Blue Granary and Blue Transformation: Intelligent Stewardship and Sustainable Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ecosystems

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fisheries and aquaculture are at a pivotal crossroads, tasked with meeting the rising global demand for high-quality aquatic food while navigating the urgent imperatives of ecological conservation and climate resilience. The concepts of “Blue Granary” and “Blue Transformation”—championed by the FAO and increasingly adopted worldwide—call for a fundamental shift from traditional extensive farming toward intelligent, ecologically sound, and resource-efficient production systems.

Closely aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the FAO “Blue Transformation” strategy, this Topic aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances in aquaculture and fisheries science that integrate smart ecological stewardship with sustainable production innovation. We consider contributions addressing the nexus of aquatic ecosystem health, pollution control, precision aquaculture technologies, and the sustainable utilization of fishery resources. By bridging cutting-edge research with practical management and policy implementation, this Topic seeks to support the global transition toward a resilient, productive, and environmentally harmonious “Blue Granary” for future generations.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

Aquatic ecosystem health and pollution control

• Aquatic ecology, environmental impacts, and habitat restoration
• Climate change adaptation and resilience in fisheries and aquaculture systems
• Ecological risk assessment and pollution control in fisheries and aquaculture ecosystems
• Microplastics and emerging contaminants: toxicological mechanisms and environmental fate

Intelligent stewardship and biological technologies

• Smart aquaculture: intelligent monitoring, digital twins, and precision farming technologies
• Aquatic genetic resources: germplasm innovation, developmental genetics, and trait regulation
• Nutrition, metabolism, disease mechanisms, and immunology in farmed aquatic species

Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management

• Ecosystem-based fisheries management and sustainable resource utilization
• Spatial planning and sustainable use of coastal, marine, and open waters for fisheries and aquaculture
• Post-harvest quality, safety, and functional properties of aquatic products
• Blue economy: sustainable aquaculture practices and policy frameworks

Prof. Dr. Xiaojun Yan
Prof. Dr. Youji Wang
Prof. Dr. Bin Xia
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Aquaculture Journal aquacj	-	4.0	2021	18.8 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Coasts coasts	-	2.5	2021	27.7 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Diversity diversity	2.3	4.6	2009	14.5 Days	CHF 2100	Submit
Fishes fishes	2.9	4.4	2016	18.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering jmse	3.2	5.6	2013	15 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Oceans oceans	2.5	2.6	2020	27.2 Days	CHF 1600	Submit
Smart Fisheries smartfish	-	-	2026	15.0 days *	CHF 1000	Submit
Water water	3.5	6.7	2009	17.7 Days	CHF 2600	Submit

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the first half of 2026.

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