Genomic Insights into Marine Biodiversity and Reproductive Resilience
A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: genomic/transcriptomic; molecular ecology; metabolites in microalgae; aquaculture; marine biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: chemical ecology; marine invertebrates; microalgae; diatoms; sexual biology; invertebrate physiology; ecological modeling; aquaculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The accelerating development of genomic and bioinformatic technologies has opened up remarkable new avenues for understanding the complexity of life beneath the ocean surface. By uncovering the genetic foundations of adaptation, reproduction, and resilience, marine genomics now provides powerful tools for addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing marine ecosystems. With this Special Issue, we aim to bring together a diverse set of studies that explore the genomic underpinnings of biodiversity across a wide array of marine organisms. The papers highlight innovative approaches that link genomic variation to ecological function, reproductive success, and environmental change. Collectively, they illustrate how integrative genomic research can illuminate hidden dimensions of marine evolution and inform strategies for conservation and sustainable resource management. This Special issue aims to offer a collection of high-quality research articles focused on the following topics:
- Genomic Perspectives on Marine Biodiversity: Comparative genomics of marine taxa, from microbes to megafauna; phylogenomics and evolutionary relationships in marine lineages, population genomics, and genetic connectivity across seascapes; and environmental DNA (eDNA) and metagenomics for biodiversity monitoring.
- Adaptive and Evolutionary Genomics: Genomic signatures of adaptation to thermal, salinity, and oxygen stress; molecular evolution and selection in extreme marine environments; and epigenomic regulation of stress responses and developmental plasticity.
- Reproductive Genomics and Resilience: Genomic control of gametogenesis, fertilization, and early development; sex determination and differentiation mechanisms in marine species; and reproductive plasticity and transgenerational adaptation under climate stress.
- Integrative Approaches and Emerging Tools: Multi-omics integration; bioinformatics pipelines; and big data approaches for marine genomics.
- Applications for Conservation and Management: Genomic tools for assessing population health and genetic diversity; policy and ethical dimensions of genomic data use in marine conservation.
We hope that this Special Issue will inspire continued interdisciplinary collaboration and foster new perspectives on how genomic science can contribute to the preservation of ocean life and the resilience of marine populations in a rapidly changing world.
Dr. Maria Costantini
Dr. Valerio Zupo
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. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 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
- marine genomics
- biodiversity
- reproductive resilience
- population genomics
- adaptation and evolution
- environmental stress response
- eDNA and metagenomics
- conservation genomics
- functional genomics
- climate change impacts
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