Levinton's Marine Biology is highly acclaimed and regarded by many as the best, most authoritative text for the sophomore/junior/senior marine biology course. The text is characterized by its exceptionally clear and conversational writing style, comprehensive coverage, and sophisticated presentation featuring organismal and ecosystem ecology topics from an evolutionary perspective. Over the course of five editions, Jeff Levinton has balanced his organismal and ecological focus by including the latest developments from the world of molecular biology, global climate change, and oceanic processes.
1. Sounding the Deep: Marine Biology as a Discipline
2. The Oceanic Environment
3. Climate Oscillations and Climate Change
4. Ecological and Evolutionary Principles of Marine Biology
5. The Chemical and Physical Environment
6. Life in a Fluid Medium
7. Reproduction, Dispersal, and Migration
8. Plankton
9. Marine Vertebrates and Other Nekton
10. The Open Sea
11. Processes in the Water Column
12. Productivity, Food Webs, and Global Climate Change
13. Benthic Microorganisms, Seaweeds, and Sea Grasses
14. The Diversity of Benthic Marine Invertebrates
15. Benthic Life Habits
16. The Tidelands
17. The Shallow Coastal Subtidal
18. Benthos from the Continental Shelf to the Deep Sea
19. Polar Marine Biology
20. Biodiversity and Conservation of the Ocean
21. Fisheries and Food from the Sea
22. Environmental Impacts of Industrial Activities and Human Populations
Jeffrey S. Levinton is a distinguished professor of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook University (PhD Yale, 1971). His research focuses mainly on the population and community-level processes of marine-bottom species, including such important East Coast species as bivalves (like oysters) and fiddler crabs.
Reviews of previous editions:
"[O]verall, it is a great text and I have enjoyed using it for years. [...] The writing is exceptionally accessible in my opinion. The breadth of topics, that are critical to modern ecology is significant, even as I am hoping for more."
– Sarah Cohen, San Francisco State University
"This Marine Biology text's organismal focus is enhanced by including latest research and oceanic processes. The text has a conversational writing style and it serves as an educational tool for students at various levels of preparedness."
– Sabine Alshuth, Nova Southeastern University
"A comprehensive and logically organized marine biology textbook that would work well for a marine biology/ecology course that has a majority of natural science students enrolled. The textbook goes into good depth and detail, which is important for students to have a reference source and as an added perspective to lecture material presented. Research presented is associated with people and places, which will help students make a connection."
– Michael Berger, Washington State University
"Levinton does an excellent job in introducing fundamental concepts and then exploring them using recent scientific literature."
– Tara Duffy, Northeastern University
"Marine Biology been extremely useful in bridging the gap between students that lacked expertise in the marine field and gaining valuable insights to be successful in my classes. This is one of the few texts that has allowed me a more direct pathway for teaching students that have a limited background in the subject matter."
– Michael Franklin, California State University Northridge
"This text approaches the eclectic topic of marine biology as a combination of functional biology of organisms and ecology. Marine Biology, Fifth Edition, succeeds in covering the topic in a comprehensive manner, while neither oversimplifying it nor adding too many specialized details."
– Gail B. Hartnett, University of of New Haven
"Marine Biology is an effective teaching and learning treatise. This wonderfully illustrated book is comprehensive, has revealing coverage of specific sub-topics (Going Deeper) and current events (Hot Topics) on the oceans that make it both attractive and useful at the same time for both the teacher and the student."
– Bopi Biddanda, Grand Valley State University
"Marine Biology, Fifth Edition, is the only book right now that is suitable for majors and non-majors who want a rigorous introduction to marine biology."
– Erik Scully, Towson University