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.

Past efforts to colonize the environment and domesticate living species, coupled with scientific research, have resulted in the possession (but not always the real control) by humans of any available terrestrial space. However, oceans, which represent up to two thirds of the surface of the planet, had not been really approached until the middle of this century. As oceanographic science develops, the picture of a rich, diverse, complex and also, in many respects, specific marine life, is coming into view. In a broad sense, marine biotechnologies can be understood as the various means or techniques of managing marine living systems for the benefit of mankind. The first goal we have is for marine life to provide biomass for food. However, today it is not certain that a significant increase of total world fisheries' catches will be possible in the future. There are several ways to address this. First, we need to generate better, more complete, or different uses of the biomass actually fished. This is mainly a matter of upgrading fish and fish wastes. Second, we need to artificially grow the living species. This falls within the scope of cell cultivation and of aquaculture. Both approaches have to be appreciated si multaneously in terms of biology, ecology, and economy. In both approaches, profit improvements are linked to the introduction of biotechnological methods and to the use of biotechnological processes."

This book promotes better understanding and awareness of South Africa' significant water problems by describing the country's and especially the Upper Vaal River's water resources. It is a "go-to" book for students, professionals and regular citizens when information is required regarding the country's and more specifically the Upper Vaal River's freshwater resources. It highlights the major problems and risks which need to be addressed and give a realistic and true representation of the current water affairs.

Key Features: more information on macroalgae detailed description of biotic associations updated description of biomass cultivation systems coverage of different "omic" approaches and tools used in algal investigation an expanded and updated algae utilization chapter.

Since the limnological research on the man-made Brokopondo Reservoir in the 'sixties, numerous data have been collected on the ecology of Surinam rivers and swamps. This book is a compilation of these data: it is the first comprehensive survey of the aquatic ecology of one of the peripheral areas of Amazonia. The geomorphology of the country, situated on the Guyana Shield, is the main factor determining the limnological properties of rivers and creeks. This results in an overall picture that is quite different from Amazonia. The emphasis of The Ecosystems of Suriname is on the living aquatic resources, including aquatic and swamp vegetation, phyto and zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Although most of Suriname is still in a pristine state, the human impact on fresh waters is considerable in those areas of rapid economic development, emphasizing the necessity of conservation measures, specially tailored for aquatic ecosystems. The Ecosystems of Suriname is a valuable acquisition for all scientists, environmental managers and others interested in tropical aquatic ecology.

This volume provides essential information on the origin and evolution of Greek rivers, as well as their ecological and anthropogenic characteristics. The topics covered include geomythology, biogeography, hydrology, hydrobiology, hydrogeochemistry, geological and biogeochemical processes, anthropogenic pressures and ecological impacts, water management - both in the antiquity and today - and river restoration. The book is divided into four parts, the first of which explores the importance of rivers for ancient Greek civilization and the natural processes affecting their evolution during the Holocene. In the second part, the hydrological, hydrochemical and biological features of Greek rivers and the unique biogeographical characteristics that form the basis for their high biodiversity and endemism are highlighted, while the third part comprehensively discusses the impacts of environmental pollution on the structure and function of Greek river ecosystems. In turn, the final part describes the current socio-economic factors in Greece that are affecting established water management practices, the application of ecohydrological approaches in restoring fragmented rivers, and the lessons learned from restoring aquatic ecosystems in general as a paradigm for understanding and minimizing anthropogenic impacts on water resources, at the Mediterranean scale. Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students and environmental managers alike.

Advances in Marine Biology, Volume 76, the latest release in a series that has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 is well known for its contents and editing. This latest addition to the series includes updates on many topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Specialty areas for the series include marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all areas of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management, and molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas to tropical coral reefs.

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.

The oceans are our planet's most distinctive and imposing natural habitat. They cover 71 per cent of its surface; support a remarkably diverse and exquisitely adapted array of life forms, from microscopic viruses, bacteria, and plankton to the largest existing animals; and possess many of Earth's most significant, intriguing, and inaccessible ecosystems. In an era in which humans are significantly altering the global environment, the oceans are undergoing rapid and profound changes. The study of marine biology is thus taking on added importance and urgency as people struggle to understand and manage these changes to protect our marine ecosystems. Healthy oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe; stabilize our climate; create ecosystems that protect our coasts from storms; provide us with abundant food; and host diverse organisms that provide us with natural products for medicine and biotechnology. In this Very Short Introduction, marine biologist Philip Mladenov provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of marine biology, offering a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the unimaginably abundant microscopic organisms that drive the oceans' food web to the apex predators that we exploit for food; from polar ocean ecosystems to tropical coral reefs; and from the luxurious kelp beds of the coastal ocean to deep-ocean hydrothermal vents where life exists without the energy of the sun. Throughout the book he considers the human impacts on marine life including overfishing, plastic and nutrient pollution, the spread of exotic species, and ocean warming and acidification. He discusses the threats these pose to our welfare, and the actions required to put us on a path to a more sustainable relationship with our oceans so that they can be restored and protected for future generations. Mladenov concludes with a new chapter offering an inspiring vision for the future of our oceans in 2050 that can be realised if we are wise enough to accelerate actions already underway and be bold with implementing new approaches. The next decade will decide the state of the oceans that we leave behind for future generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Poole Harbour is protected and recognised, nationally and internationally, for its ecological importance. However, it has also been classified as polluted and eutrophic. These twin designations - protected yet polluted - exemplify the condition of many estuaries, making Poole Harbour an ideal subject for elucidating the circumstances behind this apparent paradox. The outcome of a conference entitled 'Spotlight on Poole Harbour: Environment & Economics' organised by the Poole Harbour Study Group, this book comprises four main parts. Part I, 'Background', provides a broad introduction to the harbour in terms of its pre-historical and historical significance for human communities and gives a conceptual overview of its modern character and uses. Part II, 'Ecology', contains chapters ranging from plankton to marine mammals. The subsequent parts focus on industries dependent on the biological and chemical 'ecological services' of the estuary: Part III, 'Fisheries', covers recreational and commercial fishing and aquaculture, examining economic value and key shellfish species. Part IV, 'Water Quality', addresses those industries that require the harbour to remediate various effluents, as well as some of the environmental consequences and noteworthy efforts to reduce such impacts. Part V, 'Conclusion', by the editors examines certain general shortcomings of environmental legislation and regulation manifest in the case of Poole Harbour. A central concern throughout is the question of sustainable development in coastal and marine contexts, making this wide-ranging study relevant well beyond the bounds of its primary geographical focus.

Cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish) are among the most intelligent invertebrates, with highly developed nervous systems which provide excellent model systems for investigating basic questions in neuroscience. Within the last five years, many of the powerful techniques of molecular biology and electrophysiology have been applied to cephalopods, with exciting results. In 32 chapters, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the functioning of the cephalopod nervous system, from the cellular level to their complex sensory systems, locomotion, learning, and social behavior. It will be of interest to both vertebrate and invertebrate neurobiologists, and by anyone interested in the basic principles that control neural function.

Since the advent of the electron microscope, there has been a dramatic increase in our understanding of the microalgae. With contributions from leading researchers from around the world, this book presents a completely up-to-date survey of the prymnesiophyte algae. Ubiquitous in their distribution--particularly as members of the marine phytoplankton--the prymnesiophyte algae has long been recognized for production of fish toxins and for its importance as geological markers via the preservation of their mineralized remains. But the Prymnesiophyta have achieved considerable notoriety in recent years not only because they have they been responsible for disastrous ichthyotoxic blooms in Scandinavian coastal waters, but because it now appears that their production of volatile sulphur compounds and calcifying mineralization may be adversely affecting our climate. This volume is the first book to bring together the scattered literature on this group and covers all the main aspects of Prymnesiophyte biology--including taxonomy, structure, ecology, biochemistry, origins, and evolution. Students and marine biologists studying algae, plankton, and ecology, as well as botanical microbiologists will want to read this important volume.

Marine hard bottoms feature some of the most spectacular and diverse biological communities on this planet. These not only contain a rich treasure of genetic, taxonomic and functional information but also deliver irreplaceable ecosystem services. At the same time, they are highly vulnerable and increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures. This volume has collected contributions by 50 scientists from numerous biogeographic regions, dealing with characteristics of hard bottom communities. Distributional patterns in space and time are described, followed by analyses of the intrinsic and extrinsic dynamics producing these patterns. A strong emphasis is placed on the ongoing changes occurring in the structure and diversity of these communities in response to spiralling environmental impacts, and on state-of-the-art countermeasures aiming to preserve these ecological treasures. Finally, various values of diversity are assessed, hopefully as an incentive for enhanced conservation efforts.

Marine Enzymes Biotechnology: Production and Industrial Applications, Part I, Production of Enzymes provides a huge treasure trove of information on marine organisms. Nowadays, marine organisms are good candidates for enzymes production and have been recognized as a rich source of biological molecules that are of potential interest to various industries. Marine enzymes such as amylases, carboxymethylcellulases, proteases, chitinases, keratinases, xylanases, agarases, lipases, peroxidase and tyrosinases are widely used in the industry for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, foods, beverages, and confectioneries, as well as in textile and leather processing, and in waste water treatment. The majority of the enzymes used in the industry are of microbial origin because microbial enzymes are relatively more stable than the corresponding enzymes derived from plants and animals.

Seaweed in Health and Disease Prevention presents the potential usage of seaweed, macroalgae, and their extracts for enhancing health and disease. The book explores the possibilities in a comprehensive way, including outlining how seaweed can be used as a source of macronutrients and micronutrients, as well as nutraceuticals. The commercial value of seaweed for human consumption is increasing year-over-year, and some countries harvest several million tons annually. This text lays out the properties and effects of seaweeds and their use in the food industry, offering a holistic view of the ability of seaweed to impact or effect angiogenesis, tumors, diabetes and glucose control, oxidative stress, fungal infections, inflammation and infection, the gut, and the liver.

Marine fungi play a major role in marine and mangrove ecosystems. Understanding how higher fungi with their spectrum of cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzymes degrade wood tissue, while labyrinthuloids and thraustochytrids further contribute to the dissolved organic matter entering the open ocean is essential to marine ecology. This work provides an overview of marine fungi including morphology and ultrastructure, phylogeny, biogeography and biodiversity. Increasingly, biotechnology is also turning to these organisms to develop new bioactive compounds and to address problems such as decomposition of materials in the ocean and bioremediation of oil spills. These potential applications of marine fungi are also treated. In the light of massive marine oil spills in the past years, the importance of understanding marine fungi and their role in the food chain cannot be underestimated.

Increasing amounts of various types of wastes and pollutants including nutrients enter the coastal waters via rivers, direct discharges from land drainage systems, diffuse land runoff, dumping and via the atmosphere. This has led to coastal eutrophication and in extreme cases to hypertrophication. Until recently, coastal eutrophication and the resulting effects on marine macrophytes were mainly treated as local short-term problems. However, the local nearshore problems developed into overall coastal and inshore phenomena, and recently we have been facing coastal eutrophication problems on a global scale.
This book is the first comprehensive document, systematically covering the entire coastline of Europe, on the effects of eutrophication on the marine benthic vegetation.

Humpback Dolphins (Sousa spp.): Current Status and Conservation, Part 2 is part of Advances in Marine Biology, a series that has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 - more than 50 years of outstanding coverage from a reference that is well known for its contents and editing. This latest addition to the series includes updates on many topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Specialty areas for the series include marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all corners of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management, and molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas to tropical coral reefs.

Lake Tanganyika, situated in the western rift system of East Africa, is the largest in volume of the African Great Lakes and the second deepest lake in the world. It is extremely ancient in comparison with most lakes. The aquatic flora and fauna are remarkable for their diversity and high degree of endemicity, as well as for the numbers of species and genera present. The lake has attracted international interest and much has been written about it. With its comprehensive bibliography, this book should provide a foundation of information that will be useful in further studies.

Seaweed Sustainability: Food and Non-Food Applications is the only evidence-based resource that offers an abundance of information on the applications of seaweed as a solution to meet an increasing global demand for sustainable food source. The book uncovers seaweed potential and describes the various sources of seaweed, the role of seaweeds as a sustainable source for human food and animal feeds, and the role of seaweed farming for sustainability. In addition to harvesting and processing information, the book discusses the benefits of seaweed in human nutrition and its nutraceutical properties.

This book brings together the latest information on the rapid advances and developments in the field of aquatic ecology. India is very rich in terms of biological diversity due to its wide range of habitats and climatic conditions. It is home to as much as 7 per cent of the world's animal species, although it only accounts for about 2 per cent of the total landmass. The present work on biodiversity, ecology and conservation of aquatic resources represents original research in the field of aquatic biodiversity, wetland ecology and its applications with reference to the country's aquatic resources. There are 19 chapters, each contributed by an expert in his/her particular field and offering novel approaches to various topics in the area of aquatic ecosystems.

This and the companion volume describe and illustrate more than 2000 species, form selected protozoans to fishes, found in the coastal waters of the British Isles and north-western Europe. They cover all benthic habitats, from the intertidal zone to approximately 30 metres depth, and also includes representatives of estuarine and supralittoral faunas. Each major animal group is briefly introduced, with notes on the morphology, biology, and ecology of representative species, together with suitable techniques for their collection and study. Short bibliographies list the most important specialist literature for each group. Identification is facilitated by dichotomous keys, first to families, and then to genera or species. Short diagnostic accounts are given for each family and higher taxon; descriptions of all species treated are followed by notes on their ecological and geographical distribution. All species are illustrated by line drawings, with related species grouped together to facilitate comparisons. The two volumes comprise the most comprehensive account of the marine fauna of British and adjacent waters ever produced. It is intended as a bench work for both the professional and amateur marine biologist, as well as for undergraduate and postgraduate students. It is essentially a practical work; taxonomic and synonymic detail is deliberately kept to a minimum, with emphasis given to identification procedures.

This and the companion volume describe and illustrate more than 2000 species, from selected protozoans to fishes, found in the coastal waters of the British Isles and north-western Europe. They cover all benthic habitats, from the intertidal zone to approximately 30 metres depth, and also include representatives of estuarine and supralittoral faunas. Each major animal group is briefly introduced, with notes on the morphology, biology, and ecology of representative species, together with suitable techniques for their collection and study. Short bibliographies list the most important specialist literature for each group. Identification is facilitated by dichotomous keys, first to families, and then to genera or species. Short diagnostic accounts are given for each family and higher taxon; descriptions of all species treated are followed by notes on their ecological and geographical distribution. All species are illustrated by line drawings, with related species grouped together to facilitate comparisons. The two volumes comprise the most comprehensive single account of the marine fauna of British and adjacent waters ever produced. It is intended as a bench work for both professional and amateur marine biologist, as well as for undergraduate and postgraduate students. It is essentially a practical work; taxonomic and synonmic detail is deliberately kept to a minimum, with emphasis given to identification procedures.

The series Advances in Marine Biology has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 - more than 50 years of outstanding coverage from a reference that is well known for its contents and editing. This latest addition to the series includes updates on many topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Specialty areas for the series include marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all areas of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management, and molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas to tropical coral reefs.