Elements of Marine Ecology, fifth edition focuses on marine ecology as a coherent science, providing undergraduate students with an essential foundation of knowledge in the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. The text reflects ecological groupings such as the pelagic lifestyle vs. the benthic lifestyle. In addition, background oceanographic material, previously in various chapters, is consolidated in the first chapter. The broad definition of ecology is the study of organisms in relation to their surroundings. This book presents marine ecology as a coherent science, providing undergraduate students with an essential foundation of knowledge in the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to meet the needs of today's courses and now includes worldwide examples, all thoroughly updated with brand new chapters.
1. The physical structure of oceans
2. The seawater environment
3. Measuring, sampling and exploration
4. Organic production and cycling in the sea
5. Open water lifestyles: Marine plankton
6. Open water lifestyles: Marine nekton
7. Benthic living: The Seashore
8. Benthic living: sublittoral seabed
9. Human impacts 1: Sea Fisheries
10. Human impacts 2: problems, mitigation and conservation
Dr Frances Dipper is an author, lecturer and independent marine consultant and has spent a lifetime happily observing and studying marine organisms the world over. A naturalist at heart, she has always loved the sea and has a passion for writing books about the ocean both for adults and for children. This has culminated recently in her major work The Marine World: A Natural History of Ocean Life. Her Dorling Kindersley children’s book, Guide to the Oceans won the Royal Society Aventis Prize for junior Science Books in 2003. Although interested in anything that swims, slithers, glides, flaps or simply sways underwater, she has a particular love of fishes and as well as writing books about them, she runs marine fish identification courses for marine consultancies and for Seasearch, a recording project for volunteer sports divers.
Reviews of a previous edition:
"[...] it contains lots of useful and interesting information, which can be relied upon. The book covers all the oceans of the world and contains a comprehensive bibliography updated for the earlier editions. Recommended."
– Torpedo 28, Sept 1998 News Bulletin (British Marine Life Study Society)