Focus and Scope

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research- LAJAR is the continuation of the journal Investigaciones Marinas (1970-2007) and is published since 2008 by the Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Geografía of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. LAJAR is an “Open Access” journal that publishes in English language, original and unpublished research articles, reviews and short communications on aquatic science, which contain the results of research conducted in aquaculture and marine waters of Latin America.

The following topics are considered: Physical Oceanography, Chemical Oceanography, Marine Biogeochemistry, Marine Pollution and Toxicology, Marine Geology and Geophysics, Biological Oceanography, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Section Policies

Review Articles

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Research Articles

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Short Communications

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

In Memoriam

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

General description: When a manuscript is submitted to Latin American Journal of Aquiatic Research, it is assessed to see if it meets the criteria for submission and Scope of the Journal. If it does, the editorial team will select potential peer reviewers within the field of research from our peer-reviewers database, or requests to our editors some researchers to peer-review the manuscript and obtain the proper recommendations.

The type of peer review used by Latin American Journal of Aquiatic Research is: Double Blind peer-review.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Editorial Ethical Guidelines

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research adheres to:

• The guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
• For further information, visit: https://publicationethics.org the ethical policies of the publishing institution.

Accordingly, these sources are part of LAJAR’s editorial standards. The following specific ethical guidelines apply:

Ethical Standards for Authors

Originality, Intellectual Property, and Research Integrity
Authors must ensure that their work is original. Any use of ideas, data, or wording from other sources must be properly cited or referenced, thus avoiding plagiarism or self-plagiarism.
Authors must present accurate and reliable data, free from fabrication or manipulation. LAJAR actively monitors research integrity through peer review, plagiarism detection tools, and other verification mechanisms.
If ethical misconduct is detected, authors will be contacted for clarification. Unsatisfactory explanations may result in withdrawal of the manuscript from evaluation or publication. In the case of published work, the article will be retracted, and a retraction note will be issued on the first page. The authors’ institutional Ethics Committee will be informed.

Data Access and Transparency
Authors may be asked to provide access to raw data related to their research (e.g., sampling data, environmental measurements, genetic sequences, or analysis code). When possible, these datasets should be made publicly available—either as supplementary files or via persistent online repositories—under headings such as “Tabulated data” or “Datasets”.

Permits and Biological Sampling
Authors conducting field or experimental research involving aquatic organisms must declare that all sampling, collection, or experimental procedures complied with national and institutional regulations.
When applicable, authors must specify permit numbers and issuing authorities, as well as compliance with conventions on species protection and biodiversity conservation.

Multiple or Redundant Publication
Authors must not submit or publish the same study in more than one journal or language unless clearly referenced and justified. Such practices constitute self-plagiarism. Detected cases will result in withdrawal or retraction of the manuscript.

Fundamental Errors in Published Work
If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief and cooperate in retracting or correcting the article.

Post-Publication Discussion and Corrections
Constructive scientific debate is welcome. When a formal comment or critique is received, the original authors will be invited to respond.
Critiques must be factual, non-defamatory, and supported by evidence. Both the critique and the response may undergo peer review. This process shall be completed within 90 days of receiving the comment, and any required corrections will be published as soon as possible.

Ethical Oversight in Research Involving Organisms
For studies involving live aquatic organisms (fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, etc.), authors must indicate that procedures were approved by an appropriate Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent body.
Experiments must minimize pain, stress, or unnecessary harm.
Images, videos, or audio recordings of live organisms must respect ethical and legal standards. Manipulated or distressing depictions should only be used when essential for scientific understanding and must ensure privacy and respect for species welfare.

Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their results or interpretations—for example, affiliations with aquaculture industries, marine technology companies, or governmental agencies.
All sources of funding must be explicitly mentioned.
Undeclared conflicts detected during review or after publication may lead to withdrawal or retraction.

Authorship and Contributions
LAJAR follows the CRediT Taxonomy (https://credit.niso.org) to define individual contributions. Authorship should reflect substantial intellectual involvement, such as:
Sampling, Data Analysis, Experimental Design, Statistical Modelling, Writing, Supervision, or Funding Acquisition.
The first author is considered the main contributor. Technical or minor support (e.g., field assistance, proofreading) may be acknowledged in the “Acknowledgments” section.

Ethical Standards for Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions and Objectivity
Reviewers commit to providing constructive, unbiased, and timely evaluations within their area of expertise. They should help improve manuscript quality and identify key missing references.
All comments must be reasoned and supported, regardless of whether the recommendation is for acceptance or rejection.

Confidentiality
Manuscripts and review materials must be treated as strictly confidential. They must not be shared or discussed with others without explicit authorization from the editors.

Respect for Anti-Plagiarism Policy
Reviewers should inform the editors of any significant similarity between the manuscript under review and previously published work.

Timeliness and Professional Conduct
Reviewers should submit their reports within the agreed timeframe. If unable to do so, they must promptly inform the editors.

Conflict of Interest
Information or data obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage or in competing research.

Ethical Standards for Editors

Reviewer Selection
Editors will select reviewers with appropriate expertise to provide an informed and impartial assessment of the work, minimizing potential bias.

Scientific Merit and Fairness
Manuscripts will be evaluated solely on their scientific quality, originality, and relevance to aquatic research, without discrimination based on nationality, gender, religion, or political opinion.

Confidentiality
Editorial team members must maintain confidentiality regarding manuscripts not yet published.

Timeliness of Editorial Process
The editorial team is committed to ensuring efficient peer review and prompt publication of accepted works to promote timely dissemination of scientific knowledge.

Academic Endogamy
LAJAR may allocate a limited portion (up to 20%) of each issue to contributions from authors affiliated with the publishing institution. Once this quota is reached, additional institutional submissions will be scheduled for future issues according to their approval date.

Conflict of Interest

Editors and members of the editorial board must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts in their own research without the author’s written consent. In cases of potential conflict of interest (e.g., direct competition or collaboration with the authors), the editor will recuse themselves from handling the manuscript.

Claim process

If conduct contrary to the ethical standards outlined above is identified, or if an author, reviewer, or reader wishes to submit a complaint, they should contact the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research editorial office at lajar@pucv.cl or the Editor-in-Chief at sergio.palma@pucv.cl

Upon receipt of the complaint, the editorial team will review the case carefully and seek clarification from the parties involved. Each situation will be assessed individually in accordance with COPE guidelines.

The final decision will be communicated via email to the concerned party and may be appealed within 5 business days after notification.

All complaints will be addressed and resolved within a maximum period of 90 calendar days.

Data collection and reproduction

The commercial use or reproduction of manuscripts published by the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research (LAJAR) requires prior authorization from the Editor-in-Chief. Any authorized reproduction must include a full citation of the corresponding article and the Journal.

Printing of manuscripts for personal use is allowed. LAJAR also encourages the use of its content for educational and research purposes, including the creation of links to specific articles hosted on its official website for instructional or non-commercial academic materials.