Gelatinous Zooplankton Diversity and Distribution in a Changing Ocean

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure and privilege to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Diversity on "Gelatinous Zooplankton Diversity and Distribution in a Changing Ocean". Gelatinous zooplankton, within Cnidaria, Ctenophora, pelagic Tunicata and Chaetognatha, are ubiquitous members of plankton communities. These organisms play an essential role in marine ecosystems (e.g., as prey, predators and hosts). Climate change and habitat transformations (eutrophication, artificial infrastructure, fishing, etc.) have led to modifications in local and global biodiversity, affecting gelatinous zooplankton. Changes in gelatinous communities can be expressed in their phenology, bloom events, changes in the community composition, and the appearance of non-indigenous species.

Despite their importance, the fragility of these organisms constitutes a challenge for the investigation of their diversity. However, the recent development of new tools and sampling techniques, including in situ observation devices and molecular methods, will allow us to unmask gelatinous zooplankton diversity.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to enhance our knowledge of (i) the spatial and/or temporal distribution patterns of these organisms’ diversity and abundance, (ii) the trophic ecology of gelatinous zooplankton in marine food webs and risk assessments related to harmful species, and (iii) the impact of environmental changes on gelatinous zooplankton. We welcome research contributions in the form of original research, reviews, methodological papers, short notes, and contributions that may include short, narrated scientific videos.

Dr. Sonia Khadija Maïté Gueroun
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Néjib Daly Yahia
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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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.