Marine Biology - Comparative Ecology of Planet Ocean

MARINE BIOLOGY
 
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 understand 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 it will also interest high-school students and marine enthusiasts (dive masters, tour guides) who wish to deepen their knowledge of marine biology.

List of 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
 
1.1 Introduction 3
 
1.2 Comparison Between Sea and Land 3
 
1.3 Fractal Complexity of Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems 6
 
2 The Seabed 13
 
2.1 Ocean Basins 13
 
2.2 Ocean Bottom: A (Mostly) Static Habitat of Ocean Life 15
 
2.3 Characteristics of Sediments 20
 
2.4 Boundary Layers and Their Characteristics 20
 
2.5 Sediment Movement 23
 
2.6 Characteristics of Hard Substrata 26
 
2.7 Characteristics of Soft Sediments 26
 
3 The Water Column 29
 
3.1 Properties and Characteristics of Seawater 29
 
3.2 An Ocean In Motion 44
 
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
 
4.1 Adaptations to Temperature 55
 
4.2 Adaptations to Low Oxygen Concentrations 60
 
4.3 Adaptation to Salinity 64
 
4.4 Adaptation to Pressure 68
 
4.5 Adaptations to Light 69
 
4.6 Adaptations to Nutrients 73
 
4.7 Electrical Conductivity Adaptations 74
 
4.8 Ectocrine Adaptations 74
 
4.9 Adaptations to Produce Sound and Communicate in Water 74
 
5 Adaptations in Marine Organisms II: Life in a Fluid Habitat 79
 
5.1 Adaptions to Life in the Water Column 79
 
6 Adaptations in Marine Organisms III: Benthic Biota between a Rock and a Soft Place 91
 
6.1 Adaptations to Life on the Seafloor 91
 
6.2 Support and Protection Structures 91
 
6.3 Adaptation to Waves and Energy 94
 
6.4 Feeding and Nutrition 95
 
6.5 Adaptation to Aerial Exposure 98
 
6.6 Adaptation to Extreme Temperatures and Potentially Toxic Chemicals 98
 
Part IIB Life in Seas and Oceans: Fundamentals of Marine Biology 101
 
7 Marine Biodiversity 103
 
7.1 Introduction 103
 
7.2 Origin and Evolution of Marine Life 103
 
7.3 Mechanisms of Marine Speciation 107
 
7.4 Quantifying Marine Organism Biodiversity 113
 
8 Biodiversity Patterns 125
 
8.1 Broad-Scale Biodiversity Patterns 125
 
8.2 Processes Controlling the Distribution of Marine Biodiversity 125
 
8.3 Marine Biogeography 128
 
8.4 Theories on Evolution and Maintenance of Biodiversity: The Deep-Sea as Examplar 136
 
9 Biodiversity of the Benthos 141
 
9.1 Introduction: Benthos and Plankton 141
 
9.2 Benthic Biota 141
 
9.3 Classification of Benthos Based on Size 144
 
Part IIC Life in Seas and Oceans: Fundamentals of Marine Biology 157
 
10 Ecology of Benthos 159
 
10.1 Ecology of the Benthos: From Microbes to Megafauna 159
 
10.2 Trophic Groups: Classification of Benthos Based on Diet 164
 
10.3 Comparison Between Hard and Soft Bottom Benthos 165
 
10.4 Ecology of Benthos Inhabiting Soft Bottoms 167
 
10.5 Changes in Benthos in Space and Time 170
 
10.6 Organization of Benthic Assemblages 171
 
10.7 Zonation of Benthic Organisms 172
 
11 Biodiversity of the Plankton 179
 
11.1 Introduction to the Plankton 179
 
11.2 Planktonic Organisms 180
 
11.3 Planktonic Classification Based on Water Column Distributions 181
 
11.4 Plankton Classification Based on Life Cycles 182
 
11.5 Plankton Size Classes 184
 
11.6 Abundance Comparisons Among Different Planktonic Components 197
 
12 Ecology of the Plankton 201
 
12.1 Plankt

About the author

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.
 
>150 papers and book chapters as well as one book. His research focuses on biodiversity, functioning, and conservation of seafloor ecosystems.

Summary

MARINE BIOLOGY

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 understand 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 it will also interest high-school students and marine enthusiasts (dive masters, tour guides) who wish to deepen their knowledge of marine biology.

Product details

• Authors: Roberto Danovaro, Roberto (Polytechnic University of March Danovaro, Danovaro Roberto, Paul Snelgrove, Snelgrove Paul
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 09.05.2024
• EAN: 9781394200078
• ISBN: 978-1-394-20007-8
• No. of pages: 720
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Ecology; Ökologie, Ozean, Life Sciences, Biowissenschaften, Naturschutzbiologie, Conservation Science, Allg. Aquakultur, Fischereiwesen u. Fischforschung, Aquaculture, Fisheries & Fish Science, Aquakultur, Fischereiwesen u. Fischforschung, Ökologie / Salzwasser, Marine Ecology