Editorial 2024

After serving as Senior Editor of EFF for 6 years (2017–2023), Phaedra Budy has decided to step away from the editorship to focus on her research laboratory. She previously served as a member of the Editorial Board of EFF from 2010 to 2017. All those associated with the journal, both fellow editors and Wiley staff, thank Phaedra for her commitment to the journal. Phaedra will continue her contributions to the journal, however, as she will serve as Guest Editor of the forthcoming special issue devoted to proceedings of the symposium Advances in the Population Ecology of Stream-Dwelling Salmonids VI.

In turn, we welcome Keith Gido, University of Kansas, as Senior Editor beginning January 2024. His research specialisations include the effects of invasive species and fish assemblage structure, focusing on the conservation of aquatic systems in the western and central United States. The research focuses on the impact of global change on diversity-ecosystem function relationships in streams, patterns and processes regulating species diversity and habitat associations of fishes in streams and reservoirs, and dynamics of non-coevolved fish assemblages.

EFF publishes papers devoted to basic ecology of freshwater fishes, and EFF is strongly committed to conservation. We seek to publish important research revealing or supporting knowledge of phenomena without consideration given to applications of that knowledge. As a journal publishing pure, fundamental science, EFF is not a fisheries or management journal. Nonetheless, authors may wish to include a brief, concise statement about the implications of their research for ecological or environmental management aimed at the conservation of fishes or their habitats without regard to human use, which can be done in concluding the discussion.

Where feasible authors are strongly encouraged to focus the title, abstract and introduction of their reports on the phenomena studied by deemphasizing or excluding the locality or taxon involved and detailing them in the methods. We understand, however, that there may be cases where including the region or taxon is appropriate.

EFF offers authors the option of Free Format submission for a simplified and streamlined submission process. Free format submission eases the process of preparing a manuscript and allows the author to complete the process faster. Authors may submit their manuscripts in the format of their choosing. EFF's publisher, Wiley, updates the formatting into the journal's style when a manuscript is accepted for publication.

Table 2 shows the papers cited most often in the 2-year period (2020–2021) covered by Clarivate's Journal Citation Report for June 2023. We thank the authors for their contributions to the journal and congratulate them on their achievements.

EFF publishes special issues or contributions (special sections) drawn from proceedings of conferences and symposia. In 2023, EFF published proceedings from Percis V, the 5th Percid Fish International Symposium as a special section of the October issue. EFF plans to publish selected papers from a special session of the Southeastern Fishes Council (United States) entitled Biodiversity Connections in 2024. We also have plans to publish proceedings from the international symposium Advances in the Population Ecology of Stream-Dwelling Salmonids VI in 2024 or 2025. We continue to seek special issues and contributions addressing basic fish ecology, as proceedings drawn from conferences or symposia, as well as independent, stand-alone publications. If you would like to propose an idea for a Special Issue in EFF, please contact the Editorial Office at [email protected].

The contributions of a journal to science are dependent upon the efforts of many. The Editorial Board members who help to maintain the integrity and rigour of the journal are especially important in the publication process. Reviewers who are chosen at large to assist in the process of evaluating submissions are integral to the journal's success. The Editorial Board for EFF is listed in Appendix A, and the reviewers for papers reviewed July 2022 through June 2023 are listed in Appendix B. We wish to share our deep appreciation to all those persons who have made the effort to assist the journal and their fellow scientists.