Das Meer ist der groesste Lebensraum der Erde - hier hat die Evolution der Organismen begonnen, und hier findet sich auch die groesste Vielfalt organismischer Bauplane. Lernfreundlich aufbereitet und leicht verstandlich geschrieben, gibt das Lehrbuch einen grundlegenden und umfassenden UEberblick uber die verschiedenen Lebensraume und Lebensgemeinschaften des Meeres. OEkologische Prozesse wie Konkurrenz, Fressbeziehungen, Symbiosen und Nahrungsnetze sind zentrale Themen. Zahlreiche Abbildungen regen zum Lesen und Lernen an.

Jellyfish are, like the mythical Medusa, both beautiful and potentially dangerous. Found from pole to tropic, these mesmeric creatures form an important part of the sea's plankton and vary in size from the gigantic to the minute. Perceived as alien creatures and seen as best avoided, jellyfish nevertheless have the power to fascinate: with the sheer beauty of their translucent bells and long, trailing tentacles; with a mouth that doubles as an anus; and without a head or brain. Drawing upon myth and historical sources as well as modern scientific advances, this book examines our ambiguous relationship with these ancient and yet ill-understood animals, describing their surprisingly complex anatomy, weaponry and habits, and their vital contribution to the ocean's ecosystem.

This engaging memoir presents one man's lifelong love of the ocean and gives a highly personal, behind-the-scenes look at California's magnificent and innovative aquariums. David Powell, for many years curator of the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, tells the story of his life as a pioneering aquarist. From handling great white sharks to transporting delicate fish on bumpy airplanes to night diving for fish in the Indian Ocean, "A Fascination for Fish" describes many of the mind-boggling challenges that make modern aquariums possible and offers an intriguing glimpse beneath the ocean's surface. Powell's career in diving and aquarium development goes back to the beginning of modern methods in both areas. From the early techniques he devised to get fish into aquariums alive and healthy to his later exploratory dive to a depth of eleven hundred feet in a two-person submarine, Powell's action-packed narrative inspires laughter, wonder, and philosophical reflection. A "Fascination for Fish" also includes many stories about Powell's diving adventures on the California coast, in the Sea of Cortez, and in many remote and exotic locations around the world.

The fascinating and heartbreaking account of the first publicly exhibited captive killer whale — a story that forever changed the way we see orcas and sparked the movement to save them Killer whales had always been seen as bloodthirsty sea monsters. That all changed when a young killer whale was captured off the west coast of North America and displayed to the public in 1964. Moby Doll — as the whale became known — was an instant celebrity, drawing 20,000 visitors on the one and only day he was exhibited. He died within a few months, but his famous gentleness sparked a worldwide crusade that transformed how people understood and appreciated orcas. Because of Moby Doll, we stopped fearing “killersâ€� and grew to love and respect “orcas.â€�

Seahorses are instantly recognisable and have been a part of our culture for millennia, yet we still know very little about these enigmatic creatures. Steve Trewhella and Julie Hatcher have spent hundreds of hours in British waters observing native seahorses, witnessing at first hand how they behave in the wild, and how they interact with the other plants and animals in their underwater realm. With stunning photography, In the Company of Seahorses paints a rich picture of a mysterious world amongst swaying seagrass and colourful seaweeds. The accompanying text is packed with personal anecdotes describing the authors' journey of discovery, illustrating for the first time the secretive lives of these elusive animals in British waters. By sharing one couple's passion for an entrancing ocean icon, this book aims to inspire, inform and create a better understanding of the seahorse and its often vulnerable habitats around the British coastline.

Wild dolphins are an elusive subject. How can you study the behaviour of animals usually visible only as a glimpse of rolling dorsal fins heading for the horizon? Two scientists in the field have assembled a variety of discoveries about dolphins, from tiny spinners to familiar bottle-nosed dolphins, and their whale cousins, including pilot and killer whales. The researchers have followed dolphins in boats, tracked them from shore, dived among them, and used genetic analysis and artificial language to read their life history from a single tooth. This text not only surveys interesting research on dolphin behaviour, but it also offers lay readers a look at the scientific mind at work.

The Outer Banks National Scenic Byway received its designation in 2009, an act that stands as a testament to the historical and cultural importance of the communities linked along the North Carolina coast from Whalebone Junction across to Hatteras and Ocracoke Island and down to the small villages of the Core Sound region. This rich heritage guide introduces readers to the places and people that have made the route and the region a national treasure. Welcoming visitors on a journey across sounds and inlets into villages and through two national seashores, Barbara Garrity-Blake and Karen Willis Amspacher share the stories of people who have shaped their lives out of saltwater and sand. The book considers how the Outer Banks residents have stood their ground and maintained a vibrant way of life while adapting to constant change that is fundamental to life where water meets the land. Heavily illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs, A Heritage Guide to the Outer Banks Byway will lead readers to the proverbial porch of the Outer Banks locals, extending a warm welcome to visitors while encouraging them to understand what many never see or hear: the stories, feelings, and meanings that offer a cultural dimension to the byway experience and deepen the visitor's understanding of life on the tideline.

Fisherman Mark Spitzer takes readers on an action-packed investigation of the most fierce and fearsome freshwater grotesques of the American West ever to inspire both hatred and fascination. Through the lenses of history, folklore, biology, ecology, and politics, Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West depicts the environmental destruction plaguing the most maligned creatures in our midst while subtly interweaving Spitzer's experiences of personal tragedy and self-discovery. Join Spitzer as he noodles for flathead catfish in Oklahoma, snags paddlefish in Missouri, trotline- and electro-fishes American eels in Arkansas, studies razorback suckers in Arizona, bounty hunts for pikeminnows in Washington State, attends a burbot festival in Utah, stirs up Asian carp in Kansas, and breaks the state record for the largest yellow bullhead ever caught in Nebraska. By examining freakish links in a vital chain and working with specialists in the field, Spitzer portrays a planet in environmental crisis and dispels the illusion that our actions don't result in long-term, toxic consequences. Spitzer offers models for fisheries and provides other sources of hope in this informative epic of redemption that ultimately celebrates the wild and resilient beauty and remaining possibilities of the American West. Watch a book trailer. Visit the Where in the West is Mark Spitzer? blog series for additional reading and a look at more photographs not included in the book.

The seagrass meadows of the Northeast Coast of Brazil have the greatest area, biomass, biometrics and diversity of the Brazilian Coast. In this region, the seagrass diversity and plasticity may vary due to differences in environmental factors. Some natural aspects of the coastal environment or that which affect the coastal zone, mainly climatic (seasons of rains and winds) and geomorphological (bathymetry and substrate type), cause variations in seasonality and plasticity of the species, respectively. Chapter One in this book on aquatic ecosystems summarises the available information concerning how seagrass vary along the Northeast Coast of Brazil, as well as other ecological information. Chapter Two presents a brief historical overview of biological indicators, considering the assessment of water quality through microalgae from an environmental perspective and their role as natural bioindicators of the effects of eutrophication. Chapter Three provides a mixing zone analysis of surface brine discharges in coastal waters. Chapter Four studies the effect of low salinity on intertidal blue mussels from the White Sea.

For centuries, the fates of people living along the east coast of Canada and the United States have been tied to the fishery and the harvesting of the northwest Atlantic began long before Europeans first settles these shores. Today, overfishing and a changing ocean environment threaten many fish stocks. Yet despite the many ongoing challenges the fishing industry persists, still central to the economic well-being of North America. It is also at the core of cultural identity from Newfoundland and Labrador to the Eastern Seaboard. Heres the Catch celebrates the finfish species that are the reason many communities remain linked to the northwest Atlantic Ocean. It also explores what could be lost or gained from this historic resource in the coming years depending on our actions. Do we continue to undermine this vast ecosystem? Or will we manage it and the fishery in ways that allow these fish stocks to once again flourish? In the foreword, renowned fisheries scientist George Rose is cautiously optimistic about the future. For his part, author Wade Kearley provides a wealth of detail about the astonishing variety of fish we harvest from the sea, giving you insight into the complexity of factors affecting the health of both the fish and the fishey.

From Flipper to SeaWorld, dolphins have long captured our hearts. We love these friendly, intelligent mammals, and they seem to return our feelings--they enjoy interacting with swimmers and have been known to encircle people under attack by sharks. Despite our familiarity with dolphins, though, we remain ill-informed about how they evolved, how they function and how they have interacted with humans for millennia. Dolphin dives into the dolphin's zoology, as well as its social and cultural history, to offer a comprehensive view of these delightful creatures. Drawing on his years of experience working with and studying dolphins, Alan Rauch explores their propensity to live in pods and their ability to communicate through a variety of clicks, whistles and other vocalizations. He examines their long relationship with humans, describing how they became the emblem of safe travel and charity, that the ancient Greeks featured them on coins and that Hindu mythology associated them with Ganga, a river deity. As the rise in popularity of dolphinaria during the 1960s allowed the public access to dolphins, they became central characters in films like The Day of the Dolphin and Johnny Mnemonic and outsmarted humans in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Packed with images and thoughtful insights, Dolphin is a revealing look at one of our favorite sea creatures.

Introduces readers to the roles of sharks in ocean ecosystems, as well as threats to shark populations and conservation efforts. Eye-catching infographics, clear text, and a "That's Amazing!" feature make this book an engaging exploration of the importance of sharks.

An octopus expert and celebrated artist offer a deep dive to meet the enchanting inhabitants of the world's marine ecosystems. Have you ever walked along the beach and wondered what kind of creatures can be found beneath the waves? Have you pictured what it would be like to see the ocean not from the shore, but from its depths? These questions drive Janet Voight, an expert on mollusks who has explored the seas in the submersible Alivn that can dive some 14,000 feet below the water's surface. In this book, she partners with artist Peggy Macnamara to invite readers to share her undersea journeys of discovery. With accessible scientific description, Voight introduces the animals that inhabit rocky and sandy shores, explains the fragility of coral reefs, and honors the extraordinary creatures that must search for food in the ocean's depths, where light and heat are rare. These fascinating insights are accompanied by Macnamara's stunning watercolors, illuminating these ecosystems and other scenes from Voight's research. Together, they show connections between life at every depth-and warn of the threats these beguiling places and their eccentric denizens face.

Britain's shallow seas are a mysterious domain. They remain largely unseen and unexplored except by marine scientists and divers, who have been documenting their wondrous discoveries over many years. Now, a wealth of information about what lives on and in the seabed has been brought together in one sumptuously illustrated volume. Keith Hiscock describes the incredible variety of marine life that exists around Great Britain, providing a foundation of knowledge for those interested in the natural history of the shallow seabed. He explains how findings are gathered and organised, as well as showing what is out there and how it works. Fascinating, beautiful and often fragile, the habitats and marine life described are essential to the health and productivity of our oceans. Without an adequate, shared understanding of what and where they are, how can we identify and protect them? Exploring Britain's Hidden World is the culmination of 50 years of research by the author to better understand where different subtidal seabed habitats occur and how their associated marine life has come to exist. That quest draws on a rich vein of knowledge obtained by many naturalists, scientists and divers who, for almost 200 years, have described seabed communities and sought to understand their structure and function. Using a minimum of technical terminology, Keith Hiscock combines his interests in marine biology, diving and photography to inform, inspire, and leave a vivid and lasting impression of the marine habitats and species around Britain. He hopes this book will provide new insights, much pleasure, and perhaps some surprises too.

What is a crab? What significance do crabs play in the world? In Crab, Cynthia Chris discovers that these charming creatures are social by nature, creative problem-solvers, and invaluable members of the environments in which they live. Their formidable physical forms, their hard-to-harvest and quick-to-spoil flesh, and their sassy demeanour have inspired artists and writers from Vincent van Gogh to Jean-Paul Sartre. Cynthia Chris sketches vivid portraits of these animals, tracing the history of the crab through its ancient fossil record to its essential role in protecting its own habitats from the threat of climate change.

In a powerful work of environmental history, Martin Doyle tells the epic story of America and its rivers, from the U.S. Constitution's roots in interstate river navigation, to the failure of the levees in Hurricane Katrina and the water wars in the west. Through his own travels and his encounters with experts all over the country-a Mississippi River tugboat captain, an Erie Canal lock operator, a project manager buying water rights for farms along the Colorado River-Doyle reveals the central role rivers have played in American history and how vital they are to its future.

An Atlantic BestsellerNova Scotia is blessed with numerous must-see waterfalls, and this volume from self-described "waterfall addict" Benoit Lalonde brings together 100 of the province's best.Conveniently categorized by the government of Nova Scotia scenic route system, this rich compendium includes famous waterfalls such as Garden of Eden Fall, Wentworth Falls, Cuties Hollow, Annandale Falls and Butcher Hill Falls, as well as lesser-known but easy to locate gems. In addition to providing useful information on the height, type, and hiking distance of each waterfall, their degree of difficulty to reach is also assessed for the convenience of both novice and advanced hikers alike.Featuring gorgeous colour photographs and individual maps of each location, Waterfalls of Nova Scotia offers an invaluable reference as well as a tribute to the beauty of the falls and the natural splendour waiting to be discovered.

Whales are the largest animals ever to have lived on the earth: the longest recorded was over 33 metres long, the heaviest more than 171,000 kgs; a large Blue Whale's tongue alone can weigh more than an elephant. Whales can stay underwater for more than an hour, some speculate that they can live for up to 200 years, and they are among the most intelligent animals known to humanity. "Whale" recounts the evolutionary and ecological background, as well as the cultural history, of these extraordinary mammals, long persecuted and now celebrated throughout the world. From the tales of Jonah and Brendan the Navigator to Moby Dick and recent discoveries of cetacean songs and culture, Joe Roman looks at the role of the whale in human history, mythology, art, literature, commerce and science. Illustrated with Stone Age carvings, medieval broadsheets and colour underwater photographs, "Whale" shows how our perception of these animals has changed over the centuries: a hundred years ago, a stranded whale was usually greeted with flensing knives; now people bring boats and harnesses to return a wayward creature to the sea. Written by an author with vast experience of the subject, "Whale" will appeal to all those interested in whales and the conservation of the oceans, as well as anyone studying cultural history and the natural sciences.

In "Listening to Whales, Alexandra Morton shares spellbinding stories about her career in whale and dolphin research and what she has learned from and about these magnificent mammals. In the late 1970s, while working at Marineland in California, Alexandra pioneered the recording of orca sounds by dropping a hydrophone into the tank of two killer whales. She recorded the varied language of mating, childbirth, and even grief after the birth of a stillborn calf. At the same time she made the startling observation that the whales were inventing wonderful synchronized movements, a behavior that was soon recognized as a defining characteristic of orca society.
In 1984, Alexandra moved to a remote bay in British Columbia to continue her research with wild orcas. Her recordings of the whales have led her to a deeper understanding of the mystery of whale echolocation, the vocal communication that enables the mammals to find their way in the dark sea. A fascinating study of the profound communion between humans and whales, this book will open your eyes anew to the wonders of the natural world.

Alba the fish has spent her entire life collecting precious objects that drift down to the ocean floor. From delicate shells to brightly coloured coral, each year on her birthday she gathers one more precious item. But over the years, Alba notices her collection is losing its sparkle and that the world is changing. What are these bits of plastic and metal? As the coral reef fades, Alba decides to leave her home behind. Can an old fish teach the world how to bring colour back to the ocean?

The One-Hundred-Year-Old Fish gently highlights the issue of pollution. A beautifully illustrated picture book from exciting new talent Lara Hawthorne.

Humans aside, dolphins, whales, and porpoises are often considered to be the smartest creatures on Earth. Science and nature buffs are drawn to stories of their use of tools, their self-recognition, their beautiful and complex songs, and their intricate societies. But how do we know what we know, and what does it mean? In Deep Thinkers, renowned cetacean biologist Janet Mann gathers a gam of the world's leading whale and dolphin researchers--including Luke Rendell, Hal Whitehead, and many more--to illuminate these vital questions, exploring the astounding capacities of cetacean brains. Diving into our current understanding of and dynamic research on dolphin and whale cognition, communication, and culture, Deep Thinkers reveals how incredibly sophisticated these mammals are--and how much we can learn about other animal minds by studying cetacean behavior. Through a combination of fascinating text and more than 150 beautiful and informative illustrations, chapters compare the intelligence markers of cetaceans with those of birds, bats, and primates, asking how we might properly define intelligence in nonhumans. As all-encompassing and profound as the seas in which these deep cetacean cultures have evolved, Deep Thinkers is an awesome and inspiring journey into the fathoms--a reminder of what we gain through their close study, and of what we lose when the great minds of the sea disappear.