Marine Ecology: Processes, Systems, and Impacts - Softcover

Kaiser, Michel; Attrill, Martin; Jennings, Simon; Thomas, David N; Barnes, David; Brierley, Andrew; Polunin, Nicholas; Raffaelli, David; Le B Williams, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 019924975X ISBN 13: 9780199249756

Publisher: OUP, 2005

Synopsis

The oceans cover a majority of the Earth's surface; they influence our climate, and provide a valuable source of food. Yet, despite its fundamental impact on our lives, many aspects of the marine environment remain a mystery to us: the deep sea contains habitats which we understand no better than the surface of other planets. Marine Ecology: Processes, Systems, and Impacts offers a carefully balanced, stimulating survey of marine ecology, introducing the key processes and systems from which the marine environment is formed, and the issues and challenges which surround its future conservation. Marine biology is a broad discipline, which examines both the organisms (fishes, plants etc.) which live in marine environments (marine zoology), and the interactions that occur between these organisms and their surrounding environment (marine ecology). In contrast, marine ecology, as a discipline, does not examine the biology of the organisms themselves, but focuses on how they interact DS at the level of individuals, populations, and communities, how marine ecosystems are maintained, and how these systems can be damaged by external influences, including human activity. Opening with an overview of those processes which are central to an understanding of marine ecology, the book goes on to explore the diverse systems from which the marine environment is composed, from estuaries to seabeds, the deep sea to polar regions. The final section examines those human activities that impact upon the marine environment - fisheries, aquaculture, pollution, and global warming - before considering the measures that can be taken to mitigate the adverse effects of man on this complex, fragile environment. The book draws on examples from around the globe to enliven the text and put key concepts and issues in a real world context. It incorporates many detailed case studies to add further levels of depth and insight, and striking illustrations, which include many colour images, to bring visual impact to the material presented. The importance of understanding and conserving the marine environment has never been more apparent. Marine Ecology: Processes, Systems, and Impacts is an essential resource for any student wishing to develop a well balanced, informed understanding of this fascinating subject. Online Resource Centre Features images from the book available to download to make lecture preparation easier, and a web link library of all web sites cited in the text for ease of access by students

About this title

Review:

This book is an original and well-integrated approach to the discipline, providing a fresh perspective to what is already a very popular scientific area. It breaks the traditional formats of previous textbooks and has put some careful thought into how to approach the subject from a more modern and realistic viewpoint. ... an excellent introductory text which students will find easy to assimilate and will stimulate their interest in marine ecology. (Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology)

Marine Ecology: Processes, Systems, and Impacts will be of interest to all whose research involves any aspect of aquatic photosynthesis and will be invaluable for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates entering this area. (Photosynthetica, 2006)

The text is sprinkled with discussions of bygone hypotheses or methods. Each discussion further impresses upon the reader science's fluid nature. Good! Texts of all levels should reinforce the idea that knowledge is dynamic. As science and scientists move away from the ivory tower and become more engaged in policy making, it is gratifying to see ecology texts such as this one with a heavy emphasis on environmental impacts; as it should be, fully 20% of the book is devoted to human imprints in the marine environment. (Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, Volume 15 (3), September 2006, p53-54)

This book is an excellent addition to the range of available marine ecology text books and has many advantages over its competitors, not least the fact that it is international in its covergae and not USA centered! I will certainly be using it as the main text book for basic marine biology courses from now on. (Chris L.J. Frid, University of Liverpool, in Environmental Conservation, Vol 33 (2), 2006)

I would thoroughly recommend the text to fellow marine scientists and educators as it provided me with some much needed revision of subjects I had picked up incorrectly in the past. A major strength of this work, and one that sets it apart from the approach adopted by older marine ecology textbooks, is the emphasis on human-induced impacts to the marine realm. This book will be of use to current practitioners and inform a new generation of marine scientists about major ways in which we are influencing the ecology of our seas. (Fish and Fisheries, Volume 7 Page 228 - September 2006)

About this edition

• Publisher: OUP
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 019924975X
• ISBN 13: 9780199249756
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 584