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This fifth edition covers the basics of marine biology and takes a global, non-regional perspective to emphasize that the world's oceans and seas are an integrated system that cannot be understood by looking in any one person's own backyard. For many students this is a new perspective. One aspect of this global approach is the deliberate inclusion of examples from many different regions and ecosystems so that as many students as possible, not just in North America but around the world, will find something relevant to their local areas or places they have visited. This introductory, one-semester text is designed for non-majors.
List of contents
Part 1 Principles of Marine Science1 The Science of Marine Biology2 The Sea Floor3 Chemical and Physical Features of Seawater and the World OceanPart 2 Life in the Marine Environment4 Some Basics of Biology5 The Microbial World6 Multicellular Primary Producers: Seaweeds and Plants7 Marine Animals without a Backbone8 Marine Fishes9 Marine Reptiles, Birds, and MammalsPart 3 Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems10 An Introduction to Marine Ecology11 Between the Tides 12 Estuaries: Where Rivers Meet the Sea13 Life on the Continental Shelf14 Coral Reefs15 Life Near the Surface16 The Ocean DepthsPart 4 Humans and the Sea17 Resources from the Sea18 The Impact of Humans on the Marine Environment19 The Oceans and Human AffairsAppendix A Units of MeasurementAppendix B The World OceanAppendix C Major Coastal Communities of North America
About the author
Peter Castro a Professor of Biological Sciences at the California State Polytechnic University.
