Diversity, Ecology and Conservation of Zooplankton

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue of Diversity focused on zooplankton, a key group in the aquatic ecosystems since they are a link between primary producers and secondary consumers. Everything about these organisms is fascinating, from their beauty to their complex life cycles and ecology.

Zooplankton occur around the world, from the Artic to the tropics, inhabiting all kinds of environments, such as small vernal pools, hypersaline lakes and, of course, the vast ocean. Where there is water, even if it is very little, it is possible to find zooplankton. Their colonization capacity is such that we can find them in small humid habitats, such as leaf litter, holes in trees and sphagnum mats. They are everywhere, in groundwater, hot springs, caves; they can even travel throughout time, thanks to their resting structures capable of remaining dormant for decades and centuries. Given the great diversity of environments to which they have adapted, it is easy to imagine that the number of zooplankton species in the world is huge, beyond measure even.

As would be expected in the current context of global climate change, the threats to these organisms are multiple and synergistic: the warming and acidification of the waters; eutrophication; contamination by pesticides, drugs, plastics, etc.; biological invasions; the destruction of wetlands; all these threats are endangering one of the key components of the aquatic food webs. Therefore, improving the scientific knowledge surrounding these organisms is more necessary than ever. This Special Issue has been created with that objective in mind.

Diversity’s team and we kindly invite you to submit a manuscript focused on any aspect of diversity, ecology and conservation of zooplankton, from specific case studies to reviews. All levels of organization are welcome, that is, species autoecology, population dynamics and community studies. Likewise, manuscripts dealing with both marine and freshwater species are welcome. If you are interested in this opportunity or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Prof. Dr. Raquel Jiménez-Melero
Dr. Juan Diego Gilbert
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 2600 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.

• freshwater zooplankton
• marine zooplankton
• life history
• population/community dynamics
• egg bank
• ecological modelling
• diversity conservation
• ecotoxicology
• non-native species
• global change