SI_2: Environmental Stressors and Reproductive Health

Title:

Environmental Stressors and Reproductive Health Across Animal Systems: Mechanistic Insights, Adaptive Responses, and Biological Consequences

Guest Editor(s): 

Dr. Gabriel-Ionuț PLAVAN

Affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Director "Vasile Băcăuanu" Ștefănești Scientific Research and Student Practice Station, Romania

Research interests: Aquatic ecotoxicology; freshwater pollution; heavy metal contamination; bioaccumulation; bioremediation; aquatic invertebrates; environmental stress; freshwater ecosystem health.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1194-1768

Email address: gabriel.plavan@uaic.ro

Dr. Faiza Rao

Affiliation: Director, Associate Research Professor, Center to Advance Level Research and Development (SMC-Pvt) Ltd. Pakistan.

Research interests: Reproductive biology; reproductive toxicology; genetics; oxidative stress mechanisms; endocrine signaling; gametogenesis; fertility regulation; nanoparticle toxicity; experimental animal models; molecular pathophysiology.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1054-4939

Email: faizarao@calrd.org

Prof. Dr. Zeliha Selamoglu

Affiliation: Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Campus 51240, Türkiye

Research interests: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Oxidative stress, Antioxidants

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9056-6435

Email: zselamoglu@ohu.edu.tr

Background:

Environmental stressors are increasingly recognized as critical determinants of reproductive health across animal taxa. Rapid changes in climate, habitat degradation, chemical pollution, nutritional stress, and anthropogenic disturbances exert profound effects on reproductive physiology, gametogenesis, fertility, developmental outcomes, and population sustainability. These effects are observed across terrestrial and aquatic organisms, wildlife and domesticated species, and span molecular, physiological, ecological, and evolutionary scales.

The proposed Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for high quality research addressing how environmental stressors influence reproductive health, reproductive success, and transgenerational outcomes. It will emphasize mechanistic insights, adaptive responses, and species-specific vulnerabilities, while also considering ecological and conservation implications. Particular attention will be given to oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, epigenetic modifications, immune reproductive interactions, and developmental programming.

This Special Issue welcomes experimental, observational, and computational studies involving vertebrates and invertebrates, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Interdisciplinary approaches integrating reproductive biology, toxicology, ecology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and environmental sciences are strongly encouraged. By bringing together diverse perspectives, this Special Issue seeks to advance understanding of how environmental pressures shape reproductive health and to inform conservation strategies, animal management, and future research directions in reproductive and environmental biology.

Keywords:

  • Environmental stressors
  • Physical stressors
  • Chemical stressors
  • Biological stressors
  • Nutritional stressors
  • Anthropogenic stressors
  • Climate change
  • Aquatic toxicology
  • Stress adaptation
  • Reproductive physiology
  • Reproductive health
  • Oxidative stress
  • Endocrine disruption
  • Embryonic development
  • Transgenerational effects
  • Conservation biology 
  • Animal models
  • Wildlife survival

Deadline: 31 Dec. 2026 (submission is open).

Guidelines:

All types of manuscripts are acceptable in this special issue (article, short communication, review, short review, and editorial). The manuscripts should be submitted by the online submission system and will follow the same guidelines and editorial work flow as regular manuscripts. Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except preprint and conference proceedings papers). 

The accepted manuscripts will be published continuously in the current regular issue and highlighted in the special issue to collect authors and readers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions.

Article processing charge: With no processing and publication fees.

Submission link: https://royalacademicpress.com/index.php/arj/about/submissions

Authors guideline: https://royalacademicpress.com/index.php/arj/Author_guidelines

Reviewer guideline: https://royalacademicpress.com/index.php/arj/Guidelines_For_Reviewers