Marina Mesopotamica publishes articles in the various fields of marine sciences, particularly biology, chemistry, geology, physics and fisheries. Because of current strong interest in restoring the Mesopotamian marshes of southern Iraq, the scope of the journal is being expanded to include many aspects of wetland research and restoration, including ecocultural issues such as refugee resettlement and native lifeways.
Contributions submitted for publication will be refereed and should fall within the following:
Submit a manuscript as a Microsoft Word or WordPerfect file (PC version recommended). E-mail submissions are welcome and are highly preferred to facilitate our on-line reviewing system. Type the manuscript as either a single-spaced or double-spaced text, with 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins, and do not justify text. Use the font Times New Roman (12 point). Use italics only to indicate scientific names, symbols for variables, and words that are defined. Use quotation marks for quoted material only. Either American or British English spelling is acceptable. Number pages consecutively, beginning with the title page. Begin each of the following on a separate page and arrange in the following order: Title page, abstract and key words (three to six words), text, acknowledgments, references cited, footnotes, figure legends, and figures. Tables can be either incorporated into the text or placed on separate pages following the footnote page.
Title Page. In the upper right corner, type the complete name, address, telephone number, and e-mail of the author who is to receive and approve page proofs. In the upper left corner, type the running head. Use a brief and informative title that includes order and family names in parentheses, e.g.,
Neuroendocrine control of water content and calcium concentration in the crab Sesarma boulengeri Calman (Brachyura: Grapsidae).
Three lines below the title, type the complete names of all the authors. Two lines beneath the authors' names, type the department, institution, city, state, postal code, and country of the institution where the research was done. Use numbered footnotes for authors not affiliated with the research institution, and give their addresses or affiliations as footnotes at the bottom of the title page.
Abstract. The abstract should be a concise and informative digest of the significant contents and main conclusions of the research.
References Cited. Citations in the text should be organized by the last name of the author and the date. Each should refer to a reference listed alphabetically by author in References Cited.
References should be listed at the end of the manuscript in
alphabetical order according to the following examples:
Salman, S. D. and Ahmed, T.E. 1998. Podocerus brasiliensis (Dana) (Amphipoda) new to the Iraqi coastal waters of the Arabian Gulf. Marina Mesopotamica 13(2): 243-249.Chaman, D. D. 1978. Production. In W. E. Ricker (ed.) Methods for Assessment of Fish Production in Freshwater. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, pp. 202-217.
Picard, G. L. 1997. Marine Ecology. 2nd ed. Pergamon Press, Oxford. pp.214.
Tables. Type all parts of each table single-spaced. Tables should be numbered consecutively, with the table caption placed above the table. Tables can either be included within the text or as separate pages. If a table is in landscape format, it should be placed on a separate page that is set off from the text with section breaks preceding and following the table.
Figures and Figure Legends. Preferred format for figures is in Microsoft Excel or any similar graphical program that produces clear-cut, high-quality graphs that can be opened with Microsoft Word or Excel. Such figures can be either on separate pages or embedded within Word documents as Bitmap objects. (However, if using embedded figures, please be careful to ensure that graphic quality is maintained.) Due to their size, large, full-page figures with multiple parts are best submitted as separate Excel files rather than embedded images. For maintaining consistency between computers when submitting figures created with Excel, we recommend pasting Excel figures into appropriately sized Microsoft Power Point slides (please save each figure as a separate presentation, and name the files "Figure 1," "Figure 2," etc.).
Figures may also be submitted as separate files in a high-resolution graphic format such as TIFF (GIF and JPEG formats often produce unacceptable printouts because of low resolution, even for peer review purposes). Image resolution should be at least 300 pixels per inch. Photos can be either black and white or color, but should be submitted as separate files in TIFF format, with an image resolution of at least 300 pixels per inch. High-quality printouts of Excel graphs can be scanned and then saved as high-resolution images as above.
Figures should be numbered consecutively. Separate parts of the same figure should be grouped together and arranged to use space efficiently. Multiple parts of the same figure should be designated by lower-case letters placed to one side of each part (e.g., a, b).
Figure legends should be typed either 1) all on one separate text page, if the figures themselves are on separate pages; or 2) in the text below the embedded figure, and on the same page as the figure. Figure legends should not be included within the graphic portion of the figure.
Text on graph axes and other parts of figures should be large enough so that it will be readable (at least 8 point) on the final published copy. Embedded figures should be centered horizontally within the body of the text and should be large enough to be readily visible to the reader.
Style Conventions. When first mentioned, a plant or animal should include the full scientific name and the author of the botanical/zoological name unabbreviated - except for Linnaeus (L.) and Fabricius (F.).
Correspondence should be addressed to:
Dr. Royce J. Bitzer
mariposa@iastate.educ/o: Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
339 Science II
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-3221
USA