IEEE Earthzine, an online scientific publication, is soliciting articles of 800 to 3,000 words for its second 2017 quarterly theme, Coral Reefs.

A school of goat fish swimming in a lagoon in American Samoa. Credit: NOAA, Jim Maragos

2017 Quarterly Theme, Issue 2

April 1-June 30, 2017

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Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, and many millions of species that live in these remarkable environments remain unknown. Organisms that live in coral reefs have been key to numerous medical breakthroughs. The impacts of coral reefs on tourism and commercial fisheries total billions of dollars annually. But many of these sensitive areas around the globe are under assault from the effects of climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, and marine debris. The coral reefs that buffer coastlines and provide hotspots for biodiversity are just beginning to be understood even as they are under threat. This theme seeks articles describing contemporary issues behind the science, monitoring, and conservation of coral reefs including their interaction with human activity.

Specific topics of interest for this theme include (but are not limited to):

• Changing marine habitats in coastal environments
• Coral ecosystems and reproduction research
• Impact of diminishing coral reefs on indigenous communities
• Ocean acidification
• Sensors for coral reef observations
• Autonomous observation platforms and their impacts
• Information systems for reef monitoring programs
• Remote sensing along reef environments
• Effects of the three primary threats on coral reefs: climate change, land-based sources of pollution and unsustainable fishing
• Coral reefs and disasters/disaster response
• Applications and industry in the coral reef environment
• Impacts of tourism on coral reefs
• Promoting reef resilience
• Coral restoration
• Efforts to recover corals on listed on the Endangered Species Act
• The role of citizen science in effective coral reef conservation.

NOAA Coral Reef Management Fellow, Whitney Hoot surveys coral bleaching in Tumon Bay, Guam. Image Credit: NOAA

We seek contributions from relevant disciplines and all regions of the globe. These can address current and emerging research and development issues, approaches, techniques or applications; community, state, and/or international initiatives; and other topics related to regional and global science, impacts, adaptation and policy. Authors may consideråÊsubmitting:

• Original research (to be peer-reviewed)
• Feature articles about programs, events, and activities designed to raise awareness or actions related to coral reefs
• News briefs on any topic related to the theme
• Interviews with leaders who are working on sustainability matters
• Photographic essays on environmental change
• Book, exhibition, and art reviews focusing on theme
• First-person narratives on coral reefs.

Important dates: Submissions for the Coral Reefs Theme will be accepted until June 10, 2017. Submit articles to Kelley Christensen, science editor, at kjhchristensen@earthzine.org.

Publication: All accepted contributions will undergo review by subject-matter experts, be published online at Earthzine.org, and be freely accessible to the public. Earthzine does not charge authors for publishing.

Please consult our Writer Guidelines for further information and to access an article template. Submissions should include two to three visuals relevant to the content. Visuals may be graphs, charts, photographs or other appropriate images, with caption and credit information included.