Estuaries & Coasts

Journal of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation

History | Contact | 2010 Update | Journal Access for Members | Submission Guidelines | 

Estuaries & Coasts is the journal of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation. Begun in 1977 as Chesapeake Science, the journal has gradually expanded its scope and circulation. Today, the journal publishes manuscripts covering aspects of research on physical, chemical, geological or biological systems, as well as management of those systems, at the interface between the land and the sea. The interface is broadly defined to include areas within estuaries, lagoons, wetlands, tidal rivers, watersheds that include estuaries, and near-shore coastal waters. The journal publishes original research findings, reviews, techniques, and comments.

History of the Journal

Estuaries & Coasts traces its origin to the late Dr. Romeo J. Mansueti, who conceived and nurtured it as Chesapeake Science, a journal devoted to presenting research results and management studies on natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay region. Chesapeake Science was published and partially subsidized by the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory during its 18 year history. In 1977, the journal was acquired by the Estuarine Research Federation and in 1978 it was renamed Estuaries. Since then the journal has gained an international distribution and content. In 1987 the quarterly journal began publication in a larger 8.5 x 11 inch page format. In 1999, Estuaries became available to ERF members online, and in 2000 a CD-ROM set of all back issues of Chesapeake Science and Estuaries was produced. In 2000, Estuaries also began publication on a bimonthly schedule. In 2006, the journal was renamed Estuaries and Coasts to better represent its content. The cover design was also changed to display the profile of a prominent estuary from around the world. In 2007, management and publication of the journal was moved to Springer.

Estuaries and Coasts – 2010 Update

Measures of Success
Performance metrics reveal incremental improvements in the quality and impact of Estuaries and Coasts. The 2009 impact factor was 1.554, compared to 1.124 in 2007.
Estuaries and Coasts has a high ratio of downloads per article. It is in the top 10% of journals published by Springer.

The average time after submission to first decision is 65 days. This compares favorably to all scientific journals. Author-satisfaction survey results have been positive – e.g. most authors rated their journal’s editorial board highly.

Editorial Leadership
The CERF Governing Board expresses its deepest appreciation to co-Editor-in-Chief Carlos Duarte, who ends his service in December 2010. CERF welcomes Iris Anderson of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Dr. Anderson begins her term as co-Editor-in-Chief in January 2011.

Jim Cloern’s tenure as co-Editor-in-Chief will end in December 2011. The CERF Governing Board seeks a highly qualified scientist to serve as his replacement. Interested persons are invited to contact CERF President Susan Williams, slwilliams@ucdavis.edu.

A new journal leadership position, Reviews Editor, has been created. CERF Past President Bob Howarth will be the first to serve in this role, beginning in January 2011.

The journal’s Editors salute their excellent editorial board and express gratitude for their service. In the future, additional Associate Editors will be recruited for hydrodynamics, fisheries biology, saltmarsh/wetlands ecology, and sediment transport/geomorphology. Recommendations for strong candidates may be sent to Jim Cloern (jecloern@gmail.com).

Coming Attractions
The 2011 Odum Synthesis Essay is being written by Walter Boynton and Michael Kemp. The Editors are looking for candidates to write the 2012 Odum Synthesis Essay; please send suggestions to Jim Cloern (jecloern@gmail.com).

The following special issues/features are in process:
(1) a special issue on Tidal Freshwater Wetlands
(2) a special feature on the Arctic as an Estuary
(3) a proposed special issue on long-term patterns of zooplankton variability in estuarine-coastal ecosystems.

A meeting of the Editors and Associate Editors is being planned at the 2011 CERF conference in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Contact Estuaries & Coasts

Correspondence with the journal may be directed to:

For problems accessing the on-line archives, contact membership@erf.org
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