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Two-thirds of this planet is covered by water inhabited by an incredible variety of living organisms, ranging in size from microbe to whale, and in abundance from scarce to uncountable. Whales and dolphins must surface to breathe, and some fishes occupy surface waters and can easily be seen from boats or shore, but most of the marine bio-profusion is hidden from human eyes, often under thousands of feet and millions of tons of water, which is usually cold, dark, and utterly inhospitable to human...

How often have you visited the seashore and wished you knew more about the diverse and alien wildlife found on the UK's coastline? There are incredible stories to discover about our coastal species so if the tantalising glimpses you've caught of this semi-aquatic environment between the tides has left you curious to learn more the RSPB Handbook of the Seashore is for you. It will help you to easily identify and learn about the life cycles and anatomy of the species you discover, and features...

The third edition of this highly successful textbook has now been considerably expanded and updated. Ideal for undergraduate students studying oceanography , it comprises a selection of articles, all written by internationaly renowned ocean scientists. Chapters cover all aspects of the subject including ocean resources, the law of the sea, migration of specific marine creatures, global warming, the consequences of oil spills, and other environmental management issues.

The blue economy is a widely used concept in policy circles; however, people across a wide spectrum have a peripheral understanding of the phenomenon. At the moment, there are several conflicting understandings of the blue economy but no universally accepted definition and veritable measures. Considering the existential importance of the blue economy for the protection of marine environments and sustainability of businesses, there is an urgent need for rigorous conceptual, policy-focused, theore...

The world-famous science and science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke spent two adventurous years exploring the Great Barrier Reef, the mightiest coral formation in the world. Illustrated with rare underwater photographs by Mike Wilson, here is a unique look into a region of mystery, of boundless beauty and danger-one of the most intriguing frontiers on our planet. - First trade paperback edition - New introduction by Arthur C. Clarke - The first in a trilogy of real-life underwater adventures, a...

Coral Reefs of the USA provides a complete overview of the present status of knowledge regarding all coral reef areas within the USA and its territories. It is written by the most experienced authorities in their fields and geographic areas. Stretching from the Caribbean to the western Pacific, the coral reefs of the USA span extensive geographic and biotic diversity, occur in a wide variety of geomorphological settings, and provide a representative cross-section of Holocene reef-building. This...

During the late 1960s and 1970s, massive herds of poisonous crown-of-thorns starfish suddenly began to infest coral reef communities around the world, leaving in their wake devastation comparable to a burnt-out rainforest. In What is Natural?, Jan Sapp both examines this ecological catastrophe and captures the intense debate among scientists about what caused the crisis, and how it should be handled. The crown-of-thorns story takes readers on tropical expeditions around the world, and into bot...

This is the result of an unprecedented effort among the world's largest environmental organizations, scientists, the business community, media, and international governments to address marine issues. It offers a broad strategy, with priorities and costs.

In a Perfect Ocean: The State of Fisheries and Ecosystems in the North Atlantic Ocean presents the first empirical assessment of the status of ecosystems in the North Atlantic. The authors analyze 14 large marine ecosystems, providing an indisputable picture of an ocean whose food webs have been dramatically altered, resulting in a phenomenon described by the authors as "fishing down the food web." The book: - provides a snapshot of the past health of the North Atlantic and compares it to its pr...

The United States is about to embark on the most thorough reconsideration of its ocean policy in more than three decades. With 1998 designated as the International Year of the Ocean by the United Nations, and with both the executive branch and the Congress currently working toward developing new approaches to formulating and implementing ocean policy, a comprehensive overview of key issues and concerns is essential.The Future of U.S. Ocean Policy provides such an overview, with an in-depth analy...