Collection Overview
Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Polar ecology.
Earth’s poles are harsh and rapidly changing environments that nonetheless support diverse ecosystems. While Arctic and Antarctic ecology differ in several key aspects, they share features such as evolutionary adaptations to cold, dependence on marine food webs, and vulnerability to climate change; incorporating research from molecular evolution to global biosphere studies. Current research includes investigations into biophysical and behavioural adaptations at the organism and community level, while emerging technologies in monitoring and modelling are being used to enhance our understanding of the role of polar ecosystems in global biogeochemical cycles. Understanding the impact of climate change across this spectrum is vital to developing evidence-based mitigation and adaptation solutions.
This will be a Collection of original research papers and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. Narrative review articles are also welcomed, to our sister journal Scientific Reviews. We are welcoming submissions until 27th August 2026.
Why is this Collection important?
"The Polar Ecology collection addresses a timely issue of rapid change in polar regions. Melting ice is changing the landscape, affecting communities at all trophic levels and impacting global processes. A critical step towards addressing these issues is to document these changes in a scientific format, to raise awareness as well as to gauge our future responses with regard to conservation efforts and potential impacts. "
- Dr. Daniel Shain, Guest Editor
Why submit to a collection?
Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.
Who is involved?
Guest Editors:
- Daniel Shain, Rutgers University, United States
- Agata Weydmann-Zwolicka, University of Gdańsk, Poland
- Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas, University of Gdańsk, Poland
Internal Team:
- In-House Editor: Will Bultitude, Scientific Reports, UK
- Commissioning Editor: Ashiya Salim, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
- Managing Editor: Libby Symons, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
How can I submit my paper?
Visit the Collection page for more information on the Collection, and how to submit your article.