Providing a comprehensive account of marine conservation, this book examines human use and abuse of the world's seas and oceans and their marine life, and the various approaches to management and conservation. Healthy marine ecosystems – the goods and services that they provide – are of vital importance to human wellbeing. There is a pressing need for a global synthesis of marine conservation issues and approaches. Marine Conservation covers conservation issues pertinent to major groups of marine organisms, such as sharks, marine turtles, seabirds and marine mammals; key habitats, from estuaries, wetlands and coral reefs to the deep sea; and from local and regional to international initiatives in marine conservation. An ideal resource for students, researchers and conservation professionals, Marine Conservation pays appropriate attention to the underlying marine biology and oceanography and how human activities impact marine ecosystems, enabling the reader to fully understand the context of conservation action and its rationale.
Dedication
Preface
1. Marine environments
2. Human impacts
3. Conservation
4. Species conservation
5. Fishing
6. Fishes
7. Marine turtles
8. Seabirds
9. Marine mammals
10. Coastal waters
11. Estuaries and lagoons
12. Coastal wetlands
13. Coral reefs
14. The deep sea
15. Marine protected areas
16. The Mediterranean Sea
17. The Southern Ocean
18. Epilogue
Appendix 1. Abbreviations
Appendix 2. Species list
Appendix 3. Glossary
Keith Probert, now retired, was Associate Professor in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago, New Zealand, where he taught marine biology and ecology. His research has mainly concerned the ecology of sediment benthos, including the effects of human activities and the implications for marine conservation.