CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Special Collection on
"Connectivity & Management of Estuarine-Dependent Species"
We are pleased to request manuscript submissions for an upcoming Special Collection on the topic of "Connectivity & Management of Estuarine-Dependent Species" for publication in the journal Estuaries & Coasts. Manuscripts are welcome that address state-of-the-art investigations into the coastal-estuarine connectivity of passively or actively transported organisms (from egg to adult stage) at multiple spatial and temporal scales and in estuarine systems ranging from those dominated by freshwater inflow to hypersaline systems. The management and conservation implications of ecological connectivity are of particular interest.
***** Manuscripts must be submitted by June 1, 2026 for consideration. *****
Articles in Estuaries & Coasts are published on a rolling basis upon acceptance, so all accepted manuscripts associated with this Special Collection will be available immediately online with full citation information. Articles associated with this Special Collection will be aggregated on a special webpage devoted to the theme (see prior Special Collections here). Page charges are optional depending on author choice of open access status. All submissions will be peer-reviewed in accordance with journal criteria for acceptance and adhere to the submission guidelines for Estuaries & Coasts.
Have an idea for a potential paper? Reach out to us at ESCOconnectivity@gmail.com to discuss before you proceed with the pre-review process below. Please include a description of your paper idea, or a draft abstract, to discuss whether your topical area aligns with the theme and scope of the Collection. After this initial consultation step, complete papers will need to go through the rest of the pre-review process described below.
Guest Editors:
Benjamin Walther, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Danny Coffey, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Sharon Herzka, University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Karin Limburg, SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry
Zach Olsen, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
T. Reid Nelson, George Mason University
Pre-Review Process: In order to adhere to journal policy for Estuaries & Coasts, all completed manuscripts must be pre-reviewed by our Special Collection guest editorial team before official submission to the journal itself. This pre-review process is for us to determine that your manuscript fits the scope of our Special Collection and is ready for formal peer review. Passing the pre-review check does not guarantee acceptance and publication in Estuaries & Coasts; all submissions that pass pre-review must then be formally submitted to Estuaries & Coasts where it will undergo a standard peer review process that will be handled by journal editorial staff.
If you have a manuscript you would like to submit, please do the following:
Verify your manuscript fits within the scope of the special collection (described below).
Ensure your manuscript follows the Submission Guidelines for Estuaries & Coasts
Align your paper with one of the article types accepted by the journal, such as "Original Article", "Management Application", or "Brief Report".
Format your manuscript according to journal requirements.
Submit your formatted manuscript for pre-review by our Special Collection team.
If our pre-review determines that your manuscript fits the Special Collection, we will provide you with special instructions to then submit your manuscript to Estuaries & Coasts for formal peer review by the journal.
*Manuscripts MUST be submitted for pre-review first. Submissions send directly to the journal without pre-review and approval will not be considered for inclusion in the Special Collection.
For pre-review, please assemble your manuscript into a single PDF file that contains all components (abstract, manuscript body, figures and tables, and any supplementary material). You will upload that file at the link below.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR PRE-REVIEW
Questions? Email our team at ESCOconnectivity@gmail.com
Special Collection Scope
This Special Collection will highlight evolving paradigms, emerging methodologies, and predictions of current and future dynamics of economically or ecologically valuable species in the face of natural variability and anthropogenic disturbances, including global change. Contributions can examine the dynamics of organismal connectivity from a variety of perspectives, including (but not limited to) behavioral ecology of diadromous species or euryhaline wanderers, trophic linkages and larval dispersal across salinity or other biogeochemical gradients, mobile organisms as nutrient vectors, the ecological and evolutionary consequences of connectivity within the context of estuarine dependence, and insight into key environmental drivers and transport processes. Contributions can be hypothesis-driven or contribute key information for informing hypothesis-driven inferences and must fit within the themes of this scope.
The collection aims to advance our understanding of estuarine dependency. Independent case studies of individual species or systems must be linked to broader topics and management needs of estuarine systems.
Research on vertebrate and invertebrate species inhabiting multiple habitat types or ecosystems (riverine, estuarine, shelf, or oceanic systems) will be considered as long as connectivity is at the center of the study questions. Researchers using biological surveys, tagging, telemetry, acoustics, genetics, and intrinsic tracer approaches, including hard part chemistry and bulk and compound-specific tissue isotope ratios, are welcome. Interdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged, particularly those integrating multiple tracking methodologies, data sets in meta-analyses, or implementing coupled biophysical modeling to assess connectivity dynamics.
Contributions focusing on the human dimensions and cultural implications will also be valuable components to emphasize the social relevance and economic value of estuarine-dependent mobile species. Finally, submissions are welcome that assess how co-produced science—engaging end-users and interest holders throughout the research process—can address contemporary challenges in managing and conserving these species in the face of climate change and other anthropogenic pressures.