Frontiers in Marine Science

Frontiers in Marine Science
Title	Frontiers in Marine Science
Discipline	Marine science
Publisher	Frontiers Media
Country	Switzerland
Abbreviation	Front. Mar. Sci.
History	2014–present

Frontiers in Marine Science is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by Frontiers Media that covers research across oceanography, marine ecology, marine biogeochemistry, and coastal systems. The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, and perspectives connecting field observations, laboratory experiments, and modeling studies relevant to the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. It serves authors from institutions such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Southampton, University of California, Santa Barbara, and National Oceanography Centre (UK).

Overview and Scope

The journal's scope spans physical, chemical, biological, and geological aspects of marine environments, engaging contributors affiliated with NOAA, NASA, European Space Agency, CSIRO, and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Editorial oversight has involved scientists connected to Smithsonian Institution, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and Bodega Marine Laboratory. Topics frequently intersect with regional programs like the International Ocean Discovery Program, Global Ocean Observing System, GO-SHIP, and initiatives from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and United Nations Environment Programme.

Research Themes and Advances

Published work addresses climate-driven change in marine systems, including studies on ocean acidification linked to Paris Agreement targets, warming trends reported by IPCC AR6, and deoxygenation documented in the North Pacific Gyre and Southern Ocean. Articles examine biodiversity patterns across regions such as the Great Barrier Reef, Amazon River, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, and Coral Triangle, often referencing taxa housed in collections at the Natural History Museum, London and Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Other themes include plankton dynamics informed by work from Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring programs, fisheries assessments tied to Food and Agriculture Organization stock reports, and sedimentary records retrieved during expeditions like Expedition 313 and Challenger expedition follow-up studies.

Methodologies and Technologies

Methodological advances published include autonomous observations using platforms developed by Argo (oceanography), Gliders (autonomous underwater vehicle), and Seaglider operations, remote sensing analyses employing data from Sentinel-3, Landsat, MODIS (instrument), and missions coordinated by Copernicus Programme. Molecular ecology papers integrate protocols from DNA barcoding initiatives and sequencing performed on instruments inspired by Human Genome Project technologies and laboratories such as Wellcome Sanger Institute and European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Modeling studies leverage frameworks associated with the Community Earth System Model, Regional Ocean Modeling System, and coupled models evaluated in coordination with World Meteorological Organization activities.

Interdisciplinary Collaborations and Institutions

The journal fosters collaborations among researchers at universities including University of Oxford, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Tokyo, Peking University, and research centers like Alfred Wegener Institute, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Institute of Marine Research (Norway), and National Taiwan University. Cross-disciplinary work links paleoclimate records from IODP, molecular insights from European Research Council grants, and socioeconomic evaluations connected to World Bank marine projects and United Nations sustainable development efforts such as Sustainable Development Goal 14. Special issues have been organized with partnerships involving International Union for Conservation of Nature, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and regional consortia centered on the Gulf of Mexico and Bay of Bengal.

Policy, Conservation, and Societal Impact

Contributions inform policy debates around marine protected areas as framed by the Convention on Biological Diversity and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, fisheries management under UNCLOS and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, and pollution mitigation aligned with MARPOL conventions. Conservation-focused studies often reference case histories from the Galápagos Islands, Yellow Sea, Philippine Sea, and North Sea and draw on guidelines from IUCN Red List assessments and Ramsar Convention wetland designations. Societal impacts are evaluated in relation to coastal communities affected by events like Hurricane Katrina, 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and responses coordinated through agencies such as United States Geological Survey and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

Notable Publications and Landmark Studies

Notable articles include contributions to understanding ocean carbon cycling that build on frameworks from the Global Carbon Project and syntheses that integrate paleoceanographic insights from Pliocene Research, Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping (PRISM). Landmark studies published in the journal have addressed harmful algal bloom ecology linked to research from NOAA Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasting System, marine heatwave analyses contextualized by the Blob (Pacific ocean anomaly), and biodiversity syntheses referencing inventories from the Ocean Biogeographic Information System and long-term datasets like those curated by Long Term Ecological Research Network. Special collections have highlighted transdisciplinary findings aligned with the work of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and international efforts such as Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative.

Category:Marine science journals