Marine Biology Comparative Ecology of Planet Ocean

About this book

Marine Biology: Comparative Ecology of Planet Ocean provides a learning tool to those who love the ocean to help them understand and learn about the life that populates it, the extraordinary adaptations of marine organisms to their environment, and the spectacular variety of marine life forms that inhabit the many marine habitats and contribute to the life support system of Planet Ocean.

The book introduces marine biology by seeing the ocean through the eyes of its inhabitants, describing the properties of sea water, the surface waters and its currents, and the characteristics of the seabed according to how marine organisms perceive, exploit, and shape them. This book explains to the reader and those who love the ocean not only how to recognize the most common marine organisms and habitats, from the coast to great depths, but it also explains their complex life cycles and the environmental factors controlling their distribution, reproduction, and growth. Finally, the book evaluates the role that living biota play in how different marine ecosystems function, in order to comprehend better their characteristics, peculiarities, and threats.

This book offers an up to date and comprehensive text on the study of marine biology, presenting insights into the methodologies scientists have adopted for the study of marine ecosystems. It also includes chapters about human impacts on marine biodiversity, from overfishing to climate change, from pollution (including microplastics), to alien-species invasions, from conservation of marine resources to the restoration of degraded marine habitats.

The authors developed this text for Bachelor and Master's level students taking classes on marine biology and marine ecology, but will also interest high-school students and marine enthusiasts (dive masters, tour guides) who wish to deepen their knowledge of marine biology.

Contents

Acknowledgments   xvii
Preface   xix
About the Companion Website   xxi

Part I The Ocean Domain: Introduction to Planet Ocean   1
1 The Life Aquatic   3
2 The Seabed   13
3 The Water Column   29

Part II Life in Seas and Oceans: Fundamentals of Marine Biology   53
4 General Adaptations in Marine Organisms I: From the Ocean Surface to the Seabed   55
5 Adaptations in Marine Organisms II: Life in a Fluid Habitat   79
6 Adaptations in Marine Organisms III: Benthic Biota between a Rock and a Soft Place   91

Part IIB Life in Seas and Oceans: Fundamentals of Marine Biology   101
7 Marine Biodiversity   103
8 Biodiversity Patterns   125
9 Biodiversity of the Benthos   141

Part IIC Life in Seas and Oceans: Fundamentals of Marine Biology   157
10 Ecology of Benthos   159
11 Biodiversity of the Plankton   179
12 Ecology of the Plankton   201

Part IID Life in Seas and Oceans: Fundamentals of Marine Biology   215
13 Biodiversity of the Nekton   217
14 Ecology of the Nekton   233
15 Life Cycles and Larval Ecology   261

Part III Comparative Marine Ecology: Habitat Types, Their Biodiversity, and Their Functioning   275
16 Ecosystem Functioning I: Primary and Secondary Production   277
17 Ecosystem Functioning II: Organic Matter Recycling   293
18 Interspecific Interactions and Trophic Cascades   313

Part IIIB Comparative Marine Ecology: Habitat Types, Their Biodiversity, and Their Functioning   341
19 Interspecific Interactions II: Negative Interactions   343
20 Intertidal Ecosystems and Lagoons   359
21 Subtidal Hard Substrata Ecosystems   391

Part IIIC Comparative Marine Ecology: Habitat Types, Their Biodiversity, and Their Functioning   431
22 Estuarine, Seagrass, and Sedimentary Habitats   433
23 Polar Ecosystems   455
24 Neritic Aquatic Ecosystems   485

Part IIID Comparative Marine Ecology: Habitat Types, Their Biodiversity, and Their Functioning   499
25 Deep-Sea Ecosystems along Continental Margins   501
26 Deep Ocean Basins   531
27 Oceanic Ecosystems   567

Part IV Human Impacts and Solutions for Planet Ocean: Applied Marine Biology   581
28 Human Impacts on Marine Ecosystems   583
29 Marine Biodiversity Conservation   603
30 Restoring Marine Habitats   619
31 How Far We Have Come: Past, Present, and Future Research on the Marine Biology of Planet Ocean   633

Glossary   649
Index   675

Customer Reviews

Biography

Roberto Danovaro is a Professor of Marine Ecology at the Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy. He is a Member of the EU Academy of Science and of the Academia Europaea (London). Editor in Chief of Marine Ecology (Wiley) and Chemistry & Ecology (T&F). Coordinator of several EU and international projects. Author of >500 scientific articles and 3 books, his research interests are focused on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and on the impact of climate change on deep-sea ecosystems. According to ExpertScape he has been the most influential World Scientist in the Category "Ocean and Seas" for the decade 2010-2020.

Paul Snelgrove is a Professor of Ocean Sciences and Biology at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. From 2008 to 2021 he led the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, a national research network that supported sustainable oceans. He currently plays the role of Associate Scientific Director of The Ocean Frontier Institute, which gathers researchers in Atlantic Canada and beyond to advance safe and sustainable ocean objectives. He has published >150 papers and book chapters as well as one book. His research focuses on biodiversity, functioning, and conservation of seafloor ecosystems.