The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is 344 400 square kilometres in size and is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This comprehensive guide describes the organisms and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the biological, chemical and physical processes that influence them. Contemporary pressing issues such as climate change, coral bleaching, coral disease and the challenges of coral reef fisheries are also discussed.

In addition, the book includes a field guide that will help people to identify the common animals and plants on the reef, then to delve into the book to learn more about the roles the biota play.

Beautifully illustrated and with contributions from thirty-three international experts, The Great Barrier Reef is a must-read for the interested reef tourist, student, researcher and manager. While it has an Australian focus, it can equally be used as a baseline text for most Indo-Pacific coral reefs.

One of the classic works of marine biology, a favorite for generations, has now been completely revised and expanded. "Between Pacific Tides" is a book for all who find the shore a place of excitement, wonder, and beauty, and an unsurpassed introductory text for both students and professionals.
This book describes the habits and habitats of the animals that live in one of the most prolific life zones of the world--the rocky shores and tide pools of the Pacific Coast of the United States. The intricate and fascinating life processes of these creatures are described with affectionate care. The animals are grouped according to their most characteristic habitat, whether rocky shore, sandy beach, mud flat, or wharf piling, and the authors discuss their life history, physiology, and community relations, and the influence of wave shock and shifting tide level.
Though the basic purpose and structure--and much of the text--of the book remain the same, content has been increased by about 20 percent; a multitude of changes and additios has been made in the text; the Annotated Systematic Index and General Bibliography have been updated and greatly expanded (now almost 2,300 entries); more than 200 new photographs and drawings have been incorporated; and an entirely new chapter has been added--a topical presentation of the several factors influencing distribution of organisms along the shore. This edition also includes John Steinbeck's Foreword to the 1948 edition.

Global warming is accelerating faster than the ability for natural repair, and environmental stresses are damaging ecosystems, all affecting physical and biological systems on Earth. A new Nasa-led study shows that human activity has caused climate changes resulting in permafrost thawing, acid rain, and lower productivity in lakes as well as increased emissions of greenhouse gases, including CO2, N20, CH4, CF3, and CFC. Marine plants play a vital role in maintaining the balance of marine environments, while serving as a source of food for humankind and important chemical compounds. Microalgae and seaweed have enormous potential for reducing global warming and climate change. During photosynthesis algae grow, draw CO2 from the atmosphere, release oxygen, and produce solar biofuel. Experts in the life of marine plant ecosystems in globally changing environments contributed chapters to this book. The target readers are phycologists, ecologists, atmospheric scholars, conservationists, environmentalists, and ecologically aware laymen.

In Chapter 1 the methodological principles of systemization and visualization of multidimensional ecological information for its operational dissemination among potential users are stated. Their realization results in creation of the geographic-and ecologic model of marine basin as an information base for diagnosis of the marine ecosystem state, estimation of consequences of economic activity, and modelling of its changes with the use of mathematical tools. In Chapter 2 the geographic-and-ecological aspects of mathematical modelling of marine ecosystems, the possibilities and peculiarities of the most adequate models, the Russian hydrodynamic model of oil spills "SPILLMOD" and hydroecological model of organogenic compound transformation in the sea, are investigated. In the following six Chapters the examples of practical realization of geographic-and-ecological (as information source) and mathematical (as computing apparatus) modelling at the investigations of specific ecological problems associated with consequences of natural hazards and economic activity on aquatory and within the whole Black Sea basin are given.

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"The author makes an eloquent plea for marine biodiversity conservation."-Library Journal "Harvell seems to channel the devotion that motivated the Blaschkas."-The Guardian Winner of the 2016 National Outdoor Book Award, Environment Category It started with a glass octopus. Dusty, broken, and all but forgotten, it caught Drew Harvell's eye. Fashioned in intricate detail by the father-son glassmaking team of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, the octopus belonged to a menagerie of unusual marine creatures that had been packed away for decades in a storage unit. More than 150 years earlier, the Blaschkas had been captivated by marine invertebrates and spun their likenesses into glass, documenting the life of oceans untouched by climate change and human impacts. Inspired by the Blaschkas' uncanny replicas, Harvell set out in search of their living counterparts. In A Sea of Glass, she recounts this journey of a lifetime, taking readers along as she dives beneath the ocean's surface to a rarely seen world, revealing the surprising and unusual biology of some of the most ancient animals on the tree of life. On the way, we glimpse a century of change in our ocean ecosystems and learn which of the living matches for the Blaschkas' creations are, indeed, as fragile as glass. Drew Harvell and the Blaschka menagerie are the subjects of the documentary Fragile Legacy, which won the Best Short Film award at the 2015 Blue Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit. Learn more about the film and check out the trailer here.

Estuaries and Wetlands are important coastal resources which are subject to a great deal of environmental stress. Dredging, construction, creation of intertidal wetlands, regulation of fresh water flow, and pollution are just a few of the activities which affect these coastal systems. The need to predict the effects of these perturbations upon ecosystem dynamics, particularly estuarine fisheries, as well as on physical effects, such as sedimentation and salt intrusion, is of paramount importance. Prediction requires the use of models, but no model is likely to be satisfactory unless fundamental physical, chemical, sedimentological, and biological processes are quantitatively understood, and the appropriate time and space scales known. With these considerations in mind, the Environmental Laboratory, U. S. Army Engineer Haterways Experiment Station, * Vicksburg, Mississippi, sponsored a workshop on "Estuarine and Wetland Processes and Water Quality Modeling" held in New Orleans, June 1979. The contents of this volume have been selected from the workshop papers. The resulting book, perhaps more than any other symposium proceed ings on estuaries and wetlands, attempts to review important pro cesses and place them in a modeling context. There is also a distinct applied tinge to a number of the contributions since some of the research studies were motivated by environmental assessments. The difference in title between this volume and the workshop re flects more accurately the contents of the published papers."

This environmental history of America's largest estuary provides insight into how and why its former productivity and abundant fisheries have declined. The concept of "shifting baselines"-changes in historical reference points used in environmental assessments-illuminates a foundational challenge when evaluating the health of ecosystems and seeking to restore degraded wildlife populations. In this important book, Victor S. Kennedy examines the problem of shifting baselines for one of the most productive aquatic resources in the world: the Chesapeake Bay. Kennedy explains that since the 1800s, when the Bay area was celebrated for its aquatic bounty, harvest baselines have shifted downward precipitously. Over the centuries, fishers and hunters, supported by an extensive infrastructure of boats, gear, and processing facilities, overexploited the region's fish, crustaceans, terrapin, and waterfowl, squandering a profound resource. Beginning with the colonial period and continuing through the twentieth century, Kennedy gathers an unparalleled collection of scientific resources and eyewitness reports by colonists, fishers, managers, scientists, and newspaper reporters to create a comprehensive examination of the Chesapeake's environmental history. Focusing on the relative productivity and health of its fisheries and wildlife and highlighting key species such as shad, oysters, and blue crab, Shifting Baselines in the Chesapeake Bay helps readers understand the remarkable extent of the Bay's natural resources in the past so that we can begin to understand what has changed since, and why. Such knowledge can help illustrate the Bay's potential fertility and stimulate efforts to restore this pivotal maritime system's ecological health and productivity.

Biodeterioration held April 20-23, 1981, at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. The symposium was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research to provide an organized forum for the discussion of progress in basic and applied research con cerning marine biodeterioration. The symposium was structured to cover interdisciplinary topics of interest both to the basic research community and the applied science and engineering communities. In each major topic area, a comprehensive overview paper summarizing highlights of the past two decades of research is followed by current technical papers concerning both basic and applied re search. Authors were urged to provide extensive refer ences, and their papers were subjected to external peer review. In some respects, the symposium was structured to pro vide a reference tool for the marine engineering com munity that would supplement the excellent monograph entitled "Marine Fouling and Its Prevention" prepared for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships in 1952 by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. While these proceedings can not begin to update that work, they can, by presenting the in research direction, recent workers in the field, changes ac and current references, give the interdisciplinary user cess to the current literature in key topic areas."

In its extraordinary debut, Safari, introduced the world to Photicular technology. The cheetah bounded, the African elephant flapped its ears and readers could not believe their eyes. Now the creators of Safari take their work a step further. Ocean offers not only a refinement of inventor Dan Kainen s Photicular technology, but a subject undulating creatures of the deep perfectly suited to the immersive visual pleasure of the process. Ocean is like being on a dive. Open the book, and the reader is swept into the magic of an underwater world, face-to-face with a floating Yellow-Banded Sweetlips; with a glow-in-the-dark Deep-Sea Anglerfish; with a Sea Horse swaying in balletic motion; with a Sand Tiger Shark gliding along the ocean floor, its gaze haunting, its hook-toothed mouth gulping open and closed. The text by Carol Kaufmann enchants with its descriptions of coral reefs; a journey on Alvin, the 17-ton submersible; and a meditation on our oceans. Then, for each creature, she writes a lively and informative essay, along with vital statistics size, habitat, range, diet, and more. The Photicular process uses an innovative lenticular technology, sliding lenses, and original four-color video imagery. The result is like a movie in your hands the dance of life in a book."

The widening interest in marine biology has led to the establishment of an increasing number of school and undergraduate courses in the subject. There are many books on various aspects of marine biology which students can read with advantage, but few that are suitable as introductory reading at the commencement of studies. This book has been compiled primarily as an aid for zoology students at the start of a special course on marine biology. The text is an introduction to the author's annual course for undergraduates. The aim has been a concise presentation of information and ideas over the general field of marine ecology, with guidance on the selection of more advanced reading. The sources of further information given at the end of each chapter have been chosen as far as possible from books and journals to which students should have reasonably easy access. These lists provide a selection of additional reading which starts at an elementary level and be comes more advanced as the course proceeds. Students entering the author's course are usually in their third under graduate year, and a general knowledge of the phyla is therefore assumed.

Marine biology has always played an important role in biological research, being at the origin of many key advances. To a certain extent, the influence of marine biology on the biological sciences was overshadowed over a period of several years by the remarkable advances that were made using powerful model organisms from terrestrial environments. This situation is now changing again, however, due primarily to spectacular developments in genomic methodologies that have significantly accelerated research in a broad spectrum of marine biology disciplines ranging from biodiversity to developmental biology to biotechnology. The data generated by marine genomics projects have had an impact on questions as diverse as understanding planetary geochemical cycles, the impact of climate change on marine fauna and flora, the functioning of marine ecosystems, the discovery of new organisms and novel biomolecules, and investigation of the evolution of animal developmental complexity. This book represents the first attempt to document how genomic technologies are revolutionising these diverse domains of marine biology. Each chapter of this book looks at how these technologies are being employed in a specific domain of marine research and provides a summary of the major results obtained to date. The book as a whole provides an overview of marine genomics as a discipline and represents an ideal starting point for exploring this rapidly developing domain.

This volume is based on the proceedings of a conference held at Florida State University in April, 1978. This conference was supported by the Florida State University Graduate Research Council, the Department of Biological Science (F. S. U. ), and the Center for Professional Development and Public Service. Particular recogni tion should be made of the efforts of Dr. Anne Thistle in the organization of the conference and the completion of this book. Julia K. White and Sheila Marrero produced the typescript. The principal objective of the conference was to assemble a group of marine scientists from diverse disciplines to discuss the state of marine ecology with particular attention to new research directions based on previous studies. Emphasis was placed on the integration of different research approaches and on the application of established procedures to various environmental problems. An effort was made to eliminate traditional disciplinary boundaries which often hinder our understanding of marine systems. There was generally wide latitude for review and speculation concerning such topics as physico-chemical processes, productivity and trophic interactions, population distribution and community structure, and natural or anthropogenic disturbance phenomena. Throughout, the usual miniaturization of the scope of discussion was subordinate to a frank appraisal of the present status of marine research. Although many introductory ecological texts stress the so called ecosystem approach, individual marine research projects seldom encompass this broad course. There is, in fact, a real need for system-wide studies at both the theoretical and applied levels."

free from any of the overtones that often constrain professional fisheries meetings. The present volume is the result. This volume aims to be useful as an appraisal of the state of the art by a mixed collection of insiders and outsiders. Most interestingly, I think, it aims (especially in the four group reports) to identify some of the major areas of unresolved controversy and some of the major questions yet unanswered. I see the book as essentially a tentative statement - often by several dissonant voices - about directions in which we may be heading; the book is emphatically not a canonical utterance on how to do things. It is intended to stimulate, not to codify. Following the usual Dahlem Workshop format, the discussions were organized under four themes. Although crisp demarcation is not possible, the first two themes broadly deal with biological aspects of the dynamics of single populations and the dynamics of systems with many species. The later two themes take up questions of management under uncertainty and multispecies management. In all this, the word "fish" is interpreted broadly to include such taxonomically varied beasts as whales, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, and squid, along with fish in a strictly zoological sense.

Our current knowledge of marine organisms and the factors affecting their ecology, distribution and evolution has been revolutionised by the use, in the last 20 years, of molecular population genetics tools. This book is the result of a meeting of world-leading experts, in Rio de Janeiro, where the state of the art of this field was reviewed. Topics covered include the molecular analysis of bio-invasions, the recent developments in marine biotechnology, the factors affecting levels of genetic variation and population structure in marine organisms and their application to conservation biology, fisheries and aquaculture. This is the first book dedicated to the genetic study of marine organisms. It will be very useful to biology students, scientists and anyone working or simply interested in areas such as marine biology, zoology, ecology, and population and molecular genetics.

This book covers the species attributed to the orders Cryptonemiales, Palmariales and Rhodymeniales. Each species description incorporates notes on ecology and distribution and is supported by one or more line illustrations. Keys to aid identification are also included. The synthesis of many years' research carried out by members of the British Phycological Society in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, London, this series of books covers all the British and the majority of northern Atlantic seaweeds.

Acknowledging the present inability to determine objectively the status and trends among estuarine ecosystems, the environmental research community has recently stepped up efforts to develop and evaluate meaningful estuarine indicators. This goal requires the effort of researchers from a broad spectrum of disciplines. In order to expedite this initiative, many of the world's leading estuarine scientists came together to present their views at the 2003 Estuarine Indicators Workshop. Derived from this conference of leading estuarine scientists, Estuarine Indicators presents the principles, concepts, practical use, and application of indicators in estuarine research and management practices. Topics include: the theory behind environmental indicators and their presumed attributes; the methods and protocols of indicator development and evaluation; a presentation of effective and ineffective indicator examples; and discussions of the future directions in research and management practices. This is an ideal reference for researchers, scientists, and students from any field dealing with estuaries and estuarine ecosystems. Its introductory-level chapters are accessible to novices and seasoned experts alike, and the applications and interpretation of research data suit the needs of environmental managers. This is a truly multidisciplinary, comprehensive compendium upon which future research will undoubtedly be built.

Without light there would be no life in the sea. Since the seas were the cradle for the evolution of all life forms, the theme of this book is central to our understanding of the interaction between living organisms and their environments. To express the breadth of research in this area, leading experts in topics as diverse as satellite imagery and molecular biology have contributed to this collection of essays on light and life in the sea, first published in 1990. Intended for all with an interest in the marine environment, this book aims to present the reader with a sampler of the exciting research that is underway and to provide an introduction to its broad compass.

Als Forschungsgegenstand der Natur-, Sozial-, Geisteswissenschaften wie auch der Medizin ist Wasser als Quelle des Lebens Thema dieses breit gefacherten, interdisziplinaren Werkes. Der Bogen spannt sich vom Wassermolekul als Baustein alles Lebendigen uber das Wasser im Wechsel der Jahreszeiten und der Aggregatzustande, als Zivilisationsgarant und seltenes Gut hin zum Wasser als spirituelle Quelle, religioeses Symbol, Medium und Metapher. Das Werk leistet einen thematischen Beitrag zu der von den Vereinten Nationen ausgerufenen Internationalen Aktionsdekade "Wasser fur das Leben".

For almost a century and a half, biologists have gone to the seashore to study life. The oceans contain rich biodiversity, and organisms at the intersection of sea and shore provide a plentiful sampling for research into a variety of questions at the laboratory bench: How does life develop and how does it function? How are organisms that look different related, and what role does the environment play? From the Stazione Zoologica in Naples to the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, the Amoy Station in China, or the Misaki Station in Japan, students and researchers at seaside research stations have long visited the ocean to investigate life at all stages of development and to convene discussions of biological discoveries. Exploring the history and current reasons for study by the sea, this book examines key people, institutions, research projects, organisms selected for study, and competing theories and interpretations of discoveries, and it considers different ways of understanding research, such as through research repertoires. A celebration of coastal marine research, Why Study Biology by the Sea? reveals why scientists have moved from the beach to the lab bench and back.

Siberia's Lake Baikal is one of nature's most magnificent creations, the largest and deepest body of fresh water in the world. And yet it is nearly unknown outside of Russia. In Sacred Sea--the first major journalistic examination of Baikal in English--veteran environmental writer Peter Thomson and his younger brother undertake a kind of pilgrimage, journeying 25,000 miles by land and sea to reach this extraordinary lake. At Baikal they find a place of sublime beauty, deep history, and immense natural power. But they also find ominous signs that this perfect eco-system--containing one-fifth of earth's fresh water and said to possess a mythical ability to cleanse itself--could yet succumb to the even more powerful forces of human hubris, carelessness, and ignorance. Ultimately, they help us see that despite its isolation, Baikal is connected to everything else on Earth, and that it will need the love and devotion of people around the world to protect it.

Alaska pollock is everywhere. If you're eating fish but you don't know what kind it is, it's almost certainly pollock. Prized for its generic fish taste, pollock masquerades as crab meat in california rolls and seafood salads, and it feeds millions as fish sticks in school cafeterias and Filet-O-Fish sandwiches at McDonald's. That ubiquity has made pollock the most lucrative fish harvest in America-the fishery in the United States alone has an annual value of over one billion dollars. But even as the money rolls in, pollock is in trouble: in the last few years, the pollock population has declined by more than half, and some scientists are predicting the fishery's eventual collapse. In Billion-Dollar Fish, Kevin M. Bailey combines his years of firsthand pollock research with a remarkable talent for storytelling to offer the first natural history of Alaska pollock. Crucial to understanding the pollock fishery, he shows, is recognizing what aspects of its natural history make pollock so very desirable to fish, while at the same time making it resilient, yet highly vulnerable to overfishing. Bailey delves into the science, politics, and economics surrounding Alaska pollock in the Bering Sea, detailing the development of the fishery, the various political machinations that have led to its current management, and, perhaps most important, its impending demise. He approaches his subject from multiple angles, bringing in the perspectives of fishermen, politicians, environmentalists, and biologists, and drawing on revealing interviews with players who range from Greenpeace activists to fishing industry lawyers. Seamlessly weaving the biology and ecology of pollock with the history and politics of the fishery, as well as Bailey's own often raucous tales about life at sea, Billion-Dollar Fish is a book for every person interested in the troubled relationship between fish and humans, from the depths of the sea to the dinner plate.

"The Biology of Sharks and Rays" is a comprehensive resource on the biological and physiological characteristics of the cartilaginous fishes: sharks, rays, and chimaeras. In sixteen chapters, organized by theme, A. Peter Klimley covers a broad spectrum of topics, including taxonomy, morphology, ecology, and physiology. For example, he explains the body design of sharks and why the ridged, tooth-like denticles that cover their entire bodies are present on only part of the rays' bodies and are absent from those of chimaeras. Another chapter explores the anatomy of the jaws and the role of the muscles and teeth in jaw extension, seizure, and handling of prey. The chapters are richly illustrated with pictures of sharks, diagrams of sensory organs, drawings of the body postures of sharks during threat and reproductive displays, and maps showing the extent of the species' foraging range and long-distance migrations. Each chapter commences with an anecdote from the author about his own personal experience with the topic, followed by thought-provoking questions and a list of recommended readings in the scientific literature. The book will be a useful textbook for advanced ichthyology students as well as an encyclopedic source for those seeking a greater understanding of these fascinating creatures.

The three main missions of any organism--growing, reproducing, and surviving--depend on encounters with food and mates, and on avoiding encounters with predators. Through natural selection, the behavior and ecology of plankton organisms have evolved to optimize these tasks. This book offers a mechanistic approach to the study of ocean ecology by exploring biological interactions in plankton at the individual level. The book focuses on encounter mechanisms, since the pace of life in the ocean intimately relates to the rate at which encounters happen.

Thomas Kiorboe examines the life and interactions of plankton organisms with the larger aim of understanding marine pelagic food webs. He looks at plankton ecology and behavior in the context of the organisms' immediate physical and chemical habitats. He shows that the nutrient uptake, feeding rates, motility patterns, signal transmissions, and perception of plankton are all constrained by nonintuitive interactions between organism biology and small-scale physical and chemical characteristics of the three-dimensional fluid environment.

Most of the book's chapters consist of a theoretical introduction followed by examples of how the theory might be applied to real-world problems. In the final chapters, mechanistic insights of individual-level processes help to describe broader population dynamics and pelagic food web structure and function."

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

Coral reefs are an important tourism resource for many coastal and island destinations and generate a range of benefits to their local communities, including as a food source, income from tourism, employment and recreational opportunities. However, coral reefs are under increasing threat from climate change and related impacts such as coral bleaching and ocean acidification. Other anthropogenic stresses include over-fishing, anchor damage, coastal development, agricultural run-off, sedimentation and coral mining. This book adopts a multidisciplinary approach to review these issues as they relate to the sustainable management of coral reef tourism destinations. It incorporates coral reef science, management, conservation and tourism perspectives and takes a global perspective of coral reef tourism issues covering many of the world's most significant coral reef destinations. These include the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef in Australia, the Red Sea, Pacific Islands, South East Asia, the Maldives, the Caribbean islands, Florida Keys and Brazil. Specific issues addressed include climate change, pollution threats, fishing, island tourism, scuba diving, marine wildlife, governance, sustainability, conservation and community resilience. The book also issues a call for more thoughtful development of coral reef experiences where the ecological needs of coral reefs are placed ahead of the economic desires of the tourism industry.