Guidelines for authors 
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decimal numbers in the general text, tables, and fig- 
ure captions (except at the beginning of a sentence). 
For example: We considered 3 hypotheses. We collected 
7 samples in this location. Use American spelling. Re- 
frain from using the shorthand slash ( / ), an ambiguous 
symbol, in the general text. 
Word usage and grammar that may be useful are 
the following: 
• Aging For our journal the word aging is used to 
mean both age determination and the aging process 
(senescence). The author should make clear which 
meaning is intended where ambiguity may arise. 
• Fish and fishes For papers on taxonomy and biodi- 
versity, the plural of fish is fishes, by convention. In 
all other instances, the plural is fish. 
Examples: 
The fishes of Puget Sound [biodiversity is indicated]; 
The number of fish caught that season [no emphasis 
on biodiversity]; 
The fish were caught in trawl nets [no emphasis on 
biodiversity]. 
The same logic applies to the use of the words crab 
and crabs, squid and squids, etc. 
• Sex For the meaning of male and female, use the 
word sex, not gender. 
• Participles As adjectives, participles must modify a 
specific noun or pronoun and make sense with that 
noun or pronoun. 
Incorrect: 
Using the recruitment model, estimates of age- 1 re- 
cruitment were determined. [Estimates did not 
use the recruitment model.] 
Correct: 
Using the recruitment model, we determined age- 
1 estimates of recruitment. [The participle now 
modifies the word we, i.e., those who were using 
the model.] 
Incorrect: 
Based on the collected data, we concluded that the 
mortality rate for these fish had increased. [We 
were not based on the collected data.] 
Correct: 
We concluded on the basis of the collected data that 
the mortality rate for these fish had increased. 
[Eliminate the participle and replace it with an 
adverbial phrase.] 
Equations and mathematical symbols should be 
set from a standard mathematical program (MathType) 
and tool (Equation Editor in MS Word). LaTex is accept- 
able for more advanced computations. For mathemati- 
cal symbols in the general text (a, y}, n, ±, etc.), use the 
symbols provided by the MS Word program and itali- 
cize all variables, except those variables represented 
by Greek letters. Do not use photo mode when creating 
these symbols in the general text. 
Number equations (if there are more than 1) for fu- 
ture reference by scientists; place the number within 
parentheses at the end of the first line of the equation. 
Literature cited section comprises published 
works and those accepted for publication in peer- 
reviewed journals (in press). Follow the name and 
year system for citation format in the “Literature 
cited” section (that is to say, citations should be listed 
alphabetically by the authors’ last names, and then by 
year if there is more than one citation with the same 
authorship. A list of abbreviations for citing journal 
names can be found at website. 
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and com- 
pleteness of all citations. Literature citation format: 
Author (last name, followed by first-name initials). Year. 
Title of article. Abbreviated title of the journal in which 
it was published. Always include number of pages. For 
a sequence of citations in the general text, list chrono- 
logically: (Smith, 1932: Green. 1947; Smith and Jones, 
1985). 
Digital object identifier (doi) code ensures that 
a publication has a permanent location online. Doi code 
should be included at the end of citations of published 
literature. Authors are responsible for submitting ac- 
curate doi codes. Faulty codes will be deleted at the 
page-proof stage. 
Cite all software, special equipment, and chemical 
solutions used in the study within parentheses in the 
general text: e.g., SAS, vers. 6.03 (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, 
NC). 
Footnotes are used for all documents that have not 
been formally peer reviewed and for observations and 
personal communications. These types of references 
should be cited sparingly in manuscripts submitted to 
the journal. 
All reference documents, administrative reports, 
internal reports, progress reports, project reports, 
contract reports, personal observations, personal 
communications, unpublished data, manuscripts in re- 
view, and council meeting notes are footnoted in 9 pt 
font and placed at the bottom of the page on which they 
are first cited. Footnote format is the same as that for 
formal literature citations. A link to the online source 
(e.g., [http://www/ , accessed July 2007.]), or the 
mailing address of the agency or department holding 
the document, should be provided so that readers may 
obtain a copy of the document. 
Tables are often overused in scientific papers; it is 
seldom necessary to present all the data associated 
with a study. Tables should not be excessive in size and 
must be cited in numerical order in the text. Headings 
should be short but ample enough to allow the table to 
be intelligible on its own. 
All abbreviations and unusual symbols must be ex- 
plained in the table legend. Other incidental comments 
may be footnoted with italic numeral footnote markers. 
Use asterisks only to indicate significance in statistical 
data. Do not type table legends on a separate page; 
