This book serves as an advanced text on fisheries and fishery population dynamics and as a reference for fisheries scientists. It provides a thorough treatment of contemporary topics in quantitative fisheries science and emphasizes the link between biology and theory by explaining the assumptions inherent in the quantitative methods. The analytical methods are accessible to a wide range of biologists, and the book includes numerous examples. The book is unique in covering such advanced topics as optimal harvesting, migratory stocks, age-structured models, and size models.

This book offers extensive coverage of the most important aspects of UVR effects on all aquatic (not just freshwater and marine) ecosystems, encompassing UV physics, chemistry, biology and ecology. Comprehensive and up-to-date, UV Effects in Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems aims to bridge the gap between environmental studies of UVR effects and the broader, traditional fields of ecology, oceanography and limnology. Adopting a synthetic approach, the different sections cover: the physical factors controlling UVR intensity in the atmosphere; the penetration and distribution of solar radiation in natural waters; the main photochemical process affecting natural and anthropogenic substances; and direct and indirect effects on organisms (from viruses, bacteria and algae to invertebrate and vertebrate consumers). Researchers and professionals in environmental chemistry, photochemistry, photobiology and cell and molecular biology will value this book, as will those looking at ozone depletion and global change.

While a good grasp of the many separate aspects of agriculture is important, it is equally essential for all those involved in agriculture to understand the functioning of the farming system as a whole and how it can be best managed. It is necessary to re-assess and understand rain-fed farming systems around the world and to find ways to improve the selection, design and operation of such systems for long term productivity, profitability and sustainability. The components of the system must operate together efficiently; yet many of the relationships and interactions are not clearly understood. Appreciation of these matters and how they are affected by external influences or inputs are important for decision making and for achieving desirable outcomes for the farm as a whole. This book analyses common rain-fed farming systems and defines the principles and practices important to their effective functioning and management."

Truly high altitude aquatic ecosystems are found primarily at lower latitudes: vast regions in the tropical part of the Andes, the Himalayas and Tibet, considerable areas in East Africa, and minor zones of Oceania. However, despite their abundance in these regions, their biology and ecology has never been summarized in detail. A current synthesis of the topic is therefore timely. High altitude waters are ideal systems with which to address a broad range of key and topical themes in ecology, both at the regional and global scales. From specific functional adaptations of aquatic species to harsh environmental conditions through to global diversity patterns along altitudinal gradients and extinction risks of mountain populations due to vanishing glaciers, ecological patterns and processes found in high altitude waters are both diverse and singular. Although poorly considered in classical textbooks of ecology and limnology, high altitude waters have much to offer existing (aquatic) ecological theories and applications. These often threatened and exploited habitats are also ideal for studying the intimate interactions between social and ecological systems that characterize the majority of ecosystems in the Anthropocene.

The Antarctic continent carries the greatest diversity of lake environments on the planet: freshwater and saline lakes, tidal freshwater epishelf lakes, lakes on ice shelves and glacier surfaces, and over three hundred subglacial lakes; extraordinary ecosystems that have been separated from the atmosphere for up to millions of years. This book provides a unique and cutting edge synthesis of Antarctic limnology, drawing together current knowledge on geomorphology, morphometry, chemistry, community structure and function. It emphasises throughout the value of these near-pristine ecosystems as barometers of climate change, showing how responsive and vulnerable they are to the indirect impacts of anthropogenic activity. Antarctic Lakes begins with an introduction to their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, providing a basis for understanding the subsequent detailed chapters on different lake types, and ends with a chapter considering the application of new technologies to polar limnology as well as identifying future research directions. This accessible text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in Antarctic and polar limnology, and will also be of broad interest to researchers working in the areas of polar science, microbial ecology (and extremophiles), climatology, glaciology, and astrobiology.

Fish have evolved to colonise almost every type of aquatic habitat and today they are a hugely diverse group of over 25,000 species. The evolution of this great diversity of species has resulted in a myriad of solutions to the demands posed by the aquatic environment.
Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Fish presents a current and comprehensive overview of fish physiology to demonstrate how living fish function in their environment. As with other books in the Series, the emphasis is on the unique physiological characteristics of the fish, but with applications to questions of broad relevance in physiological ecology. A preliminary chapter introduces the aquatic environment and gives a general description of fish biology, evolution, and taxonomy. Subsequent sections discuss the particular problems of living in water, life in extreme environments, techniques for studying fish ecophysiology, and future research directions.

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that chemical interactions play a fundamental role in aquatic habitats and have far-reaching evolutionary and ecological consequences. A plethora of studies have shown that aquatic organisms from most taxa and functional groups respond to minute concentrations of chemical substances released by other organisms. However, our knowledge of this "chemical network" is still negligible. Chemical interactions can be divided into two larger sub-areas based on the function of the chemical substance. First, there are interactions where chemical substances are toxic to other organisms and are used as a defence against consumers (including both herbivores and predators) or a weapon against competitors (allelopathy). Second, chemical substances may be used as a source for information of the environment; for example: how can I find the optimal habitat, the best food, the nicest partner, and avoid being eaten? Aquatic organisms are able to detect and respond to extremely low concentrations of chemical cues to answer all these questions. The book aims at connecting these intriguing chemical interactions with traditional knowledge of organism interactions. Chemical Ecology of Aquatic Systems covers a wide range of studies, both plant and animal, from different geographic regions and habitats - pelagic as well as benthic. Most of the chemical interactions are similar in freshwater and marine habitats and this book therefore strives at integrating work on both systems.

Water is fundamental to life and all metabolic reactions are influenced by the aqueous environment in which they occur. Osmoregulation and water balance are therefore absolutely essential topics in animal physiology.
Animal Osmoregulation collates a widely dispersed literature to produce a comprehensive and authoritative synthesis of the field, providing detailed examples of osmoregulatory processes at the organismal, organ and cellular level. It incorporates clear background information on ion regulation and transport (specifically in the light of recent molecular studies) and illustrates the physical principles to which each organism must adhere, as well as the phylogenetic constraints within which it must operate.
As with other titles in the Oxford Animal Biology Series, the topic is addressed using examples from throughout the animal kingdom, identifying common themes that transcend taxonomy.

The benthic boundary layer is of considerable interest to geochemists, sedimentologists, biologists, and engineers. This book of original chapters edited by leading reseachers in the field provides an ideal reference on measurments, techniques, and models for transport and biochemical processes in the benthic boundary layer. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of a selected field, with illustrated examples from the authors own work.

This volume is a reference and identification manual for the vascular plants found in permanent or seasonal fresh water in the subcontinent of India south of the Himalayas. About 660 species are described and the style of the text is accessible both to experts and to those with only a little botanical training. All the plants are illustrated by line drawings showing the diagnostic features. The importance of wetlands to life on Earth is now generally accepted. This is the first such Flora to cover wetland plants for this entire geographical area, replacing and supplementing many local Floras. It will enable scientists and conservationists to identify the plants with accuracy and to build on this information to promote conservation. This is a most valuable contribution to systematic botany by an international recognized scientist.

Essential Fish Biology provides an introductory overview of the functional biology of fish and how this may be affected by the widely contrasting habitat conditions within the aquatic environment. It describes the recent advances in comparative animal physiology which have greatly influenced our understanding of fish function as well as generating questions that have yet to be resolved. Fish taxa represent the largest number of vertebrates, with over 25,000 extant species. However, much of our knowledge, apart from taxonomy and habitat descriptions, has been based on relatively few of them , usually those which live in fresh water and/or are of commercial interest. Unfortunately there has also been a tendency to base our interpretation of fish physiology on that of mammalian systems, as well as to rely on a few type species of fish. This accessible textbook will redress the balance by using examples of fish from a wide range of species and habitats, emphasizing diversity as well as recognizing shared attributes with other vertebrates.

Essential Fish Biology provides an introductory overview of the functional biology of fish and how this may be affected by the widely contrasting habitat conditions within the aquatic environment. It describes the recent advances in comparative animal physiology which have greatly influenced our understanding of fish function as well as generating questions that have yet to be resolved. Fish taxa represent the largest number of vertebrates, with over 25,000 extant species. However, much of our knowledge, apart from taxonomy and habitat descriptions, has been based on relatively few of them , usually those which live in fresh water and/or are of commercial interest. Unfortunately there has also been a tendency to base our interpretation of fish physiology on that of mammalian systems, as well as to rely on a few type species of fish. This accessible textbook will redress the balance by using examples of fish from a wide range of species and habitats, emphasizing diversity as well as recognizing shared attributes with other vertebrates.

Physical Characteristics of Estuaries.

Northern New England Estuaries.

Southern New England Estuaries.

Middle Atlantic Estuaries.

Southeastern Estuaries.

South Florida Seagrasses.

Mangrove Estuaries: South Florida, Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf of Mexico Estuaries: Florida, Louisiana.

Southern California Estuaries.

Puget Sound.

Species Index.

Building up from microscopic basics to observed complex functions, this insightful monograph explains and describes how the unique molecular properties of water give rise to its structural and dynamical behaviour which in turn translates into its role in biological and chemical processes. The discussion of the biological functions of water details not only the stabilising effect of water in proteins and DNA, but also the direct role that water molecules themselves play in biochemical processes, such as enzyme kinetics, protein synthesis and drug-DNA interaction. The overview of the behaviour of water in chemical systems discusses hydrophilic, hydrophobic and amphiphilic effects, as well as the interactions of water with micelles, reverse micelles, microemulsions and carbon nanotubes. Supported by extensive experimental and computer simulation data, highlighting many of the recent advances in the study of water in complex systems, this is an ideal resource for anyone studying water at the molecular level.

Interest in water will continue to grow for a long time to come. It will continue to spread over a large number of disciplines and technologies. Research into water in all its aspects has become so diverse that even those with a direct interest find it impossible to keep up with the original literature beyond a very limited range. On the other hand, scientists want to keep in touch with a wide spectrum of basic and applied research on water and the role played by aqueous solvents in physical, chemical, biological, technological and environmental processes. Water Science Reviews contains three or four critical reviews of the type previously published in the seven volume work Water - A Comprehensive Treatise. Some reviews update previously published topics, while others feature areas of Water Sciences that have never yet been reviewed. A common focus is the central position adopted by water in the systems and processes described.

This volume is devoted to the solution behavior of the molecules of life: lipids, nucleotide bases, amino acids, and sugars. Theory is confronted by experiment and comparisons are made between the properties of molecules in crystals and in solution. Four excellent reviews are included. John and Lois Crowe consider the profound lyotropic effects of water on membrane phospholipids. E. Westhof and D.L. Beveridge discuss hydration of nucleic acids, concluding that the development of an adequate description of the solvation and electrostatic properties of the nucleic acids is essential for modeling and simulation of nucleic acid structures. T.H. Lilley examines the solvation of amino acids and small peptides, with the emphasis on those amino acids present in the proteins of higher organisms. The final contribution, from Felix Franks and J. Raul Grigera, summarizes and analyzes the influence of solvation interactions on the structural, equilibrium and dynamic properties of monomeric and oligomeric polyhydroxy compounds.

The fourth volume of Water Science Reviews presents three fascinating accounts of hydration phenomena in colloidal systems. O.F. Evans and David Miller provide a reappraisal of the role of water in promoting amphiphilic assembly and structure. Donald England's review of water-soluble polymers highlights those areas that show unique solution properties or where there is contention as to the explanation for the behavior. The final review by Kenneth Newman addresses the hydration of surfaces, a topic of profound scientific and technological importance. Post-graduate researchers interested in topical, critical reviews will benefit from this volume.

Interest in water will continue to grow for a long time to come. It will continue to spread over a large number of disciplines and technologies. Research into water in all its aspects has become so diverse that even those with a direct interest find it impossible to keep up with the original literature beyond a very limited range. On the other hand, scientists want to keep in touch with a wide spectrum of basic and applied research on water and the role played by aqueous solvents in physical, chemical, biological, technological and environmental processes. Water Science Reviews contains three or four critical reviews of the type previously published in the seven volume work Water - A Comprehensive Treatise. Some reviews update previously published topics while others feature areas of Water Sciences that have never yet been reviewed. A common focus is the central position adopted by water in the systems and processes described.

The fourth volume of Water Science Reviews presents three fascinating accounts of hydration phenomena in collodial systems. O. Fennell Evans and David Miller provide a reappraisal of the role of water in promoting amphiphilic assembly and structure. Donald Eagland's review of water-soluble polymers highlights those which show unique solution properties or where there is contention as to the explanation for the behaviour. The final review, from Kenneth Newman, deals with the hydration of surfaces, a topic of profound scientific and technological importance.

Pressure on large fluvial lowlands has increased tremendously during the past twenty years because of flood control, urbanization, and increased dependence upon floodplains and deltas for food production. This book examines human impacts on lowland rivers, and discusses how these changes affect different types of riverine environments and flood processes. Surveying a global range of large rivers, it provides a primary focus on the lower Rhine River in the Netherlands and the Lower Mississippi River in Louisiana. A particular focus of the book is on geo-engineering, which is described in a straight-forward writing style that is accessible to a broad audience of advanced students, researchers, and practitioners in global environmental change, fluvial geomorphology and sedimentology, and flood and water management.

Topography of the Landscape.

Pattern and Form of Riverine Systems.

Sources of River Flow.

Characteristics of Flowing Water.

Sediments and Sediment Loads.

Wetlands.

Chemicals in Riverine Water.

Index.

Truly high altitude aquatic ecosystems are found primarily at lower latitudes: vast regions in the tropical part of the Andes, the Himalayas and Tibet, considerable areas in East Africa, and minor zones of Oceania. However, despite their abundance in these regions, their biology and ecology has never been summarized in detail. A current synthesis of the topic is therefore timely. High altitude waters are ideal systems with which to address a broad range of key and topical themes in ecology, both at the regional and global scales. From specific functional adaptations of aquatic species to harsh environmental conditions through to global diversity patterns along altitudinal gradients and extinction risks of mountain populations due to vanishing glaciers, ecological patterns and processes found in high altitude waters are both diverse and singular. Although poorly considered in classical textbooks of ecology and limnology, high altitude waters have much to offer existing (aquatic) ecological theories and applications. These often threatened and exploited habitats are also ideal for studying the intimate interactions between social and ecological systems that characterize the majority of ecosystems in the Anthropocene.

The Antarctic continent carries the greatest diversity of lake environments on the planet: freshwater and saline lakes, tidal freshwater epishelf lakes, lakes on ice shelves and glacier surfaces, and over three hundred subglacial lakes; extraordinary ecosystems that have been separated from the atmosphere for up to millions of years. This book provides a unique and cutting edge synthesis of Antarctic limnology, drawing together current knowledge on geomorphology, morphometry, chemistry, community structure and function. It emphasises throughout the value of these near-pristine ecosystems as barometers of climate change, showing how responsive and vulnerable they are to the indirect impacts of anthropogenic activity. Antarctic Lakes begins with an introduction to their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, providing a basis for understanding the subsequent detailed chapters on different lake types, and ends with a chapter considering the application of new technologies to polar limnology as well as identifying future research directions. This accessible text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in Antarctic and polar limnology, and will also be of broad interest to researchers working in the areas of polar science, microbial ecology (and extremophiles), climatology, glaciology, and astrobiology.

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that chemical interactions play a fundamental role in aquatic habitats and have far-reaching evolutionary and ecological consequences. A plethora of studies have shown that aquatic organisms from most taxa and functional groups respond to minute concentrations of chemical substances released by other organisms. However, our knowledge of this "chemical network" is still negligible. Chemical interactions can be divided into two larger sub-areas based on the function of the chemical substance. First, there are interactions where chemical substances are toxic to other organisms and are used as a defence against consumers (including both herbivores and predators) or a weapon against competitors (allelopathy). Second, chemical substances may be used as a source for information of the environment; for example: how can I find the optimal habitat, the best food, the nicest partner, and avoid being eaten? Aquatic organisms are able to detect and respond to extremely low concentrations of chemical cues to answer all these questions. The book aims at connecting these intriguing chemical interactions with traditional knowledge of organism interactions. Chemical Ecology of Aquatic Systems covers a wide range of studies, both plant and animal, from different geographic regions and habitats - pelagic as well as benthic. Most of the chemical interactions are similar in freshwater and marine habitats and this book therefore strives at integrating work on both systems.

This volume provides a current synthesis of theoretical and empirical food web research. Whether they are binary systems or weighted networks, food webs are of particular interest to ecologists in providing a macroscopic view of ecosystems. They describe interactions between species and their environment, and subsequent advances in the understanding of their structure, function, and dynamics are of vital importance to ecosystem management and conservation. Aquatic Food Webs provides a synthesis of the current issues in food web theory and its applications, covering issues of structure, function, scaling, complexity, and stability in the contexts of conservation, fisheries, and climate. Although the focus of this volume is upon aquatic food webs (where many of the recent advances have been made), any ecologist with an interest in food web theory and its applications will find the issues addressed in this book of value and use. This advanced textbook is suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers in community, ecosystem, and theoretical ecology, in aquatic ecology, and in conservation biology.