SEDAO 1:i (2012)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/sedao00001

Inter-Research (IR) announces the creation of a new scientific journal: ‘Sexuality and Early Development in Aquatic Organisms’ (SEDAO). The publisher, Otto Kinne, has appointed T.J. Pandian (Madurai, India) and K. Anger (Bad Malente, Germany) as Editors-in-Chief; M. Seaman (IR) will be Managing Editor and J. Austin (IR) will be Production Editor. Since the origin of life in the primordial ocean, the aquatic environment has developed into a vast variety of habitats, in the oceans, coastal waters, large rivers, mountain creeks, lakes, ephemeral ponds, subterranean caves, and aquifers. Aquatic organisms have colonized all of these, and also inhabit transition zones between the sea, freshwater and land, such as mangrove swamps, estuaries and intertidal habitats. Reflecting this great diversity in living conditions and selective forces, aquatic organisms have evolved a corresponding diversity of life history patterns and reproductive strategies. Sexual reproduction has been successful since it evolved in a wide range of microorganisms, plants and animals, 2 billion years ago. SEDAO provides an international platform for cutting-edge research on modes of reproduction, as well as ontogeny, in vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and microorganisms living in the oceans, coastal waters, fresh waters, and brackish habitats. The scope of SEDAO comprises all aspects of reproductive biology, with a preference for studies in a genetic, ecological or evolutionary context. SEDAO publishes Research Articles, Notes, Reviews, As I See It articles (opinion pieces), Comments and Reply Comments (critiques of articles published in the journal; see Kinne 2002; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 228:1), and Theme Sections (collections of articles that provide a synthesis of research on key areas; proposals for a Theme Section should be submitted to the Editors-in-Chief). SEDAO is an Open Access (OA) journal; during the first 2 years of publication, there will be no charge to the authors. After this introductory period, IR will charge author fees that will be substantially lower than those of other major science publishers. Manuscripts should be submitted online or by email (sedao-submissions@int-res.com). As a companion to Marine Ecology Progress Series and to the other high impact factor journals published by IR, SEDAO will be reviewed and produced according to the same leading standards. Every manuscript will be reviewed by 3 to 4 referees. Authors will receive proofs of their manuscript usually within 1 month after acceptance, and articles will be published as soon as the author(s) return the proofs to the editorial office. Articles that the editors and reviewers identify as groundbreaking will be published as Feature Articles. SEDAO will incorporate supplementary online material (including videos) if it optimizes the presentation of research results. We are confident that SEDAO will quickly become a leading journal in its field.