Marine Zooplankton and Ichthyoplankton Ecology: Patterns, Processes, and Perspective
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 120
Special Issue Editors
Interests: zooplankton ecology; biological oceanography; ichthyoplankton
Interests: taxonomy of ichthyoplankton; larval fish ecology; fish settlement
Interests: : zooplankton ecology in marine environments; taxonomy of mesozooplankton; the trophic role of zooplankton in marine food webs; stable isotopes; metabarcoding and biochemical indices (ETS, AARS) on zooplankton.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Marine zooplankton and ichthyoplankton play a crucial role in the pelagic ecosystem by directing the flow of energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels. Additionally, they play a key role in the recirculation of dissolved organic material (DOM) and the subsidy of particulate organic material (POM) to the deep ocean and benthos. Their ecological importance goes beyond their role in the marine food web, as they actively participate in the biological carbon pump, regulate stock biomass, and can even be used as indicators of climatic conditions.
Recent advances in the ecological research of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton have begun to shed light on their behavior, ecological interactions, and responses to environmental drivers. This Special Issue is dedicated to the ecology of marine zooplankton and ichthyoplankton. The contributions to this Special Issue aim to explore the complex relationships and ecological roles of marine zooplankton and ichthyoplankton, with the purpose of highlighting their importance for the conservation of marine ecosystem services and inspiring future research in this field. The key topics proposed include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Ecological roles and taxonomic and functional diversity of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton species;
- Temporal and spatial variation of species diversity and biogeographical patterns and distribution of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton;
- Trophic interactions and food web dynamics involving zooplankton and ichthyoplankton;
- Day–night vertical migration patterns of marine zooplankton and ichthyoplankton;
- Role of zooplankton in the biological carbon pump, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration;
- Life cycle stages of marine zooplankton and ichthyoplankton;
- Impact of physical and chemical oceanographic conditions and climate change on zooplankton and ichthyoplankton abundance, distribution and assemblage composition;
- Molecular approaches, such as DNA barcoding and metabarcoding, for species identification and diversity assessment;
- Effects of pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction on zooplankton and ichthyoplankton communities;
- Innovations in sampling techniques and technologies for studying zooplankton and ichthyoplankton;
- Challenges in studying and conserving zooplankton and ichthyoplankton biodiversity and future directions in zooplankton and ichthyoplankton ecology.
This key topic will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research in marine zooplankton and ichthyoplankton ecology and highlight important areas for future investigation.
Prof. Dr. Alan Giraldo
Prof. Dr. Mauricio F. Landaeta
Dr. Inma Herrera
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- zooplankton
- ichthyoplankton
- marine ecology
- biological oceanography
- pelagic ecology
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