Marine Ecology, Environmental Stress and Management

Dear Colleagues,

Scientific interest in marine life began in the first decades of the 19th century. Initially, research almost exclusively focussed on the exploration and description of marine organisms. However, it became apparent that the perception of biogeochemical processes required an understanding of the relationships between biological communities and the abiotic environment, as well as between organisms. This led to the emergence of the field of marine ecology, which embraced diverse scientific disciplines. Through this, researchers soon developed knowledge on trophic webs, the production and consumption of organic matter, the flow of energy and biomass through the ecosystem, and the identification of limiting factors. These developments produced revolutionary scientific concepts and encouraged the generation of new methods in fieldwork, the laboratory, and data analysis. Marine ecology, beyond purely scientific interest, is now recognized as an applied scientific field. Applied marine ecology provides a scientific background for marine environmental protection and conservation policies. In addition to the identification and quantification of the effects of pollution, it is an indispensable tool for coastal management and marine spatial planning, and studying various aspects of climate change. Finally, and importantly, marine ecology is an indespensible contribution to environmental impact assessment studies.

This publication welcomes original research articles or reviews on all aspects of marine ecological communities, with emphasis on the links between different ecological groups. Biogeochemical marine ecological processes, as well as the flow of energy and matter through marine ecosystems, are also within the scope of this issue. We are especially interested in manuscripts on ecosystem stress due to species invasions, climate change, and forms of pollution, with a focus on emerging pollutants. We also welcome work that suggests ways to mitigate environmental impacts through management and the improvement of environmental quality, as well as experimental research and data-analyses on environmental quality assessment methodologies.

Prof. Dr. Michael Karydis
Dr. Maurizio Azzaro
Topic Editors