Category: Check List

Pensoft at SERE2026: Connecting Projects, Publications and People in Brest

Pensoft attended the 15th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2026) in Brest, France, where it presented a selection of EU-funded projects and scientific journals.

From 24 to 28 August 2026, Pensoft joined around 600 researchers and professionals at the 15th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2026) in Brest, France, bringing together the ecological restoration community to share knowledge, strengthen collaborations and explore new approaches to restoring ecosystems across Europe.

Table of Contents

A showcase of Pensoft projects
From ecological restoration to open-access publishing
Celebrating excellent science
Connecting research, restoration and communication

Hosted by the University of Brest in collaboration with the French Ecological Restoration Network (REVER) and the European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER-Europe), SERE2026 provided a vibrant meeting point for researchers, practitioners and policymakers working across ecological restoration. The conference covered a broad range of topics, including wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems, ecological networks and the implementation of European restoration policies.

Pensoft was there with a selection of EU-funded projects and open-access journals, offering conference participants the chance to discover new research, explore project results and learn more about opportunities to publish and share their work.

Pensoft at SERE 2026.

A showcase of Pensoft projects

The Pensoft team presented materials from a diverse group of EU-funded projects, reflecting the wide range of environmental research and collaboration supported through the Pensoft network.

Among the projects showcased were FERRO, SpongeBoost, BioAgora, ForestPaths, EUFAWREADY, eLTER, SELINA, COAST SCAPES and COOP4CBD.

The projects cover a broad spectrum of topics, from biodiversity and ecosystem restoration to forest resilience, environmental governance, ecosystem monitoring and nature conservation. Their presence at SERE2026 offered researchers an opportunity to discover ongoing initiatives and see how scientific knowledge is being translated into practical approaches for addressing environmental challenges.

The project materials attracted interest throughout the conference, with participants stopping by to learn more about individual initiatives and explore their latest activities and results.

From ecological restoration to open-access publishing

Alongside the projects, Pensoft presented a selection of its journals and publishing platforms.

Visitors could discover titles including Nature Conservation, One Ecosystem, Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO), Agricultural and Environmental Modelling, Biodiversity Data Journal, Check List, Journal of Regeneration and NeoBiota, alongside several other journals from Pensoft’s open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly portfolio.

The broad selection reflected the interdisciplinary nature of ecological restoration itself. Researchers working on biodiversity, ecosystems, conservation, environmental modelling, species diversity and regeneration could all find publication venues relevant to their work.

There was considerable interest in the journals throughout the conference, with discussions ranging from publishing research articles and project outputs to discovering new ways of sharing scientific data, ideas and results with the wider research community.

Celebrating excellent science

Scientific exchange was at the heart of SERE2026, and participants also had the opportunity to recognise some of the strongest contributions presented during the conference.

Several awards were presented based on votes from conference participants, highlighting outstanding talks and presentations.

Pensoft was pleased to contribute to these celebrations with the Best Talk Award. The award recognises an exceptional conference presentation and comes with a special prize: a free publication in a Pensoft journal.

This time around, the award went to Chloé Dagnelie of Gembloux AgrobioTech for her presentation: “Spontaneous succession under soil and landscape constraints: dispersal filtering and urban species pools shape brownfield true bugs communities”

By supporting awards such as this, Pensoft aims to encourage clear, engaging and impactful scientific communication while helping researchers share their work through open-access publishing.

Connecting research, restoration and communication

SERE2026 offered an inspiring setting for conversations about the future of ecological restoration and the role of research in supporting healthier and more resilient ecosystems.

Pensoft Publishers at 15th European Conference on Ecological Restoration

For Pensoft, the conference was also an opportunity to bring together several strands of its work: supporting EU-funded research projects, publishing scientific knowledge through open-access journals and creating opportunities for researchers to connect, communicate and collaborate.

The strong interest in both the projects and journals showcased in Brest was a reminder of the value of bringing science and scientific communication together in one place.

As Europe moves towards ambitious restoration goals, strengthening the connections between research, practice, policy and communication will be essential. Events such as SERE2026 provide an important space for these connections to grow.

Pensoft was delighted to be part of the ecological restoration community in Brest and looks forward to continuing these conversations at future events.

Pensoft at ESA 2026: Connecting with the Ecology Community in Salt Lake City, USA

Between 26-31 July, Pensoft Publishers joined more than 2,600 ecologists, researchers, and conservation professionals in Salt Lake City for the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA2026).

Pensoft Publishers joined more than 2,600 ecologists, researchers, and conservation professionals in Salt Lake City for the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA2026) between 26-31 July.

Table of Contents

Ecology in an Era of Uncertainty
The Opening Session
Pensoft’s booth
Two Interactive Activities at Our Booth
1. The Pensoft Species Quiz
2. The Agricultural and Environmental Modelling Poster Award
Looking Ahead

Ecology in an Era of Uncertainty

Opening ceremony of ESA 2026.
Opening ceremony of ESA 2026.

This year’s conference theme, “Ecology in an Era of Uncertainty,” could not have felt more timely. Uncertainty is nothing new to ecological research – it’s built into measurements, mechanisms, and predictions.

But new sources of uncertainty are now reshaping the field: the rise of artificial intelligence, post-pandemic shifts in career development, and growing instability in research funding. Throughout the week, the ESA community came together not only to share cutting-edge ecological research, but also to think collectively about how to navigate these emerging challenges – trading multidisciplinary, creative solutions to keep the field resilient in the face of what’s next.

The Opening Session

The Grand Ballroom was packed for the opening session, where Conference Chairs Daniel Stover and Andrea Swei welcomed attendees. Despite a challenging year for funding and travel, the 111th annual meeting of ESA 2026 hosted 2,600 registered attendees 330 sessions and 884 posters,

The opening address was delivered by Diane Pitaki, Chief Scientist and Vice President for Science at the National Wildlife Federation, who spoke about ecology standing at a crossroads amid the biodiversity crisis and shifting political headwinds, urging the community to actively “defend conservation science.”

Among the meeting’s standout moments was the plenary from Tanya Berger-Wolf, Professor of Computer Science and Ecology at Ohio State University and a leading figure in AI for ecology and biodiversity.

Notably, Berger-Wolf will be a keynote speaker at TDWG 2026 in Oslo (20-25 September) – where Pensoft Publishers will once again be exhibiting, so stay tuned for future updates.

Pensoft’s booth

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Situated right at the entrance of the exhibition hall, Pensoft’s booth revelled in attention from attendees throughout the week.

Pensoft’s team at ESA 2026 in Salt Palace Convention Center.
Pensoft’s busy stand at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
Pensoft’s busy stand at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
The beautiful Denitsa Peneva’s illustrations at ESA 2026.

A particular highlight was our trio of diamond open-access journals – free to publish in and free to read – that drew considerable interest from attendees:

Individual-Based Ecology promotes a distinctive individual-based perspective on ecology, aiming to bridge individual behaviour and broader ecological patterns.
Advances in Pollinator Research is designed as an innovative platform for the full spectrum of pollinator science, from pollination ecology and pollinator-plant interactions to molecular ecology, conservation, and more.
Agricultural and Environmental Modelling (AEM), meanwhile, offers an innovative approach to publishing, dedicated to advancing both the science and practice of modelling across agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and environmental sciences.

Brochure of the diamond open-access Individual Based Ecology Journal.
Close up photo of the Advances in Pollinator Research brochure at ESA 2026.
Nicole Nogoy, managing editor of Agricultural and Environmental Modelling at ESA 2026.

Attendees curious about AEM had the chance to speak directly with its Managing Editor, Nicole Nogoy, who was on site throughout the conference to discuss publishing opportunities and promote the journal’s search for Subject Editors.

The booth also gave visitors a window into the rest of Pensoft’s open-access portfolio. On the conservation side, that meant Nature Conservation and Neotropical Biology and Conservation; on the ecosystem side, One Ecosystem, Frontiers of Biogeography, and NeoBiota.

NeoBiota brochure presented at ESA 2026.
Neotropical Biology and Conservation brochure at ESA 2026.

Attendees also had the chance to learn more about our diamond open-access journal Estuarine Management and Technologies, which was accepted into the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) earlier this year.

Estuarine Management and Technologies brochure.

Rounding out the display were several more specialised titles: Biodiversity Data Journal and Metabarcoding and Metagenomics; Quite popular amongst the visitors were also our our fungi-focused IMA Fungus and MycoKeys journals; and our vegetation titles, Vegetation Classification and Survey and Vegetation Ecology and Diversity.

We also introduced attendees to our newest addition, the diamond open-access Journal of Regeneration. For those interested in sharing early-stage research or project outcomes, Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) offered another avenue worth exploring, publishing everything from project proposals and data to policy briefs and null results.

Those looking for a new publisher or white-label solutions had the opportunity to explore ARPHA, Pensoft’s own publishing platform, which supports the full journey from manuscript writing and peer review to publication, dissemination, and archiving – all in one seamless workflow.

Combined brochure of EU-Funded project in which Pensoft participates.

Beyond the journals and publishing solutions, the team took the opportunity to spotlight some of Pensoft’s ongoing EU-funded projects, including our pollination initiatives and our continued work with eLTER.

Two Interactive Activities at Our Booth

Building on the success of interactive formats at previous events, namely the Fortune Wheel at the 8th European Congress of Conservation Biology in Leiden, our team brought two activities to ESA2026.

The Pensoft Species Quiz

Attendees taking our fun quiz at ESA 2026.

This time around, our team created “Pensoft Species Quiz,” challenging booth visitors to identify the correct Latin name for a series of species beautifully illustrated by Denitsa Peneva. Being more than just a fun activity, it became a natural conversation starter – leading into deeper discussions about Pensoft’s journals, services, and potential collaborations with attendees.

Some of the winners from our quiz at ESA 2026.
Some of the winners from our quiz at ESA 2026.
Happy winners from our interactive quiz game at ESA 2026.
Attendees interacting with our fun quiz.

The Agricultural and Environmental Modelling Poster Award

AEM’s Managing Editor – Nicole Nogoy ran a poster competition at the meeting, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our week. Three researchers stood out:

Julian Resasco (University of Colorado, Boulder) took home the prize for overall best presentation with a hand-drawn comic-book poster on climate change effects on Basque country thistles;
Gwendolyn Lloyd (Indiana University) impressed us with her research on arthropods and mites in agricultural soils;
Emily Redding (Fort Hays State University, KS) joined in with a poster on fire suppression’s effects on Juniper-dependent bird species, having been inspired to bring modelling into her own research.

We also took part in a raffle organised by ESA, to which each exhibitor contributed a prize.

Kanchana Balasubramanian one of the winners of Pensoft Publishers’ raffle prizes at ESA2026.
Elizabeth Afkhami Searcy received our book “Mapping Ecosystem Services” as part of the Ecological Society of America’s conference raffle.

Looking Ahead

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ESA2026 was a strong reminder of just how much energy – and uncertainty – is currently shaping the ecology community. Between thought-provoking plenaries on AI and conservation science, engaging conversations sparked by our species quiz, and the enthusiasm we saw around the AEM poster competition, it was a week full of meaningful connections for Pensoft.

We’re already looking forward to the next time, and we hope you’re looking forward to it, too!

Keep up with future updates and news by following us on Bluesky, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

Understanding Ecosystems Through Vegetation: Highlights from the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium

Pensoft attended the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium in Gijon, Spain.

This summer, Gijón, Spain played host to the 68th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS), welcoming 465 participants from 49 countries for five extraordinary days under the theme “Understanding Ecosystems Through Vegetation.“

Held from 22-26 June 2026, the symposium brought together researchers working across the full spectrum of the field, from Earth Observation and vegetation databases to plant community interactions, seed regeneration, and long-term vegetation dynamics. From opening keynotes to the closing ceremony, the energy, curiosity, and collegiality of our community made this one for the books.

A Packed Scientific Programme

The opening ceremony of the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium.
Pensoft’s stand at the 68th Annual Symposium.
Pensoft’s stand at the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium.

Alongside the core symposium topics, this year’s programme featured seven special sessions on some of the field’s most pressing questions, including bringing different vegetation classification approaches together, plant biogeography and macroecology, scaling laws in vegetation ecology, belowground functional ecology and more.

Moreover, the session themed “Bringing the different vegetation classification approaches together”, sponsored by the IAVS Vegetation Classification Working Group, will be used as a basis for assembling a Special Collection in the open-access journal Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS).

Two of VCS’ Editors-in-Chief also took the stage this year: Prof. Jürgen Dengler shared a presentation called “Plant invasions in grasslands of Switzerland: invaders, spatial patterns and effects on biodiversity”.

While Dr. Idoia Biurrun presented “The power of scale: uncovering biodiversity patterns and environmental drivers in riparian forests”.

Spotlight On Our Vegetation Science Journals

Speaking of that journal, we’ve been proud collaborators with IAVS since 2020, when we launched Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS) together as the association’s newest journal. At this year’s symposium, we had the chance to showcase both VCS and our other flagship vegetation title, Vegetation Ecology and Diversity (VED), to the community.

Vegetation Classification and Survey promotional materials from the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium.

Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS) is an international, peer-reviewed, online journal on plant community ecology, published on behalf of IAVS. It is devoted to vegetation survey and classification at any organisational and spatial scale, welcoming original papers that develop new vegetation typologies as well as applied studies, from vegetation mapping and ecosystem modelling to nature conservation and land-use management.

Five years after launch, VCS is boasting a 2025 Scopus CiteScore of 4.7 (up from 3.6 the year before), and the journal is now ranked Q1 across all the categories in which it is indexed.

Vegetation Ecology and Diversity promotional materials from the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium.

Vegetation Ecology and Diversity (VED) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal owned by the Italian Society of Vegetation Science (SISV). It publishes original research covering all aspects of vegetation, from plant communities to landscapes, with a particular focus on plant community ecology and vegetation surveys used to advance ecological models, classify vegetation, map ecosystems, and monitor and conserve European habitats.

A Productive Conversation About VCS’s Future

Pensoft’s team presenting during the Editorial Meeting at the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium.
Editorial meeting at the 68th IAVS Symposium.
Editorial Meeting at IAVS 2026.

For Pensoft, one of the standout moments of the symposium was the VCS editorial meeting, where we had the chance to sit down with members of the journal’s editorial board for a candid and productive discussion about Vegetation Classification and Survey‘s current position and its prospects for future growth. It was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the people shaping the journal’s direction and to plan the next steps together.

Pensoft's Head of Marketing, Sales and Events with Susan WiserP resident of IAVS during the 68th Annual Symposium. — Pensoft’s Head of Marketing, Sales and Events with Susan WiserP resident of IAVS during the 68th Annual Symposium.

During the symposium, Pensoft’s stand was visited by Susan Wiser, President of IAVS, giving our on-site team the chance to discuss our ongoing publishing collaboration.

Our Diverse Journal Portfolio On Display

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Beyond VCS and VED, our stand featured a wide range of open-access, peer-reviewed journals from our vegetation science and biodiversity portfolio – spanning plant-focused scientific outlets like Plant Ecology and Evolution, Italian Botanist, and PhytoKeys to conservation and ecosystem titles such as Nature Conservation, One Ecosystem, NeoBiota, Frontiers of Biogeography, and Neotropical Biology and Conservation. On display were also Pensoft’s fungi-focused journals: IMA Fungus and MycoKeys.

Some of the journal materials on display wtih Denitsa Peneva’s beautiful illustrations.
Vegetation Classification and Survey along with Check List and Neotropical Biology and Conservation promotional materials at IAVS 2026.
Biodiversity Data Journal, IMA Fungus and MycoKeys on focus wtih Denitsa Peneva’s beautiful illustrations.
Agricultural and Environmental Modelling flyer in front of the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium banner.
Frontiers of Biogeography in focus, alongside stickers illustrated by Denitsa Peneva.
Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, Individual-Based Ecology and Nature Conservation brochures in focus at IAVS 2026.

Аttendees also stopped by to explore and learn more about Pensoft’s more specialised outlets such as Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, Biodiversity Data Journal, Individual-Based Ecology and the recently relaunched Agricultural and Environmental Modelling as well as Check List, all of which sparked great conversations at the stand.

Our recently launched diamond open-access journal, Advances in Pollinator Research, also drew plenty of interest.

Celebrating The Next Generation Of Vegetation Scientists

Celia González-López receiving the Young Scientist Award at the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium.

Оne of the many highlights that week was seeing the Young Scientist Award go to Celia González-López, recognising her outstanding early-career contributions to the field. Curiously, González-López is among the co-authors of a recent paper in Natural History Collections and Museomics, describing a workflow for creating 3D-printed insect replicas to make museum collections more accessible for education and outreach.

Looking Ahead

IAVS group photo — Group photo at the end of the conference. Credit to IAVS.

It was a great pleasure to become part of the IAVS community, and we look forward to an even stronger collaboration and many productive achievements together in the years to come.

Save the date: the 69th IAVS Annual Symposium will be held in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana, from 12-16 July 2027.

You can follow Pensoft on Bluesky, Facebook, X and LinkedIn to keep up all the latest updates and the events we are attending.

Pensoft joined the 9th European Conference of Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026)

Pensoft participated in this year’s 9th European Conference on Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö).

From February 23 to 27, the picturesque city of Passau hosted the 9th European Conference on Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026). Organized by the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) and held at the University of Passau, the event brought together around 250 participants from 31 countries to share the latest breakthroughs in tropical research.

Under the theme ‘Species-Ecosystems-People,’ the conference offered a multidisciplinary perspective through 175 oral presentations and 42 posters across 17 thematic sessions, bridging the gap between fundamental ecological research and the sustainable restoration of vital ecosystems.

A buzzing stand

Attendees in front of Pensoft’s booth.
Pensoft’s team tending to the visitors at the booth. Credit to: © Ina Voshage
Pensoft’s team tending to the visitors at the booth. Credit to: © Ina Voshage

From the very first day and throughout the week, the Pensoft booth was buzzing with people and activities. Attendees had the chance to explore our diverse portfolio of journals, many of which align seamlessly with the ‘Species-Ecosystems-People’ theme, including:

Editors of existing or yet-to-be-launched Diamond and Gold Open Access journals were also invited to visit the Pensoft stand to learn more about the process and benefits of migrating to or launching a journal on the ARPHA Platform.

Developed by Pensoft to power its own well-renowned scientific journals, ARPHA is now a globally recognised end-to-end solution for innovative, technologically advanced scientific publishing that comes with multiple in-house human-provided services.

Beyond browsing journals and discussing publishing opportunities, visitors engaged with our interactive “Pin Your Favourite Species” board and took promotional materials and stickers featuring the stunning artwork of Pensoft’s in-house scientific illustrator Denitsa Peneva, which proved to be a major visual draw.

A milestone partnership

Dr. Katarina Sam, president of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) at Pensoft's booth. — Dr. Katarina Sam, president of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) at Pensoft’s booth.

On 24^th of February, Dr. Katerina Sam (gtö) signed the partnership. This MoU aims to promote research activities and optimise the dissemination of scientific knowledge within the tropical ecology community to ensure that important research findings reach a global audience through robust publication support.

One major highlight of this year’s conference was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) and Pensoft during the general assembly.

Keynote speakers

Our team on-site was delighted to meet several Pensoft authors who took the stage as keynote speakers to share their expertise.

On February 24th, Prof. Alexandre Antonelli of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew delivered a compelling lecture on “Illuminating Biodiversity Darkspots,” reminding us that over 90% of fungi remain unknown and 45% of plants are at risk of extinction.

Prof. Antonelli frequently contributes to our journals, including IMA Fungus, Frontiers of Biogeography, and Check List.

Prof. Antonelli during his keynote talk at ECTE 2026.
Prof. Antonelli during his keynote talk at ECTE 2026.

That same day, Dr. Maria Fungomeli of the National Museums of Kenya presented her keynote on “Biodiversity Patterns in the Kenyan Coastal Forests,” highlighting the vital links between coastal ecosystems, culture, and community.

During her talk, she featured her paper, ‘A new Vegetation-Plot Database for the Coastal Forests of Kenya,’ which was published in Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS).

A valued author and reviewer for VCS, Dr. Fungomeli has also contributed to several journals powered by ARPHA Platform, including Pensoft’s Biodiversity Data Journal and ZooKeys, as well as Senckenberg’s Contributions to Entomology.

Dr. Fungomeli during her keynote talk.
Dr. Fungomeli at Pensoft’s booth.

On February 25th, Prof. Rob Marchant of the University of York, an author in our open-access journal African Invertebrates, delivered his talk, “Embedding the Past for Balanced Future Tropical Mountain Social Ecological Systems.”

He explored how shifts in human-nature interactions over the last 6,000 years can help researchers understand the complex transitions from original forest extents to our modern landscapes. See Prof. Marchant’s paper in African Invertebrates here.

Prof. Marchant delivering his keynote talk.
Prof. Marchant аt our booth at ECTE 2026.

Recognizing scientific excellence

As one of the sponsors at ECTE 2026, Pensoft was delighted to present the Best Talk Award to Dr. Evangelia Linda Chronopoulou from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv).

The winners of the Best Talk presentation
Dr. Evangelia Chronopoulou at Pensoft’s booth.

Her presentation, “Aromatic delight: Revealing diversity and function of fruit microbiome in seed dispersal,” proposed a fascinating shift in ecological understanding.

During her talk, she suggested the potential that microbes co-evolved with animals and plants to support scent-driven seed dispersal effectively transforming a traditional bipartite interaction (plant-animal seed dispersal) into a tripartite one.

Dr. Chronopoulou received a waiver for a free publication in any open-access journal within the Pensoft portfolio.

After a fantastic week in Passau at ECTE 2026, Pensoft is now looking forward to the 10th European Conference on Tropical Ecology, which will take place in Aarhus, Denmark. There, Pensoft plans to establish further partnerships and continue its support for open science in insect research. See you there!

Group photo of attendees at the 9th European Conference of Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026). Credit to: © Ina Voshage

Keep up with us by following Pensoft on Linkedin, Bluesky, Facebook, X, Instagram & TikTok.

ResearchGate and Pensoft Publishers announce expansion of their Journal Home partnership

The partnership now expands to 40 journals, covering the majority of Pensoft’s and partner’s journals.

Berlin (Germany) and Sofia (Bulgaria), 10th February, 2026 – ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and Pensoft Publishers, an independent open access publisher and provider of high-quality scholarly publishing services, today announced an expansion of their Journal Home partnership. Building on an earlier collaboration announced in 2023, the list now expands to 40 journals, covering the majority of Pensoft’s and partners’ journals using the publisher’s ARPHA Publishing Platform.

Amongst the journals now enjoying increased visibility across the ResearchGate’s community of 25+ million researcher members are well-renowned scholarly titles affiliated with the Natural History Museum in Berlin, Swiss Academy of Sciences, International Association for Vegetation Science and The International Biogeography Society, as well as recently launched Pensoft journals, such as Individual-based Ecology, Natural History Collections and Museomics, and Food and Ecological Systems Modelling Journal.

With most of Pensoft’s eligible partner journals choosing to participate, the expansion reflects strong demand for greater exposure and engagement opportunities, particularly among smaller and developing journals in niche research areas. Through Journal Home, partner publishers can reach more relevant audiences, improve discoverability, and connect more effectively with researchers worldwide.

Participating Pensoft journals will also benefit from:

Increased usage and readership, with full-text open access journal content seamlessly surfaced to highly relevant researcher communities across the ResearchGate platform.
Stronger engagement from new and returning authors, connecting partner journals, including specialist and emerging titles, with targeted researchers and potential authors throughout the research lifecycle.
Dedicated Journal Profiles and prominent placement of Pensoft journals to enhance visibility and branding, boosting recognition of partner journals with researcher communities around the world.
Improved author experience, with the automatic addition of published articles to author profiles, clearer insight into reader engagement, and greater opportunities for meaningful collaboration.

“Journal Home allows us to provide our partner journals with improved visibility and stronger connections with global researcher communities. Many of these journals serve highly specialised fields, and Journal Home helps make sure their articles reach the right researchers, who will benefit from them most.”
Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of Pensoft Publishers

“We’re pleased to expand our Journal Home partnership with Pensoft to support an increasing number of partner journals. By bringing these journals onto the platform, smaller and emerging titles can expand their reach, attract high-quality submissions, and connect with the most relevant researcher communities at key moments in their research journey.”
Robyn Mugridge, Head of Partnership Development at ResearchGate

For more information about Journal Home, please visit www.researchgate.net/journal-home.

For more information about ResearchGate, please visit www.researchgate.net.

For more information about Pensoft Publishers, please visit www.pensoft.net.

About ResearchGate

ResearchGate is the professional network for researchers. Over 25 million researchers use researchgate.net to share and discover research, build their networks, and advance their careers. Based in Berlin, ResearchGate was founded in 2008. Its mission is to connect the world of science and make research open to all.

About Pensoft Publishers

Pensoft is an independent, open-access scholarly publisher and technology provider, best known for its 40+ biodiversity journals, including ZooKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, PhytoKeys, MycoKeys, One Ecosystem, and Metabarcoding and Metagenomics. Ever since becoming the first to introduce semantic enrichments and hyperlinks within a scientific article in the field of biodiversity in 2010, Pensoft has been working on various tools and workflows designed to facilitate data findability, accessibility, discoverability and interoperability.

Pensoft and the University of Zurich sign strategic OA Agreement to support Swiss research

The agreement encompasses five key research and medical bodies, and allows corresponding authors to publish their findings without individual Article Processing Charges.

Pensoft and the University of Zurich have signed a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, starting a partnership that enables researchers at participating institutions to publish their findings in Pensoft’s peer-reviewed journals without incurring individual Article Processing Charges (APCs).

The agreement encompasses five key research and medical bodies, namely the University of Zurich, the University Hospital of Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, and the Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik.

Researchers from these institutions can now publish without worrying about APCs in 65 peer-reviewed journals published by Pensoft or hosted on its advanced ARPHA platform, including flagship titles such as ZooKeys, PhytoKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, NeoBiota, and IMA Fungus.

Under this new framework, publishing costs for corresponding authors affiliated with the respective institutions are 100% covered by a centralised institutional deposit secured by the University of Zurich. By removing financial barriers, the agreement encourages scientists to disseminate their work to both the academic community and the wider public, making research immediately and freely available upon publication.

This initiative ensures that research is shared under open licences in strict accordance with the FAIR principles—making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

“We are excited to start this partnership with the University of Zurich and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to inclusive and equitable open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”
Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft

“We are pleased to extend our portfolio of gold open access journals, in which our researchers can publish their findings without paying individual APCs. We thereby strengthen our commitment to open research information.”
University Library Zurich

Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.

Pensoft and Bibsam Consortium announce new OA agreement to advance scholarly publishing in Sweden

The agreement covers almost 100 institutions, including Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Pensoft and the Bibsam Consortium, operated by the National Library of Sweden, are pleased to announce the signing of a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, marking a significant step in the transition towards a more transparent and open scholarly publishing landscape in Sweden.

Thanks to this move, researchers at participating institutions will be able to publish their findings in 65 journals published by Pensoft or using its advanced publishing platform ARPHA, including flagship titles such as ZooKeys, PhytoKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, NeoBiota and IMA Fungus, without incurring individual article processing charges (APCs).

The agreement encompasses 97 research bodies, including Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

All authors affiliated with participating institutions can benefit from this agreement, with publishing costs 100% covered by an institutional deposit secured by the National Library of Sweden.

Unlike subscription-based systems, an OA framework ensures that scientific findings are immediately and freely available to the global community, supporting the global shift toward accessible science and adhering to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).

OA agreements like this one reduce the financial burden on scientists and encourage them to share their work with both academia and the wider public, ultimately lowering barriers to sharing knowledge in a time when scientific input is key to resolving global challenges.

“We are excited to start this partnership with Bisbam and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”
Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft

“We are delighted to announce the addition of Pensoft Publishers to our portfolio of nationally funded agreements for 2026. This represents an important step towards achieving full open access to scientific publications in Sweden.”
Niklas Willén, License Manager at Bibsam Consortium and National Library of Sweden

Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.

Presence of the rare bat Cormura brevirostris confirmed in Honduras for the first time

The discovery was made through acoustic monitoring in the remote La Moskitia region, an area with historically limited research on bats.

Guest blog post by Manfredo A. Turcios-Casco, José G. Martínez-Fonseca, and Bruce Miller

Honduras has officially documented, for the first time, the presence of Cormura brevirostris—a little-known bat species from the Emballonuridae family, recognizable by a unique vocal pattern of three short calls that rise in frequency. The discovery was made through acoustic monitoring in the remote La Moskitia region of eastern Honduras, an area with historically limited research on bats.

Close-up of a brown bat's face against a dark background. — *Cormura brevirostris. Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca*

The confirmation comes from two field expeditions carried out between December 2024 and May 2025 in the community of Mavita and within the Warunta Conservation Area, both located in the department of Gracias a Dios. These sites form a mosaic of forests, river corridors, and natural clearings that support specialized and disturbance-sensitive wildlife.

Unlike traditional methods that rely on capturing bats, the identification of Cormura brevirostris was achieved solely through its vocalizations. The acoustic signatures recorded in the field showed clear and consistent patterns that distinguish the species from other bats in the region, allowing for confident confirmation through manual review and comparison with verified acoustic libraries.

During the early stages of processing, some automated systems misidentified the calls as belonging to the genus Molossus. A more detailed examination of call characteristics corrected these misclassifications and verified the presence of Cormura brevirostris. This finding highlights both the power of acoustic monitoring and the importance of expert validation, as automated models alone can produce misleading results.

A graph displaying call sequences. — A composite of two recorded sequences of the verified calls of Cormura brevirostris from Gracias a Dios department, Honduras. The ones on the left display multiple species in the recording; the red boxes isolate the calls from those of Molossus molossus . On the right is another sequence recorded in the absence of other species. Frequency of the knee (Fc) as a log scale is the Y axis (kHz), and the time between pulses is on the X axis, shown in compressed mode with the interpulse times visually removed. Image by *Bruce Miller*

C. brevirostris is the only species in its genus and is believed to be primarily crepuscular, favoring forest edges and open spaces within lowland tropical rainforest environments. Although past distribution maps and regional checklists hinted at the species’ potential occurrence in Honduras, no confirmed records existed until now.

This new record expands the known range of the species by more than 160 km to the north and raises the number of bat species documented in Honduras to 115. Beyond its scientific significance, the discovery showcases acoustic monitoring as a valuable tool for detecting rare or elusive species in remote, understudied landscapes.

Four brown bats hanging upside down in a cave, surrounded by dark rock and blurred background. — *Cormura brevirostris. Photo by José G. Martínez-Fonseca*

The finding was made possible thanks to collaboration between researchers, conservation organizations, and local communities. In Mavita, the involvement of the Miskitu community and the Apu Pauni project—focused on protecting forests and emblematic wildlife such as the scarlet macaw—has indirectly contributed to the conservation of other species, including bats. The study was supported by the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Fund (FAPVS), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and local partners.

The results highlight the importance of strengthening scientific research and community-based conservation in La Moskitia, a strategic region within the Mesoamerican Great Forests, currently threatened by deforestation, illegal cattle ranching, and wildlife trafficking.

Research article:

Turcios-Casco MA, Martínez-Fonseca JG, Miller B (2025) Listening northward: first evidence of Cormura brevirostris (Wagner, 1843) (Emballonuridae, Chiroptera) in Honduras. Check List 21(6): 1262-1270. https://doi.org/10.15560/21.6.1262

The legacy of impactful biodiversity research: Pensoft at Living Data 2025

Events like these continue to be of great significance for Pensoft as it works to innovate the landscape of academic data management and scientific outreach.

Effective biodiversity conservation at the global level requires consolidated, streamlined and open scientific data to support it. This was the tenet at the heart of Living Data 2025, a conference unprecedented in its scale and ambition to foster a transcontinental dialogue on the past, present and future of research into the biosphere.

The event took place between 21 and 24 October in Bogotá, Colombia, and was made possible via an extensive collaboration between the biodiversity networks GBIF, TDWG, OBIS and GEO BON, with support from the Humboldt Institute.

With an audience spanning the globe and a four-day agenda reflecting the diversity of innovations and challenges to be addressed in this context, the scene was set for an inclusive and productive dialogue on biodiversity data.

For its part, Pensoft seized the opportunity to join this crucial forum. Represented by founder and CEO Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CTO Teodor Georgiev and Science Communication Expert Peter Bozakov, the open-access scholarly publisher and technology provider became an active participant in the programme as:

Three men pose in front of a colorful backdrop featuring tropical plants and the event title "Datos Vivos 2025" in Bogotá, Colombia. — Pensoft’s Chief Technology Officer Teodor Georgiev, Science Communication Expert Peter Bozakov, and founder and Chief Executive Officer Prof. Lyubomir Penev

Еxhibitor on the conference floor

Pensoft’s representatives were front and centre at the event by virtue of a dedicated booth showcasing the company’s work in academic publishing and science communication, as well as FAIR biodiversity data innovation. A wide array of materials was available for researchers to browse through, reflecting a variety of scientific subjects and endeavours. The ensuing conversations reflected a shared commitment to a more ambitious biodiversity research landscape today and tomorrow, as the parties charted potential avenues for cooperation.

A booth at a conference displays biodiversity research materials and promotional items, with two men posing. — Pensoft’s stand at Living Data 2025.

Sponsor of the Best Student Presentation award

Unwavering in its support for young scientists and early-career researchers, Pensoft also left a mark with its sponsorship of the most critically acclaimed student oral talk delivered at Living Data 2025. During the conference’s closing ceremony, Prof. Lyubomir Penev delivered the award to Mélisande Teng for her presentation, titled “A machine learning approach to species distribution modelling using remote sensing and citizen science data“. This distinction entitles her to a free publication in one of the journals in Pensoft’s extensive and exclusively open-access portfolio.

A speaker stands behind a podium at a conference with a presentation backdrop showcasing various partners, including logos and event details. — Prof. Penev presenting the Best Student Presentation award

Co-organiser of a symposium

Last but not least, Pensoft drew on its experience across its multiple expertises to address some of the topical pillars of the event in its own symposium. The publisher and technology provider was joined in this effort by long-standing partners from LifeWatch ERIC (represented by its CEO Christos Arvanitidis) and the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre (represented by Niels Raes).

Together, they delivered two sessions sharing the title “Long Live Biodiversity Data: Knowledge Transfer and Continuity across Research Projects”. In that sense, the aim was to emphasise the importance of science results being repurposed and reused, finding new life beyond the endeavours that gave rise to them. The role of open data, targeted communication and clearly defined pathways to impact in decision-making was singled out as an essential aspect on the road to such long-lived outputs.

Both sessions attracted the attention of attendees, leading to proactive engagement with the topics in focus.

A number of ongoing projects and initiatives – where Pensoft has been involved as an active consortium partner – were in the spotlight, including Biodiversity Meets Data, B-Cubed, OneSTOP, BioAgora, FORSAID, WildPosh, IP4OS and GATE. Special mention was also afforded to SOLO and eLTER, as well as the concluded BiCKL, EuropaBON, HOMED and PoshBee.

Together with a number of other fellow projects, they provided inspiring testaments to the potential of results to grow beyond the vision they first emerged out of. Overall, the symposium brought together 16 abstracts with over 90 contributing authors, more than 20 initiatives and more than 30 affiliated institutions and organisations. The recordings of Session #1 and Session #2 are already available on YouTube.

Later this year, extended abstracts presented throughout the Living Data 2025 conference will be published in the open-access journal Biodiversity Information Standards and Science (BISS): the official scholarly outlet of TDWG launched in 2017 in partnership with long-term collaborator Pensoft. Initiated by a dedicated call from TDWG, this year’s extended abstracts collection will provide further insight into the perspectives, opportunities and issues discussed in the respective showcases.

All in all, the conference was a noteworthy milestone for the international biodiversity community – an exchange of views, results and opportunities at a broad geographical and multidisciplinary scale that is truly oriented towards tangible outcomes for the planet’s future. As ever, formats like these continue to be of great significance for Pensoft as it works to innovate the landscape of academic data management and scientific outreach across and beyond borders.

Relive highlights of the conference on Bluesky and LinkedIn using the hashtag #LivingData2025.

Did you know that three years ago Pensoft hosted the TDWG annual conference? Check out the highlights on our blog!

A forgotten spider rediscovered after 48 Years: First record of Gnaphosa jodhpurensis in Iraq and the Middle East

Important scientific discoveries are still waiting — sometimes, right beneath our feet.

Guest blog post by Dr. Azhar M. Al-Khazali (University of Sumer, Iraq) & Tuqa A. A. Al-Mshrfawy

For nearly half a century, the ground spider Gnaphosa jodhpurensis was known only from India and China, with a doubtful mention from Pakistan. Since its original description in 1977, no photographs, morphological illustrations, or detailed documentation of this elusive species had ever been published again — until now.

Photos of two spiders displayed side by side: A) dorsal view of a reddish-brown spider with a green abdomen; B) underside view showing similar coloration and structure. — Female Gnaphosa jodhpurensis. A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view

During a biodiversity survey in southern Iraq, as part of the MSc research of my student Tuqa A. A. Al-Mshrfawy at the University of Sumer, we made an unexpected discovery. In the semi-desert landscapes of Dhi Qar Province, we collected several specimens of a ground spider that looked remarkably unfamiliar. Careful morphological examination and DNA barcoding confirmed what we could hardly believe: it was Gnaphosa jodhpurensis — a species never before recorded from Iraq, nor from any country in the entire Middle East region.

Map of Asia highlighting China, India, Pakistan, and Iraq, with geographical outlines and key locations marked. — Known distribution records of Gnaphosa jodhpurensis. Squares = previous records; circles = new records from Iraq.

Our study, now published in the journal Check List, officially reports the first record of G. jodhpurensis from Iraq and the Middle East, extending its known range by thousands of kilometers westward. The paper also provides the first-ever photographic documentation and detailed morphological description of this species since it was discovered 48 years ago.

Gnaphosa jodhpurensis, female. A. Prosoma, dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Chelicerae and mouth parts, ventral view. D. Ocular region, anterodorsal view.

This finding highlights not only the hidden biodiversity of Iraq, but also the potential for new discoveries even under modest research conditions. Despite the limited laboratory facilities and financial constraints, our determination to explore Iraq’s arachnid fauna has led to multiple scientific contributions and international publications over recent years.

We hope our work will inspire other researchers across the region to investigate the unique ecosystems of the Middle East and to recognize that important scientific discoveries are still waiting — sometimes, right beneath our feet.

Research article:

Al-Mshrfawy TAA, Al-Khazali AM (2025) First record of Gnaphosa jodhpurensis Tikader & Gajbe, 1977 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) from Iraq and the Middle East. Check List 21(5): 902-908. https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.902