The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) invites applications for the position of Editor-in-Chief for its journal, Limnology & Oceanography Letters (LOL). The selected candidate will be an accomplished aquatic scientist with a broad vision of aquatic sciences, its future, and considerable technical interest in the publication and editorial domains. The new EIC will overlap and begin handling new submissions no later than January 2026 in transition with the Interim EIC, Dr. Michael Pace, who has been leading the journal since September 2025 when Dr. James Cloern stepped down as EIC.
LOL was founded in 2016 as a Gold Open Access journal whereby the final published version of the article is permanently and freely available online for anyone, anywhere to read. The scope of the journal broadly encompasses limnology and oceanography, publishing short-format articles that are concise, highly focused analyses, with limited figures and tables. Manuscripts present high impact, cutting-edge results, discoveries or conceptual developments in any area of limnology and oceanography or its integration. The current journal scope is available here. The new EIC will lead a rapidly growing, high impact (IF 5.0) journal, with a JCR ranking of #1 in Limnology and #5 in Oceanography. The journal currently receives over 200 submissions annually, publishing twelve online issues with a total of approximately 900 pages (80 articles) each volume year.
The new EIC will be responsible for maintaining the high standards of the journal, growing submissions and strategically broadening the scope while ensuring that accepted and published articles meet the highest scientific standards. This includes attracting and actively soliciting relevant contributions in core and emerging areas and initiating special issues. The EIC will work with and recruit recognized individuals to serve as associate editors (this number is set by the ASLO Board at 37 currently), and together with this team, work to identify and recruit new manuscript peer reviewers. The EIC makes the final decision on adjudication of manuscripts, with the goals of promoting the best scientific research available and of maintaining ASLO’s leadership position in scientific and scholarly publishing in aquatic sciences.
Applicants must be dynamic, internationally recognized leaders in the aquatic sciences and have a strong record of scholarly publications, with involvement, experience, and interest in the publishing process. A fair and balanced approach and support for reviewers and authors is invaluable. A keen appreciation and understanding of the needs of the various reader constituencies, together with a broad understanding of online publishing models, are beneficial. The EIC should be highly organized, responsive to rapid changes in journal publishing, and dedicated to ensuring a robust and efficient publication pipeline, and attentive to optimizing cycle times at every step from submission through publication. The EIC collaborates closely with all ASLO Editors on cross-journal initiatives including publishing workshops (web-based and in-person at ASLO conferences) and the biannual Spotlight on ASLO Authors scientific session. Developing a broad understanding of ASLO’s journals and competitor aquatic science journals will be essential for journal success.
ASLO partners with Wiley for the full support of publishing activities, including peer review services, production, digital development, sales, marketing, and distribution of its journals. A full-time, highly experienced Wiley staff member serves as the Peer Review Manager for ASLO journals, working closely with the EIC and Associate Editors to ensure the timely, efficient handling of all manuscripts by Editorial Assistants utilizing the ScholarOne online submission system. A full-time, highly experienced Wiley staff member oversees all aspects of LOL production, including management of editing, composition, and page layout. Wiley provides all ASLO EICs with a vast array of journal statistics, competitive analysis, bibliographic reports, and data to support and enhance journal operations and inform new initiatives.
The ASLO Board, with advisement from the ASLO Publications Committee (PC), is responsible for all financial and business decisions for the ASLO Publications portfolio.
All ASLO EICs attend an annual one-day strategic planning meeting, typically in October, with Wiley staff at their headquarters in Hoboken, New Jersey. EICs also attend portions of ASLO Board meetings typically held prior to ASLO scientific meetings.
The EIC serves a three-year term, renewable upon evaluation and recommendation by the PC to the ASLO Board of Directors. The EIC is evaluated annually by the PC and is responsible for reporting journal outcomes and progress to the PC and ASLO Board throughout the year, including in conjunction with scheduled ASLO scientific meetings. The EIC responds to ad hoc requests from the PC and ASLO Board for information throughout the year, and frequently participates in author and reviewer workshops at ASLO scientific meetings. This is a part-time appointment, and a competitive honorarium will be provided along with a travel budget. All applications must include a letter of interest, your vision statement for LOL (maximum two pages double-spaced), a copy of your CV, the letters of reference including complete contact information from three professionals attesting to your qualifications in scholarly publishing. The deadline for receipt of applications is October 15, 2025. All applications will be reviewed by the ASLO Publications Committee. Virtual interviews via Zoom with selected applicants are expected to occur beginning in late October 2025.
Nominations and applications for the position should be submitted via e-mail to Zofia Lajer-Burcharth at [email protected]. Questions about the position may be directed to Josep Gasol, ASLO Publications Committee Chair, at [email protected]