The Bulletin accepts monographs (16–30 printed pages), reviews and articles (up to 15 printed pages), notes (up to 5 printed pages with no abstract), discussions and replies (up to 3 printed pages), and informative stand-alone photographs with legends (1 page). Generally, 2.5 double-spaced manuscript pages equal 1 printed page.

Online Manuscript Submission

If you are submitting a new manuscript please click [here] to begin the online submission process.

Review Process

Manuscripts are initially reviewed for suitability by the Editor. Suitable manuscripts are then critically reviewed by 2–4 experts in the relevant discipline. Based on these reviews, the Editor will either accept the manuscript, invite the author(s) to revise the manuscript, or reject the work.

Manuscripts revised at the invitation of the Editor must be submitted within three months to be considered. A revision exceeding this timeframe must be submitted as a new manuscript.

Once the manuscript has been satisfactorily revised, authors will be notified of the acceptance of their manuscript for publication and asked to submit a final version of the manuscript.

Page Charges

Page charges will be assessed at the rate of US$70 per printed page. Student authors who conducted the work as part of their thesis or dissertation and do not have access to page charge funds may request a partial waiver of page charges. Proof of enrollment will be required. Generally, 2.5 manuscript pages equal one printed page. Color plates will incur an additional charge of US$600 per plate (first plate only). Additional plates will be charged at a discounted rate, depending on the number of color plates submitted. Please contact the Editorial Office for an estimate of color charges.

Authors will be billed before publication at the time galley proofs are prepared.

Cover Letter

As part of your submission, please prepare a cover letter to the Editor detailing:

• The content of the manuscript and its appropriateness for the Bulletin of Marine Science.
• A list of any papers on related topics by any of the authors that have been published within the past year or that are in review or in press.
• A list of at least four potential reviewers. These potential reviewers should be experts on the topic of the manuscript, and should not have any collaborations with the author(s) or be affiliated with the institutions of the author(s). The list should include the full contact information, including e-mail addresses, for each potential reviewer.

Formatting Requirements

Language:

Only papers in English will be accepted. Spelling, word division, and geographical names should follow either the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English or The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

Content:

Authors are strongly advised to consult a recent issue of the Bulletin and follow the style and general layout of articles. All manuscripts should be typed in 12-point, Times or Times New Roman font, double-spaced on single-sided, white, standard sheets of paper.

The sequence of the material should be:

• Title Page
• Abstract
• Text
• Acknowledgments
• Literature Cited
• Author addresses
• Tables
• Figure legends
• Figures
• Appendix (if included)

Title Page:

• The full title of the manuscript in 20 words or less. If applicable, the geographical location of the research should be referenced along with the full name of any particular species noted (author’s name and year usually should not appear as part of the title).
• A running title (eight word limit).
• Key words relevant to the content of the work.
• Authors’ names directly under the title.

Abstract:

• Single paragraph of not more than 250 words.
• Briefly states the reason for the research and summarizes the significant findings.
• At first mention, a scientific (binomial) name should be written in its entirety including the authority credited with naming the species; i.e., Palythoa caribbaeorum (Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1861). Thereafter in the abstract, it is only necessary to abbreviate the species name (i.e., P. caribbaeorum) except when the species name starts a sentence in which case the genus must be spelled out in full (i.e., Palythoa caribbaeorum).

Text:

• Cite all tables and figures in the order in which they are numbered.
• Do not abbreviate state, province, or country names.
• All scientific (binomial) names written in the text of the manuscript should include the authority credited with naming the species at first mention only. Throughout the remaining text, it is only necessary to abbreviate the species name (i.e., P. caribbaeorum). An exception is when the species name starts a sentence in which case genus must be spelled out in full (i.e., Palythoa caribbaeorum).
• If there are more than 15 species listed in the manuscript, an alternative is to list species authorities and common names in a table or appendix.
• Footnotes are not accepted. Such ancillary information should appear in the text set off in [brackets] or incorporated into the text.
• Works in progress (i.e., manuscripts in preparation or review) cannot be cited in the text, and should instead be cited as unpublished data: (J. Smith, University of Miami, unpubl. data). Works in press may be cited as such in the text and in the Literature Cited as (J. Smith, in press). When referencing unpublished data or a personal communication, include the name and institution of the person being referenced (i.e., J. Smith, University of Miami, pers. comm.).
• Common abbreviations and symbols such as %, mm, m, g, ml, mg, ºC, µm, d (day), hr (hour), yr (year), and so forth, should be used. Measurements are to be given in metric units only. Other equivalents may be given in parentheses if necessary, with the permission of the Editor. Abbreviate units of measure only when used with numbers (i.e., 45 cm, 14 mg, 30 d, etc.). Symbols for “male” and “female” will be inserted during typesetting upon request of the corresponding author.
• Boldfaced type should only be used when noting a new species. Otherwise, the use of boldfaced, scripted, and underlined text is discouraged.
• All first and second headings (i.e., Methods, Results, Discussion) should be in small caps. All third headings should be set in italics.
• All text should be aligned to the left of the page and lines and pages should be numbered. Do not double space after each sentence. Do not use tools such as Track Changes, and also refrain from inserting text boxes, headers, footers, and any other formatting devices.
• Superscripts and subscripts should be used when necessary (i.e., cm² or CO₂).
• Numbers one through nine should be spelled out when not associated with units of measure. Thereafter, use number keys (10, 11, 12, etc.).
• When referencing literature within the text of the manuscript use chronological order (i.e., Jones et al., 1979; Smith, 1980; Reilly, 1981). If years are the same organize alphabetically (i.e., Jones et al., 1979; McManus, 1980; Smith et al., 1980). Literature cited within the text must be cited in the Literature Cited section and vice versa.

Acknowledgments:

• Individuals should be acknowledged using their first initial and last name (i.e., J. Smith).
• Include a brief statement recognizing funding agencies, institutions, reviewers, and any contributors to the work.

Literature Cited:

• Please refer to a recent issue of the Bulletin of Marine Science for guidance on citing literature according to Bulletin standards.
• All literature referenced in the text must be included in the Literature Cited section and vice versa.
• Authors are responsible for the completion and accuracy of the Literature Cited.
• All periodical names should be abbreviated: i.e., Smith, J. 1997. Article title. Bull. Mar. Sci. 44: 13–44. Journal abbreviations should be according to the Council of Science Editors Style Committee’s CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, Seventh Edition. All that JAS: Journal Abbreviation Sources may also be used.
• When citing a book, the editor(s), publisher, publisher’s city, and total pages should be included; i.e., Smith, J. 1997. Book title. Murphy Publishing, New York. 124 p. 
• When citing a specific article within a book, the format is as follows: Smith, J. 1997. Article title. Pages 11–14 in R. M. Howard, ed. Book title here. Murphy Publishing, New York.
• Literature cited should be in alphabetical order. When multiple works are cited by the same author, chronological order is followed. A line should indicate where the name of the author is the same as the above reference. When the first author is the same but coauthors differ, order the citations by the total number of authors first, then alphabetically, then chronologically. An example is as follows:

Smith, J. B. 1987.

__________ and B. J. Carter. 1999.

__________ and W. A. Quail. 1979.

__________, _____________, and S. J. Rum. 2001.

__________, _____________, and ________. 2003.

__________, R. M. Best, S. P. Roberts, and Y. H. Aki. 2000.

• In the Literature Cited, only capitalize proper nouns, and special names of countries or regions of countries, cities or sections of cities, rivers, bays, oceans, mountains, islands, and other geographical names — do not capitalize or italicize the titles of books, reference volumes, etc. Do not use ampersands (“&”) in citations.
• For articles, cite only the volume of the journal in which the article appears. Do not cite the issue numbers unless essential to locating the reference.
• Please keep citation of non peer-reviewed material (“gray literature”) to a minimum.
• We strongly encourage to limit the number of references to a ratio of 1:4 (about one page of citations for every four pages of text).

Electronic and Internet sources:

For a complete list of all types of electronic citations please refer to the National Library of Medicine Recommended Formats for Bibliographic Citation (2001) available online at www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/formats/internet.pdf.

Electronic-journal articles:

• Last Name and Initial(s) of Author, [followed by last names and initials of other authors]. Year of Publication. Title of article. Abbreviated Journal Title [medium]; Volume: Inclusive Page Numbers [if available]. Availability Information. Date of Access.

• Dahlgren, C. and J. Marr. 2004. Back reef systems: important but overlooked components of tropical marine systems. Bull. Mar. Sci. [serial online]; 75: 145–152. Available: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/umrsmas/bullmar/2004/00000075/00000002/art00002 via the Internet. Accessed 14 March 2005.

Electronic books or monographs:

• Last Name and Initial(s) of Author, [followed by last names and initials of other authors]. Year of Publication. Title of monograph [monograph online]. Place of Publication: Publisher; [Update Information, if applicable]. Availability Information. Date of Access.

  Databases:

• Last Name and Initial(s) of Author, [followed by last names and initials of other authors, if any]. Title of Database. Version. Place of Publication: Publisher. Date of Publication [Date of Update/Revision; Date of Citation].

  Entire Webpages:

• Last Name and Initial(s) of Author ; Title of Webpage [Internet]. Place of Publication: Publisher; Date of Publication [Date of Update/Revision, Date of Copyright, Date of Citation]. Available from: (Insert URL)

• Bulletin of Marine Science [Internet]. Miami, FL: Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami; c2005, 14 March 2005. Available from : http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/bms (or rsmas.miami.edu/bms)

Discussion lists:

• Author of Message. Title of Message. In: Title of List. [Place of Publication: Publisher]; Date of Publication; Date of [Citation date]. Numeration of Message.  Available from: Insert URL 

Author(s) Addresses:

• Addresses of author(s) should be listed after the Literature Cited section of the manuscript in italics.
• All addresses should be prefaced by the initials of each author.
• E-mail addresses should be set inside angle brackets: <bmsassistant@rsmas.miami.edu>.

Table and Figure Formatting (for final version submission to BMS after acceptance)

• Figures and tables, with their legends and headings, should be self-explanatory and should not require reference to the text. Species names should not be abbreviated in either figure or table legends.
• Line drawings should be scaled for 50% reduction. Oversized figures and tables will not be accepted unless the author is willing to assume the cost of size reduction.
• Figures should be clear and legible on all copies, with 1-inch margins. The dimensions and the thickness of the individual lines, spaces, and letters will also be reduced proportionally. Authors are urged to refer to Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, Seventh Edition, prepared by the Style Manual Committee of the Council of Science Editors for guidance in the preparation of their figures and tables.
• Each table and figure should start on a separate page. Consistency in headings and format is desirable. Vertical rules or horizontal gridlines should be avoided.

Tables:

• Only Excel® spreadsheets and Word® tables are accepted. When using Word, insert a table by using the “Table” menu. Do not use tabs or spaces to separate columns. Do not submit tables as image files.
• Do not add extra spaces in rows within or between table columns. Spaces prevent proper column alignment and require reformatting during typesetting.
• Do not break up tables as continuation pages (i.e., Table 1 continued).
• If a table is large, and consists of numerous pages, the number of columns must be the same for all rows even if cells are blank.
• There should be no shading, boldfacing, underlining, or box-line formatting in tables.
• Brief table legends should be included immediately above each table.

Figures:

• Bulletin of Marine Science accepts EPS, TIFF, and high resolution PDF images only (consider using the predefined “Press Quality” Adobe PDF preset. This preset contains flattener settings appropriate for complex figures intended for high-resolution output). Refrain from submitting electronic images in Word® or any other word processing application.
• All figures must be submitted electronically via the Bulletin’s online submission protocol. Please make sure each figure is properly labeled before submission (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).
• The resolution must be 360 dpi for color, grayscale, or continuous tone images and 1200 dpi for bitmap or line art strictly composed of black and white.
• At high resolution (360 or 1200 dpi depending on format) all figures must be sized to fit within the printed page dimensions of 19.4 x 12.5 cm.
• Size your images: 29 picas (12.28 cm, 4.833 inches) maximum for portrait images, 42 picas (17.78 cm, 7 inches) maximum for landscape images.
• All lines must be at least 0.5 point. Avoid the use of very small print, fine lines (hairlines) or very light stippling — these fade or disappear during final printing, or in the case of text, become unreadable.
• Color graphics are not published unless the author agrees in advance to pay $600 for each color plate (first plate only). Additional plates will be charged at a discounted rate, depending on the number of color plates submitted. Please contact the Editorial Office for an estimate of color charges.
• If a color image is going to appear in the print version of the journal, it should be saved as CMYK color (and not RGB color).
• If a figure has shading or texture, it should be saved as a TIFF file to insure the patterns and shading are maintained.
• If a figure is divided into parts, and these parts are denoted with letters (a, b, c, etc.), please write or draw these letters in capital case. All tables and figures pertaining to a manuscript published in the Bulletin appear in text with capital letters as Fig. 1A, Figure 2C, etc. (not Fig. 1a, Figure 2c) irrespective of how they appear in the illustration itself. For a match, make sure all figures use capital letters.
• Choose fonts for their readability (Helvetica, Times, Arial are good examples). Font size should not be less than 8 point in the final layout size.
• Figures with errors will either be returned or printed with the errors. The Bulletin does not redraw or modify figures. Please proof carefully.
• Figure legends must not be included on the figure. All figure legends should be included separately, in the text following the Literature Cited and tables.

Important! Avoid these three common errors when submitting your electronic figures:

• Format: Bulletin of Marine Science accepts EPS, TIFF, and high resolution PDF images only (consider using the predefined “Press Quality” Adobe PDF preset. This preset contains flattener settings appropriate for complex figures intended for high-resolution output). Refrain from submitting electronic images in Word® or any other word processing application.
• Resolution and size: The resolution must be 360 dpi for color, grayscale, or continuous tone images and 1200 dpi for bitmap or line art strictly composed of black and white. At this resolution (360 or 1200 dpi depending on format) all figures must be sized to fit within the printed page dimensions of 19.4 x 12.5 cm.
• Use of fine lines and/or small print: All lines must be at least 0.5 point. Avoid the use of very small print, fine lines (hairlines) or very light stippling — these fade or disappear during final printing, or in the case of text, become unreadable.

Proofs

Following online submission of the final manuscript, the manuscript will be copy-edited and typeset for publication and a PDF galley proof returned to the author via e-mail for final proof reading. Please check your proofs carefully. The author will be responsible for any errors that appear in the final printed version. If you do not have Acrobat® Reader®, you can download it by clicking here. www.adobe.com

Contact the Assistant Editor, Rafael J. Araújo, at raraujo@rsmas.miami.edu for questions.