Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Marine Biological Invasions

  • 942

    Total downloads

  • 6,563

    Total views and downloads

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Submission Deadline 15 October 2024 | Manuscript Extension Submission Deadline 15 December 2024

Background

Biological invasions are one of the most important causes of biodiversity loss and a key component of global change. In marine environments, the assessment and management of biological invasions is more challenging than in terrestrial environments, and a broad coordination among marine regions is crucial to gain successful results. As prevention is considered the best approach to reduce the impacts of marine biological invasions, most efforts are focused on monitoring high- risk areas for the introduction of NIS (e.g., ports and aquaculture facilities) and management actions are targeted to the introduction vectors, with the aim to reduce the rates of introduction and establishment by at least 50 percent, by 2030 (Target 6 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, UN Convention on Biological Diversity CBD/COP/15/L25, 2022).

In recent years, an important global achievement for the management of alien species was the Ballast Water Management Convention, which aims to control the introduction of alien species via ballast waters of large commercial vessels. On the other hand, other vectors are still not regulated in most countries. Of considerable concern is biofouling (i.e., the undesirable biological colonization of immersed artificial substrates), which is currently the most high-risk non-regulated vector in the world. Despite some countries being strongly active in the monitoring and management of alien species (e.g., Australia, New Zealand), the majority do not have an action plan, baseline data on marine biodiversity or an assessment on the main pathways and vectors of introduction.

Furthermore, many regions do not have the capacity to undertake such initiatives. For this reason, another complementary strategy is to increase the resistance of sites to biological invasions, by protecting the ones more at risk with eco-engineering interventions, which are designed to enhance biodiversity in human-made areas.

Therefore, the prevention and management of alien species is still an ongoing process, and many knowledge gaps still need to be filled in the field of marine bioinvasions.

This Research Topic aims to collect papers on different aspects of marine bioinvasions, mainly related to fill the gaps of knowledge on this issue, as a suggestion:

● Collection of baseline data in data-poor regions.
● Assessment of the level of spread of alien species from the recipient regions
(e.g., ports, aquaculture sites) to the surrounding natural areas.
● Advanced methods and techniques for effective early-detection of alien
species.
● Studies on impact assessment of alien species in the recipient regions and
the biological interactions with the native communities.
● Assessment on the effectiveness of early response and possible
management actions.
● Elaboration and implementation of novel methods for eradication and control
of invasive alien species.
● Eco-engineering approaches to create low-risk areas for alien species
introduction in potential hotspots.
● Predictions of invasions through the use of watch lists and travel patterns.
● Predictions of spread considering global climate change.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Community Case Study
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Community Case Study
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective
  • Policy and Practice Reviews
  • Policy Brief
  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Technology and Code

Keywords: marine alien species, impact assessment, management, early-detection, data collection

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

Impact

  • 6,563Topic views
  • 2,836Article views
  • 942Article downloads
View impact