in one place to enhance the efficiency of our editorial process;
• High-Quality Service: Supporting scholars and their work by providing a range of options, such as journal publication at mdpi.com, early publication at preprints.org, and conferences on sciforum.net, to make a positive impact on research;
• Flexibility: Adapting and developing new tools and services to meet the changing needs of the research community, driven by feedback from authors, editors, and readers;
• Rooted in Sustainability: Ensuring the long-term preservation of published papers and supporting the future of science through partnerships, sponsorships, and awards.

By adhering to these values and principles, MDPI remains committed to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting open science practices.

Selected Special Issues:
“Feature Papers in Aquaculture 2026”
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Aires Oliva-Teles
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026

“Adaptive Fisheries Management in East Asia: Navigating Climate Change, POPs, and Microplastics”
Guest Editors: Dr. Min Xu, Prof. Haitao Wang, Dr. Teruhisa Komatsu and Prof. Dr. Zengqiang Yin
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027

“Nutrition–Physiology Interactions in Aquatic Species”
Guest Editors: Dr. Dizhi Xie, Dr. Songlin Li and Dr. Kangle Lu
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026

Selected Articles:
“Enhancing Disease Detection in the Aquaculture Sector Using Convolutional Neural Networks Analysis”
by Hayin Tamut, Robin Ghosh, Kamal Gosh and Md Abdus Salam Siddique
Aquac. J. 2025, 5(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/aquacj5010006

“A Deep Learning Approach to Automated Treatment Classification in Tuna Processing: Enhancing Quality Control in Indonesian Fisheries”
by Johan Marcus Tupan, Fredrik Rieuwpassa, Beni Setha, Wilma Latuny and Samuel Goesniady
Fishes 2025, 10(2), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10020075

“Growth and Diet of Northern Pike (Esox lucius) in Boreal Lakes: Implications for Ecosystem Management”
by Sebastian Theis, Jesse Shirton, Michael Barbeau, Jonathan L. W. Ruppert and Mark S. Poesch
Hydrobiology 2025, 4(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology4010001

“Advancements and Prospects in Algal Biofuel Production: A Comprehensive Review”
by Halina Falfushynska
Phycology 2024, 4(4), 548–575; https://doi.org/10.3390/phycology4040030