It is clear from the new look of Oceanography, and the magazine’s Web page, that it has been a busy few months for us. With this magazine issue, you are seeing some of the fruits of our labors.

Working with a new designer, we have updated the magazine’s look, both inside and out. The font on the cover’s masthead has changed, and starting with the March 2004 issue (17-1) we are now including the month and year on the cover to make it easier to reference the magazine. The three-column layout, different use of fonts, and other new graphical elements provide a fresh, eye-catching design. If you need to contact an author, instead of looking for the information in the magazine’s front matter, you can find the lead author’s email address in a box in each article.

You’ll see many changes to the TOS Web site, too, upon entering www.tos.org. When digging into the magazine’s Web pages, you will find considerably more content than before. Some new additions are the table of contents for all back issues of Oceanography, and several back-issue articles in pdf format. We are still revamping the site, and will soon be posting: expanded instructions for authors; a modified style guide (including guidelines for submitting figures and graphics); information on unsolicited manuscripts and advertising; and deadlines and editor/author contact information for upcoming special issues. Please review these materials if submitting a manuscript to Oceanography, even if you have submitted one or more in the past.

I have been working to gather ideas—and solid commitments—for future special issues of the magazine. With only four issues published each year and so many exciting topics to cover, I’m finding this an enjoyable, yet challenging, part of my job. If you have an idea for an Oceanography theme, I encourage you to call or write to me immediately, even if the idea is not yet fully formed. It can take more than a year to progress from idea to published magazine pages. If you get in touch with me, I can play an active role, assisting you with this process.

I hope that you enjoy reading this issue of the magazine as much as I have. I would like to thank Joan Cleveland of the Office of Naval Research for bringing to me the idea of publishing an issue on coastal ocean optics, and acting as guest editor.
 

— Ellen S. Kappel, Editor

Kappel, E.S. 2004. Quarterdeck: Changes. Oceanography 17(2):4, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2004.55.

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