A Global Analysis of Groupers Literature

Groupers constitute a significant segment within marine fisheries due to their economic and nutritional value, being highly sought for their premium flesh, rich protein content, and resultant culinary demand. These factors have led to intensive fishing and crossbreeding programs aimed at their propagation. Given the expansive and disparate nature of global grouper-related scholarly output, a macroanalytical lens is indispensable for elucidating prevailing research trajectories and identifying existing knowledge gaps. This study embarks on a comprehensive examination of the developmental landscape of grouper research literature. Drawing upon a robust dataset comprising 5,677 articles and 300,881 references derived from the Web of Science Core Collection (1977–2022) by Clarivate Analytics, this inquiry deploys descriptive and scientometric macroanalysis to distill key trends and patterns. Findings reveal notable spikes in literature volume and citation counts in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Although China emerged as the foremost contributor to grouper literature, publications from the United States garnered significant citation traction. Among the grouper species, Epinephelus coioides (Orange-spotted grouper) is predominant in research focus, as evidenced by keyword analysis through CiteSpace. Influential keywords encompass "growth", "patterns", "reproduction", "diversity", and "management", with "feed utilization" identified as a recent trendsetter in the field. The co-citation reference networks yielded 28 clusters, with the principal five labeled as "coral microbiome", "spawning aggregation", "oyster reef restoration", "New Caledonia", and "Dusky grouper behavior". Furthermore, Clusters #0 (Coral Microbiome), #7 (Hybrid Grouper), and #9 (Nervous Necrosis Virus) signifies emergent focal points in marine studies. Through a systematic, scientometric lens, this study furnishes valuable insights into the current status, dynamic trends, and prospective directions of global grouper research, thereby serving as an illuminating resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers engaged in this domain.