This book is intended as a conceptual roadmap to show how some of the numerous pieces of complex coastal systems intersect and might interact under changing future environmental regimes. It is addressed to a non-technical but environmentally literate audience that includes the lay public, policy makers, planners, engineers and academics interested in the causes and consequences of global changes as they are likely to affect coastal systems. The book also outlines some strategies for anticipating and responding to the challenges that lie ahead. The purpose is not to offer a technical treatise on how to build better numerical models or to provide the cognoscenti with new scientific details or theories. Quite on the contrary the authors aim to provide a holistic, easy-accessible overview of coastal systems and therefore use a writing style that is non-technical, nonmathematical and non-jargonized throughout. Wherever scientific terms are required to avoid ambiguity, a clear and simple definition is presented and those definitions are repeated in the glossary. The authors aim to communicate with all who care about the future of coastal environments. In Part 1, they present some underlying general "big picture" concepts that are applicable to coastal processes and coastal change worldwide. Part 2 reviews some of the more important physical, ecological and societal causes and outcomes of coastal change. A selection of case studies of some prominent and highly vulnerable coastal regions is presented in Part 3. Some strategies for facilitating and supporting collaboration among the global scientific community to enhance future coastal resilience are outlined in Part 4.

This volume describes and evaluates the major current research developments in the ocean sciences. Topics include advances in measuring ocean phenomena from space, in situ instruments, and the development of fully integrated observing systems that allow investigators to take environmental "snapshots" of areas that must be monitored in order to protect property and save lives. The authors emphasize that today's successful oceanographic programs rely on multidisciplinary, integrated, and task-organized teams of varying professionals, marine technicians, and oceanographers. Also discussed are the World Wide Web, distributed databases, and computer models that allow research and operational oceanographers to share information to build useful products and make new discoveries.

An invaluable reference, Encyclopedia of Marine Science explores the principal areas and issues of this core science discipline in more than 600 entries, 20 essays, and more than 200 black-and-white photographs and line illustrations. This comprehensive encyclopedia brings together information on marine science from its component and affiliate sciences, along with information on technology, commerce, business, society, history, and more. Detailed entries cover concepts, technologies, phenomena, organisms, treaties and legal issues, research stations, places and geographical features, vessels, experiments, marine sanctuaries, scientists and lawmakers, programmes, organisations, occupations and careers, and other subjects related to marine science. Spanning 1872 to the present, this resource concentrates on developments since World War II, including organisations, people, concepts, and laws of international or regional importance. Designed for high school and college students, Encyclopedia of Marine Science is extensively cross-referenced and indexed to increase its accessibility to students and teachers.