The Hidden Network: Trophic Interactions in Marine Ecosystems
A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Ecology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 115
Special Issue Editor
Interests: trophic ecology; stable isotopes; fish communities; habitat use; invasive–indigenous species interaction; coastal/marine ecosystems; transitional ecosystems; Mediterranean Sea
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Trophic interactions are a pivotal component in the marine environment and are important in understanding ecosystem structure and function. In recent decades, stable isotope analysis has been confirmed as a powerful tool to study these interactions, as it is used to provide insights into the food web structure, trophic levels, and pathways of organic matter. This approach has demonstrated versatility and robustness in capturing spatial and temporal variations, being applied in numerous fields spanning from diet reconstruction to species-specific trophic niches and from habitat use to migration patterns.
Given this background, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue focusing on recent advances in the application of stable isotopes—particularly δ13C, δ15N, and δ32S —to investigate trophic relationships across diverse marine ecosystems, from coastal/marine ecosystems to the open sea. The aim of this Issue is to foster a deeper understanding of marine trophic ecology and promote the use of stable isotopes as integral tools in marine conservation and management.
Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: fish trophic ecology, trophic interactions between invasive and indigenous species, and habitat use.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Cristina Andolina
Guest Editor
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. Fishes 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.
Keywords
- stable isotopes
- isotopic niche
- fish tropic ecology
- invasive species
- habitat use
- coastal/marine ecosystem
- Mediterranean Sea
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