Description: Waters in Peril presents the most recent scientific evidence produced by internationally renowned ocean scientists on the current state of ocean ecosystems, globally. Covering over seventy percent of the earth's surface, the ocean is the world's largest common property resource, jointly owned by over six billion humans. It is the foundation for life on earth as we know it. The content ranges from the movement of essential nutrients in the sea to the loss of diversity as a consequence of overharvesting practices and habitat loss. Essential to the maintenance of complex ecosystems is the proper functioning of biogeochemical cycles within the oceans. Waters in Peril addresses this topic by detailing behavior of the essential nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, and discussing how these cycles are being altered so as to compromise the function of ocean ecosystems. Issues regarding how man-made activities are further altering the structure of oceanic systems are also discussed. In addition, the mechanism for and consequences of the loss of biodiversity are described, with issues such as overfishing, the invasion of exotic species, and the loss of ocean habitat being presented in such a way that the average reader can readily grasp the concepts. Rather than end on a negative `Doomsday' note, the final chapters provide recommendations and directions for solutions as to how to reverse these human-induced trends.
Description: The Antarctic represents the last of the world's still unexplored continents. Since 1985, Italy has sent 10 expeditions to this region, three of those have been exclusively devoted to research on the marine ecology of the Ross Sea region. This volume presents a global picture of this research. It includes contributions on water mass characteristics, particulate organic matter and nutrient utilization, and physiological aspects of primary production. Further topics are zooplankton, krill and top predator interactions in relation to physical and biological parameters, ecological features of coastal fish communities and the spatio-temporal variability of benthic biocenoses.
Description: Decades of overfishing, pollution and habitat degradation have significantly impacted the biological cycles of the Northeast Shelf ecosystem. Studies on the physical and biological dynamics of the Northeast Shelf ecosystem recognize the need to reduce stress on fish, water and benthic quality as critical to its long-term productivity and stability. This reference collects the results of multidisciplinary studies of the Northeast Shelf ecosystem. It also presents a scientific foundation for guiding the development of governing bodies to oversee sustainable management of marine ecosystems worldwide.
