Editorial

Abstract

The first issue of Limnology & Oceanography, published in January 1956, led with a short announcement by Alfred Redfield that began “The American Society for Limnology & Oceanography [ASLO] has established Limnology & Oceanography in response to a need felt by its members for a common outlet for the publication of scientific papers on all aspects – physical, chemical, geological and biological – of the phenomenon exhibited by natural bodies of water.” The emphasis was not on individual disciplines, but on inter-disciplinary approaches to understanding these water bodies. Both freshwaters and oceans were central to this integrated view of aquatic sciences, since in the words of Redfield's announcement “… the differences between fresh and salt water systems were trivial, when compared to the common principles with which limnologists and oceanographers alike are concerned.” This integrative interdisciplinary approach remains the central vision and goal for Limnology & Oceanography, the flagship journal of ASLO. At the time ASLO founded the journal in 1956, the organization was just 8 years old, having been formed from the merger in 1948 of the Limnological Society of America and the Oceanographic Society of the Pacific. Redfield served as President when the journal was launched, and his vision and that of others in ASLO for an integrated approach to aquatic systems was powerful and has had a lasting influence to this day. Limnology & Oceanography was an immediate success and has continued to thrive over time. By most standards, it is the premier journal in aquatic sciences, with a consistently high impact factor and a prestige that remains strong. No other journal in either freshwater or marine sciences compares in terms of frequency of citations. Limnology & Oceanography has always been a team effort. Generations of limnologists and oceanographers have submitted some of their best work to the journal, and continue to do so. A succession of extremely dedicated and able Editors-in-Chief have guided the journal: David Frey (1956-1959), Kenneth Rae (1959-1963), Francis Richards (1963-1967), Yvette Edmondson (1967-1986), Peter Jumars (1986-1992), David Kirchman (1992-1998), and Everett Fee (1998-2014). Hundreds of associate editors and thousands of reviewers have been essential to Limnology & Oceanography. I am honored to take the helm of the journal as Editor-in-Chief with this first issue of 2015, and am dedicated to continuing this strong tradition of team work. Everett Fee has turned the journal over to me in excellent condition. The look and feel of Limnology & Oceanography are remarkably unchanged after almost 60 years. Changes in editorial policies have been few and generally modest, with each new Editor-in-Chief wisely staying with the proven, successful model. Everett Fee moved the journal into the 21st Century with publication on line as well as in print, yet through 2014 the Association worked alone to publish and market the journal. With this first issue of 2015, Limnology & Oceanography enters the next phase of modernization with publication through a partnership of ASLO and Wiley. The benefits to the journal of this partnership are great and include a tremendous increase in global visibility and accessibility, and faster publication of papers on-line after acceptance. Editorial control of the journal content remains completely in the hands of ASLO, and as in the past, changes in editorial policy will be modest and few. Moving forward, I am committed to the original integrative vision for Limnology & Oceanography. Never before has the need for interdisciplinary science devoted to aquatic ecosystems been so critical, as human-driven climate disruption and other aspects of human-accelerated environmental change become increasingly apparent. These stressors profoundly affect the functioning of the systems studied by ASLO members, including freshwater and salt lakes, rivers and streams, wetlands, estuaries and lagoons, coastal seas, continental shelves, upwelling ecosystems, subtropical gyres, and other oceanic regimes. We need the best possible science to better understand the basic functioning of these aquatic systems and their alteration by stressors, both human-caused and natural. Limnology & Oceanography is the natural home for much of this science, continuing the long tradition of the journal. Globalization has been a dominant force in shaping change in the ASLO and its journal over the almost 60 years since Limnology & Oceanography was founded. The journal has always welcomed international papers (a point Redfield made in the announcement to the first issue), and the organization has always had an international presence. But in the past decade, ASLO made a deliberate decision to be completely international, dropping “American” from its name and becoming the Association for the Sciences of Limnology & Oceanography. The journal too has become ever more international. Over the coming years, the composition of the editorial board will increasingly reflect an even greater diversity of international editors, and we will strive to continue to make Limnology & Oceanography the premier global journal for aquatic sciences. Robert Howarth Ithaca, New York, USA