One hundred and fifteen sperm whales were involved in three mass stranding events during the month of February 1998 along the west and north-west coastlines of Tasmania, Australia. Three mass strandings of this species in such close temporal proximity have not been reported in this area before, and this is the first time that data have been comprehensively collected from complete or near-complete groups of sperm whales from Tasmanian waters. Aspects of the demographics, growth, diet, body condition and pollutant loads are investigated, providing valuable insights into the lives of these creatures and the evolution of life history traits in this species. This body of work provides essential information for the regional management of this species and more generally provides a unique insight into the lives of these amazing marine creatures.

Religion and the Culture of Print in Modern America explores how a variety of print media - religious tracts, newsletters, cartoons, pamphlets, self-help books, mass-market paperbacks, and editions of the Bible from the King James Version to contemporary Bible-zines - have shaped and been shaped by experiences of faith since the Civil War. Edited by Charles L. Cohen and Paul S. Boyer, whose comprehensive historical essays provide a broad overview to the topic, this book is the first on the history of religious print culture in modern America and a well-timed entry into the increasingly prominent contemporary debate over the role of religion in American public life.

There is now an increased awareness of the importance of polar regions in the Earth system, as well as their vulnerability to anthropogenic derived change, including of course global climate change. This new edition offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to polar ecology and has been thoroughly revised and updated throughout, providing expanded coverage of marine ecosystems and the impact of humans. It incorporates a detailed comparison of the Arctic and Antarctic systems, with a particular emphasis on the effects of climate change, and describes marine, freshwater, glacial, and terrestrial habitats. This breadth of coverage is unique in the polar biology literature.
As with other titles in the Biology of Habitats Series, particular emphasis is placed on the organisms that dominate these extreme environments although pollution, conservation and experimental aspects are also considered. This accessible text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in polar ecology, often as part of a wider marine biology degree program. It will also be of value and use to the many professional ecologists and conservation biologists requiring a concise overview of the topic.

Silicon is among the most abundant elements on earth. It plays a key but largely unappreciated role in many biogeochemical processes, including those that regulate climate and undergird marine food webs. "The Silicon Cycle" is the first book in more than 20 years to present a comprehensive overview of the silicon cycle and issues associated with it. The book summarizes the major outcomes of the project Land-Ocean Interactions: Silica Cycle, initiated by the Scientific Community on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). It tracks the pathway of silicon from land to sea and discusses its biotic and abiotic modifications in transit as well as its cycling in the coastal seas. Natural geological processes in combination with atmospheric and hydrological processes are discussed, as well as human perturbations of the natural controls of the silicon cycle.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

The aim of this book is to give a state-of-the-art presentation of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in lakes, rivers and marine areas, with a focus on the roles that SPM plays in aquatic ecosystems and on modelling. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first book of its kind, and this is remarkable because SPM is very important in aquatic sciences. It regulates the transport of all types of water pollutants in dissolved and particulate phases. It regulates water clarity and the depth of the photic zone, and, hence, also primary and secondary production. SPM regulates bacterioplankton production and biomass, and, thus, also mineralization, oxygen consumption and oxygen concentrations. SPM regulates sedimentation and the use of sediments as an historical archive, e.g. of water pollutants. These matters are discussed in this book, which also presents empirical and dynamical models for SPM based on the ecosystem perspective. The aim of these models is to structure existing knowledge on the factors regulating variations among and within aquatic systems of SPM in a rational and quantitative manner. This knowledge is fundamental for an understanding of the function and structure of aquatic systems. This book is intended as a textbook (mainly for Master's and Ph.D. students) in aquatic sciences, but it should also attract a considerable interest from researchers in limnology, marine ecology and environmental sciences, as well as from consultants and administrators interested in management and studies of aquatic systems. Dr. Lars Hkanson (Ph.D. in physical geography 1972, Uppsala University, Sweden) has been a professor in sedimentology (recent processes) at Uppsala University since 1992. He has been Chairman of IAEAs international aquatic program on Validation of Model Predictions (VAMP), 1988-1994, a member of the delegation for the land Foundation for the Future of the Baltic, 1989-1995 and Director of the International Association for Sediment Water Science (IASWS) 1981-1996. He was President of IASWS 1990-93. He is a member of the editorial boards of Environmental Geology and Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management. He was awarded The Linn and Alfort Prizes for 1979. Dr. Hkanson has published 450 scientific papers and reports, including 13 international textbooks, 21 books/theses in Swedish and 20 contributions in international monographs.

Silicon is among the most abundant elements on earth. It plays a key but largely unappreciated role in many biogeochemical processes, including those that regulate climate and undergird marine food webs. "The Silicon Cycle" is the first book in more than 20 years to present a comprehensive overview of the silicon cycle and issues associated with it. The book summarizes the major outcomes of the project Land-Ocean Interactions: Silica Cycle, initiated by the Scientific Community on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). It tracks the pathway of silicon from land to sea and discusses its biotic and abiotic modifications in transit as well as its cycling in the coastal seas. Natural geological processes in combination with atmospheric and hydrological processes are discussed, as well as human perturbations of the natural controls of the silicon cycle.

A concise but comprehensive introduction to the biology of standing waters (lakes and ponds). As with other books in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate freshwater environments. Management and conservation aspects are also considered. The first edition of the book published in 1998 with a second, revised edition in 2005. There has been significant development in the field since the last revision appeared, particularly in the ecology of lakes and ponds in subtropical and tropical areas, and a new revision of this now classic text is timely.

Annelids (the segmented worms) exist in a remarkably diverse range of mostly marine but also freshwater and terrestrial habitats, varying greatly in size and form. Annelida provides a fully updated and expanded taxonomic reference work which broadens the scope of the classic Polychaetes (OUP, 2001) to encompass wider groups including Clitellata (comprising more than a third of total annelid diversity), Sipuncula, and Thalassematidae (formerly Echiura). It reflects the enormous amount of research on these organisms that has burgeoned since the millennium, principally due to their use as model organisms to address wider and more general evolutionary and ecological questions. Beginning with a clear introduction to the phylum and an outline of annelid taxonomy, this authoritative text describes their collection, the methods to ensure their optimal preservation, and an overview of anatomy with its relevant terminology. The core of the work comprises 77 fully up-to-date taxonomic chapters, informed by anatomy and the latest molecular phylogenomic evidence and carefully organised based on a new, robust phylogenetic hypothesis. Lavishly illustrated throughout with hundreds of previously unpublished high-resolution colour images and SEM micrographs, the sheer beauty and diversity of the annelids is nowhere better presented. Annelida is the definitive reference work for annelid biologists, whilst being of interest to a broader audience of invertebrate zoologists, systematists, and organismal biologists.

Southern Africa's coast is the meeting place of two ocean giants - the Benguela current of the Atlantic Ocean and the Agulhas of the Indian Ocean. They clash fiercely at the continent's southern tip, dividing the region into two contrasting marine ecosystems that rank among the richest, most biologically diverse and oceanographically complex on the planet. The waters of the west coast are fed by the Benguela, a cold current that accounts for the enormous volume of marine life found here, while those of the east coast - warmed by the Agulhas current - are noted for their huge variety of life forms. Currents of Contrast - Life in Southern Africa's Two Oceans first introduces the realm of the Benguela, where you will encounter the ocean's ultimate predator, the great white shark. Here, the nutrient-rich waters wash over rocky reefs, and vast kelp forests thrive, providing food for diverse animals and plants, among them Cape clawless otters. In the realm of the Agulhas, you can explore the Knysna estuary and its most charismatic inhabitant, the Knysna seahorse. Follow the sardine run on the east coast and witness the suite of predators that feasts on this silver cornucopia.

This volume had its origin in a post-prandial discourse delivered in 1926 before the "Sette of Odd Volumes," and was intended to see the light as one of the Opuscula issued by that Society by and to its members. In the process of preparing that discourse, the author made discovery of a vast number of references to the subject in the works of early zoologists, botanists and thaumatogenists, constituting a veritable literature of the subject, and as the result, the present compilation ensued. Illustrated.

Color and Clarity of Natural Waters introduces the basic concepts of aquatic optics and explains the relationships of different optical characteristics to the composition of the water and color and clarity phenomena. This scientific understanding is the basis for management of the optical quality of waters. The practical management of color and clarity of natural waters is covered in depth with guidelines for the protection of optical water quality. Case studies illustrate concepts and management principles with practical examples such as the effects of waste discharge and of phytoplankton growth. The authors look to the future of optical water quality, identifying research needs in aquatic optics as applied to the practical problems of water management. Appendices define quantities, give measurement "recipes" and worked examples to help the reader in the practical management of optical water quality. Originally published in 1993, Color and Clarity of Natural Waters will be of interest to water quality professionals, water resource engineers and managers, government agencies, aquatic biologists, ecologists and students in environmental management and water and wastewater courses. R. J. (Rob) Davies-Colley is a Principal Scientist leading a group of researchers in the field of aquatic pollution at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in Hamilton, New Zealand. He has been a researcher in water quality and related fields at NIWA since 1977. He has lead various projects in the field of optical water quality and is the author of more than 70 refereed scientific papers in diverse areas of riparian ecology and water quality. W. N. (Bill) Vant is a senior water quality manager with Environment Waikato (a regional government body charged with environmental management) in Hamilton, New Zealand. He was a researcher with NIWA from 1980 to 1997. His scientific contributions include identification of research needs for lake management and research on estuarine water quality. D. G. (Dave) Smith is a deputy chief director with the New York Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply, Valhalla, New York and has responsibility for water quality investigations to ensure suitabilty and safety of supply waters. He worked as a scientist at NIWA from 1986 to 1996 with research contributions in the areas of water quality management and human perception of natural waters.

Preface l. Introduction 2. Marine Ecology 3. Management of Marine Environment 4. Marine Resources 5. Acquatic Environment 6. Marine Pollutants 7. Protection of Marine Environment 8. Convention on the High Seas 9. Helsinki Convention on the Protection of Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (1974) Index

Great Lakes Journey is a follow-up to William Ashworth's earlier book ""The Late, Great Lakes"", published in 1986. Fifteen years after his first trip, Ashworth journeys to many of the same places and talks to many of the same people to examine the changes that have taken place along the Great Lakes since the 1980s. It is a poetic account of his 6000-mile trip, mixed with explanations of the scientific and poilitical realities behind the observed changes, reminiscences of his 1983 trip, and conversations with local residents - some of them scientists, and other simply people who care. Through personal observations, research and numerous interviews with scientists, activists and government agencies, Ashworth creates a detailed picture of the status of the Great Lakes at the end of the 20th century. Among the most prominent changes he finds are the arrival of the zebra mussel and other exotic species, the rise and fall of the RAP process for pollution cleanup, a growing public mistrust of government action, a substantial loss of habitat and biodiversity, and an explosion of urban sprawl along the shores of the Lakes. Scholars and students of environmental studies and ecology and readers interested in the health of the Great Lakes should find this fresh look at one of America's endangered regions of value.

Microbial ecology is now recognized to be fundamental for understanding the natural world around us and is essential for examining life in the oceans. For the first time, this book brings together international experts to explore the incredibly diverse collection of microbes (and viruses) found in the oceans and to dissect many of the processes mediated by these microbes in aquatic environments. Although the oceans are emphasized, the organisms and processes discussed in the book occur in nearly all natural environments, including rivers and lakes.

Microbial Ecology of the Oceans reviews some basics of marine microbiology and provides a foundation for researchers and students new to the field while also examining several questions currently being discussed in modern microbial ecology. The book brings together concepts from autoecological studies of individual bacterial groups and from ecological studies of microbial assemblages in the oceans. In addition to drawing on the rich history of microbiology, Microbial Ecology of the Oceans uses the latest advances in biological and chemical oceanography and limnology to examine the role of marine microbes and viruses in the oceans.

Some of the topics covered by this informative book include:

• Microbial evolution, as revealed by molecular techniques
• Microbes in carbon budgets and cycles
• Viruses and grazers of bacteria
• Competition between bacteria and phytoplankton for limited nutrients
• Marine symbiosis

Microbial Ecology of the Oceans elucidates the role of microbes in food web dynamics and biogeochemical cycles in the ocean. It will prove to be an indispensable resource for students and researchers in biological and chemical oceanography, geochemistry, marine chemistry, freshwater ecology, and microbiology.

Also in this series:

• Biofilms II: Analysis, Process, and Applications
  James D. Bryers
• Extremophiles: Microbial Life in Extreme Environments
  Koki Horikoshi, William D. Grant
• Wastewater Microbiology, Second Edition
  Gabriel Bitton

"Moving, intelligent and, in the best sense, literary.... Stephen Harrigan is anchored in reality; he knows that the environment he's describing is in serious jeopardy. At the same time, he has made this book sparkle with his remarkable ability to discuss the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of underwater exploration without ever sounding saccharine or murky." -- New York Times Book Review "[Harrigan] tells us about the people who live on Grand Turk, or come there on business, and he is given to reflecting on the subtleties of the underwater experience, but his real virtue as a writer is his ability to convey, in precise, lucid, prose, the marvels of the sea bottom." -- New Yorker "Harrigan ...captures the peacefulness of being rocked by salty currents, the massive beauty of the reefs, the exhilaration of the sport, and the mental scramble to retain fast-fading memories of sights almost unimaginable on land. Fellow divers will relish his camaraderie, while those who prefer staying topside will feel as though they've taken the plunge themselves." -- Booklist

This evocative account of the months Stephen Harrigan spent diving on the coral reefs off Grand Turk Island in the Caribbean was originally published by Houghton Mifflin in 1992.

Many marine mammals communicate by emitting sounds that pass through water. Such sounds can be received across great distances and can influence the behavior of these undersea creatures. In the past few decades, the oceans have become increasingly noisy, as underwater sounds from propellers, sonars, and other human activities make it difficult for marine mammals to communicate. This book discusses, among many other topics, just how well marine mammals hear, how noisy the oceans have become, and what effects these new sounds have on marine mammals. The baseline of ambient noise, the sounds produced by machines and mammals, the sensitivity of marine mammal hearing, and the reactions of marine mammals are also examined.
An essential addition to any marine biologist's library, Marine Mammals and Noise will be especially appealing to marine mammalogists, researchers, policy makers and regulators, and marine biologists and oceanographers using sound in their research.

River systems involve a complex interaction of a rich diversity of microorganisms, plants and animals with their physical and chemical environment. Uniquely, the river habitat presents particular problems for organisms exposed to unidirectional currents, seasonal variation in flow, and disturbance due to pollution and other human interference. Drawing on chapters from the two volumes of The Rivers Handbook, this book describes river organisms - the taxa, their adaptations and ecologies, and their trophic interactions. After considering the principles, practice and problems associated with making reliable observations on river organisms, the final chapters investigate how river biota are impacted by human activity, and how in turn they can be used as indicators of these effects in river management. Aimed at final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students, the book will also be of interest to all those concerned with river conservation, including environmental scientists, river engineers and river managers.

From deep ocean trenches and the geographical poles to outer space, organisms can be found living in remarkably extreme conditions. This book provides a captivating account of these systems and their extraordinary inhabitants, 'extremophiles'. A diverse, multidisciplinary group of experts discuss responses and adaptations to change; biodiversity, bioenergetic processes, and biotic and abiotic interactions; polar environments; and life and habitability, including searching for biosignatures in the extraterrestrial environment. The editors emphasize that understanding these systems is important for increasing our knowledge and utilizing their potential, but this remains an understudied area. Given the threat to these environments and their biota caused by climate change and human impact, this timely book also addresses the urgency to document these systems. It will help graduate students and researchers in conservation, marine biology, evolutionary biology, environmental change and astrobiology better understand how life exists in these environments and their susceptibility or resilience to change.