About the journal

Aims and Scope

2023 Impact Factor: 1.8
29/62 (Fisheries) and 49/119 (Marine & Freshwater Biology)
5-Year Impact Factor: 1.9
©2024 Clarivate, release of 2023 Journal Citation Reports®

Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science publishes original and innovative research that synthesizes information on biological organization across spatial and temporal scales to promote ecologically sound fisheries science and management. This open-access, online journal published by the American Fisheries Society provides an international venue for studies of marine, coastal, and estuarine fisheries, with emphasis on species' performance and responses to perturbations in their environment, and promotes the development of ecosystem-based fisheries science and management. The journal encourages contributors to identify and address challenges in population dynamics, assessment techniques and management approaches, human dimensions and socioeconomics, and ecosystem metrics to improve fisheries science in general and make informed predictions and decisions. In addition to publishing peer-reviewed articles, the journal will offer a "Fisheries Forum" that gives readers an opportunity to discuss topical issues in near-real time, and it encourages the submission of "essays" (peer-reviewed comments) on relevant subjects for that section.

Reflecting the broad range of ecosystems, issues, and perspectives included in the scope of the journal, contributions that are inclusive and interdisciplinary are encouraged. Major themes include but are not limited to the following:

• Fisheries biology and ecology (including age and growth, reproduction, behavior, physiology, stock identification, genetics, larval dispersal, and life histories) at different spatiotemporal scales as well as species' performance and responses to perturbation, restoration, and management actions

• The biology, ecology, assessment, and management of marine birds, invertebrates, and mammals related to fisheries and ecosystem topics

• Population demographics and dynamics

• Habitat as a resource in space and time

• Food webs, trophic dynamics, and prey resources

• Assessment science and management scenario evaluation, including dedicated access, adaptive management, area-based management, community-based management, and coastal and marine zoning (including protected areas and reserves)

• Single- and multispecies assessment and management

• Data synthesis, management, and informatics

• Historical data and ecological baselines Policy, including the implementation of innovative solutions and negotiated settlements and court decisions that affect fisheries policy

• Human dimensions and socioeconomics Fisheries management capacity building (training, education, and the promotion of collaborative research and management)

• The influence of environmental variability and change (including climate change) on population and ecosystem dynamics and productivity

• Metrics, benchmarks, and determination of ecosystem status

• The ecological impacts of fishing

• Ecosystem-based fishery assessment and management in theory and practice

• Ecosystem modeling and forecasting aimed at better understanding and managing coastal and marine fisheries

Indexing Information

AGRICOLA Database (National Agricultural Library)

ASFA: Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ProQuest)Biological Abstracts (Clarivate Analytics)

Biological Science Database (ProQuest)

Biological Science Collect (ProQuest)

BIOSIS Previews (Clarivate Analytics)

CAB Abstracts® (CABI)

Earth, Atmospheric & Aquatic Science Database (ProQuest)

Environment Complete (EBSCO Publishing)

Environment Index (EBSCO Publishing)

Science Citation Index Expanded (Clarivate Analytics)

SciTech Premium Collection (ProQuest)

SCOPUS (Elsevier)

ProQuest Central (ProQuest)

PubMed via PMC deposit (NLM)

Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)

Zoological Record (Clarivate Analytics)