Endangered Oceans by
The incredible natural world around us is amazing. An equally amazing world exists beneath the sea. As we can see changes in our world due to our carbon footprint and other reasons, the same impact is felt in the oceanic world. This must-have collection of essays discusses the topic of Earth's endangered oceans. Through the use of carefully selected articles, pulled from a variety of sources, this text addresses what threatens the world's oceans, what ocean policies are best, and what strategies would best promote sustainable fishing. Readers will also evaluate what impact human activities have on marine life. Highly respected sources include the Natural Resources Defense Council, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Food and Water Watch, Ocean Conservancy, CompassOnline, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction by
Philip Mladenov provides a comprehensive overview of marine biology, providing a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the polar oceans to tropical coral reefs; and from the intertidal to the hydrothermal vents of the deep sea.
The Blue Compendium: From Knowledge to Action for a Sustainable Ocean Economy by
Home to over 80 percent of all life on Earth, the ocean is the world's largest carbon sink and a key source of food and economic security for billions of people. The relevance of the ocean for humanity's future is undisputed. However, the ocean's great potential to drive economic growth and equitable job creation, sustain healthy ecosystems, and mitigate climate change is not yet fully recognised. Lack of awareness of this potential as well as management and governance challenges pose impediments. Until these impediments are removed, ocean ecosystems will continue to be degraded and opportunities for people lost. A transition and a clear path to a thriving and vibrant relationship between humans and the ocean are urgently needed. This open access collection of papers and reports identifies a path that is inspired by science, energised by engaged people, and emboldened by visionary leaders. These assessments of knowledge are commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), which was established in September 2018 as a unique initiative led by heads of state and government from around the world, to showcase the latest leading-edge science, knowledge and state-of-the-art thinking on key ocean issues. Altogether, The Blue Compendium offers innovative ocean solutions in technology, policy, governance, and finance realms, that could help accelerate a transition to a more sustainable and prosperous relationship with the ocean. The comprehensive assessments have already informed policy making at the highest levels of government and motivated an impressive array of responsive and ambitious action across a growing network of leaders in business, finance and civil society.
The Tragedy of the Commodity : Oceans, fisheries, and aquaculture by
Winner of the 2017 Paul Sweezy Marxist Sociology Book Award from the American Sociological Association Although humans have long depended on oceans and aquatic ecosystems for sustenance and trade, only recently has human influence on these resources dramatically increased, transforming and undermining oceanic environments throughout the world. Marine ecosystems are in a crisis that is global in scope, rapid in pace, and colossal in scale. In The Tragedy of the Commodity, sociologists Stefano B. Longo, Rebecca Clausen, and Brett Clark explore the role human influence plays in this crisis, highlighting the social and economic forces that are at the heart of this looming ecological problem. In a critique of the classic theory "the tragedy of the commons" by ecologist Garrett Hardin, the authors move beyond simplistic explanations--such as unrestrained self-interest or population growth--to argue that it is the commodification of aquatic resources that leads to the depletion of fisheries and the development of environmentally suspect means of aquaculture. To illustrate this argument, the book features two fascinating case studies--the thousand-year history of the bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean and the massive Pacific salmon fishery. Longo, Clausen, and Clark describe how new fishing technologies, transformations in ships and storage capacities, and the expansion of seafood markets combined to alter radically and permanently these crucial ecosystems. In doing so, the authors underscore how the particular organization of social production contributes to ecological degradation and an increase in the pressures placed upon the ocean. The authors highlight the historical, political, economic, and cultural forces that shape how we interact with the larger biophysical world. A path-breaking analysis of overfishing, The Tragedy of the Commodity yields insight into issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change.
Plastics and the Ocean: Origin, Characterization, Fate, and Impacts by
An insightful and multidisciplinary exploration of plastic pollutants in the ocean environment In Plastics and the Ocean, renowned researcher Anthony L. Andrady delivers a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the sources, characterization, and environmental impacts of plastics in the ocean. The book focuses on macroplastics as well as micro-scale and nanoscale plastics and the human impacts of these that reach consumers via seafood. It also addresses the human behavioral aspects of the problem via discussions of the mismanagement of urban litter. A diverse collection of expert perspectives is arranged logically and guides the reader through this fast-evolving multi-disciplinary subject area. Beginning with an overview of the field, the book goes on to explore the importance of this area of research to related disciplines and to the everyday lives of consumers. This text offers engineers and scientists an up-to-date review of the subject and the state of the art as summarized by key researchers in the field. The book includes: A synthesis of leading voices in oceanography, biogeochemistry, industrial chemistry, ecotoxicology, polymer science, and behavioral science Discussions of the impacts of a range of marine plastics, including large debris, microplastics, and nanoplastics A summary of the abundance and impacts of plastics in various niches in the marine environment Descriptions of the current methodologies for sampling, detection, processing, and identification of plastic waste Plastics and the Ocean is an indispensable resource for professionals, researchers, instructors, and graduate students in polymer science, marine biology, and environmental engineering. It's also a must-read text for chemical engineers, materials scientists, and environmental engineers seeking a one-stop resource that describes the origins, occurrence, composition, environmental fate, and biological impacts of plastic pollutants in an ocean environment.
Coastal Change, Ocean Conservation and Resilient Communities by
This collection of essays and design case studies explores a range of ideas and best practices for adapting to dynamic waterfront conditions while incorporating nature conservation in urbanized coastal areas. The editors have curated a selection of works contributed by leading practitioners in the fields of coastal science, community resilience, habitat restoration, sustainable landscape architecture and floodplain management. By highlighting ocean-friendly innovations and strategies being applied in coastal cities today, this book illustrates ways to cohabit with many other species who share the waterfront with us, feed in salt marshes, bury their eggs on sandy beaches, fly south over cities along the Atlantic Flyway, or attach themselves to an oyster reef. This book responds to the need for inventive, practical, and straightforward ways to weather a changing climate while being responsible shoreline stewards.
Marine Ecosystems: Diversity and Functions Creator by
In a perspective of sustainable management, the balance between ecological dynamics, social and economic are now at the heart of ecological modeling and environmental strategies screenwriting. Diversity and marine ecosystems function illustrates biodiversity, habitat diversity, structures and food webs in various oceans of the world and systems: pelagic and benthic ecosystems, coral reefs and seagrass beds, oasis of hydrothermal vents ridges or areas rich upwelling. Appropriate observation methods, long-term monitoring and modeling reveal the complexity of systems, trophic interactions and spatiotemporal dynamics. The ecosystem approach is a prerequisite to assess the state of these systems, their living resources and ecological services involved in local and global environmental changes.
Coral Reefs: Majestic realms under the sea by
An eye-opening introduction to the complexity, wonder, and vital roles of coral reefs "Part memoir, part popular science, part call to action on climate change, the book makes a compelling case for why coral reefs deserve more attention. Sale's argument is as simple as it is powerful: as coral reefs go, so goes the rest of the planet." --Bryan P. Galligan, Commonweal When mass coral bleaching and die‑offs were first identified in the 1980s, and eventually linked to warming events, the scientific community was sure that such a dramatic and unambiguous signal would serve as a warning sign about the devastating effects of global warming. Instead, most people ignored that warning. Subsequent decades have witnessed yet more degradation. Reefs around the world have lost more than 50 percent of their living coral since the 1970s. In this book, distinguished marine ecologist Peter F. Sale imparts his passion for the unexpected beauty, complexity, and necessity of coral reefs. By placing reefs in the wider context of global climate change, Sale demonstrates how their decline is more than simply a one‑off environmental tragedy, but rather an existential warning to humanity. He offers a reframing of the enormous challenge humanity faces as a noble venture to steer the planet into safe waters that might even retain some coral reefs.
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