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Ocean & Coastal Management

  • ISSN: 0964-5691

Next planned ship date: April 11, 2024

  • 5 Year impact factor: 4.3
  • Impact factor: 4.6

Ocean & Coastal Management is the leading international journal dedicated to the study of all aspects of ocean and coastal management from the global to local levels. We p… Read more

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Next planned ship date:
April 11, 2024

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Ocean & Coastal Management is the leading international journal dedicated to the study of all aspects of ocean and coastal management from the global to local levels.

We publish rigorously peer-reviewed manuscripts from all disciplines, and inter-/trans-disciplinary and co-designed research, but all submissions must make clear the relevance to management and/or governance issues relevant to the sustainable development and conservation of oceans and coasts.

Comparative studies (from sub-national to trans-national cases, and other management / policy arenas) are encouraged, as are studies that critically assess current management practices and governance approaches. Submissions involving robust analysis, development of theory, and improvement of management practice are especially welcome.

We welcome submissions from the natural and social sciences, humanities and law, and design professions on a wide range of topics that include, but are not limited to, the following:

Interactions among various ocean and coastal uses and actors in government, the private sector, civil society, local communities, science and Indigenous People.

Resolution of multiple-use conflicts; alternative management regimes and institutional arrangements for integrated management of ocean and coastal areas (e.g., national coastal management programmes, Regional Seas programmes); and governance of resources, systems and activities from the land-sea interface to territorial waters, Exclusive Economic Zones, high seas and the poles.

Developments related to the Law of the Sea Convention and to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), and consideration of legal regimes for the conservation and development of ocean and coastal resources from the shoreline to beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.

International maritime and shipping regulations, policies and governance under the framework of the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) or local governments of various countries.

Port and shipping operations, management and governance.

Assessing and managing environmental impacts due to development of ocean and coastal areas.

Specific shoreline management issues such as coastal protection policies, responses to accelerated sea level rise, public access, waterfront redevelopment, cultural heritage, public education and participation, port management, estuarine management, and marine protected areas.

Resource evaluation for such activities as aquaculture, commercial fisheries, offshore mining, shipping and navigation, energy facilities, coast-dependent industries, and tourism, recreational development, and marine conservation and protected areas.

Physical constraints and natural hazards affecting resource use and development; economic, political, and social constraints; and technological solutions to problems of resource demand and supply.

Climate change adaptation in coastal and marine settings.

Ocean and coastal disasters, risk reduction and resilience building.

Marine spatial planning.

Marine ecosystem based management.

The Blue Economy and marine governance.

Tackling ocean acidification.

Addressing marine plastics and pollution.

Governing coastal urbanization.

Vulnerability, sustainable livelihoods and maritime communities.

Bridging the science-policy-practice interfaces in the ocean and coastal context.

The roles of traditional knowledge, local knowledge and science in ocean and coastal management.

Politics, democracy, civic engagement and public decision-making for the ocean and coasts.

Historical, ethical, philosophical and theoretical considerations relevant to ocean and coastal management.



Ocean & Coastal Management publishes 12 issues per year with original Research Papers, Review Articles, Short communications, Commentaries and Special Issues.

Research papers: this includes studies on matters related to ocean and coastal management. Typical length: around 6000 words.

Review articles: this includes reviews of current and emerging topics on ocean and coastal management. Typical length: around 6000 words.

Short communications: this includes new break-through studies on an urgent ocean and coastal management topics. Typical length: around 2,000 words.

Commentaries: this includes short reflection articles. Typical length: around 1,000 words (only solicited submissions accepted).