In this thoroughly updated third edition, the authors provide a series of carefully designed and tested field and laboratory exercises that represent the full scope of limnology. In using the text, students will gain a solid foundation in this complex, multidisciplinary field of ecology as they explore the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of standing and running waters. The book illustrates accepted standard methods as well as modern metabolic and experimental approaches and their research applications. Each exercise is preceded by an introductory section and concludes with questions for students as well as suggestions for further reading. As a textbook, this is a highly structured, concise presentation with a research-oriented approach that openly invites active participation by students.

Information requirements of measurement programmes; Sampling; Basic problems and aims of sampling; Time and frequency of sampling; Overall design of sampling programmes; Procedures for obtaining samples of waters; Preparation, transport, storage, and stability of samples; The nature and importance of errors in analytical results; Random error; Systematic error; Accuracy; Effects of errors on decision making; Need to estimate analytical errors; Estimation and control of the Bias of analytical results; Detailed consideration and assessment of individual sources of Bias; Assessment of the overall Bias of analytical results; Estimation and control of the precision of analytical results; Model of Random errors; Achievement of specified accuracy by a group of laboratories; Types of inter-laboratory studies; Reporting analytical results; Reporting results close to the lower concentration limit of an analytical system; The selection of analytical methods; General precautions in water-analysis laboratories; Analytical techniques; Automatic and on-line analysis; Computers in water analysis; The scope for computing in water analysis and related activities.

An introduction to the quantitative analysis of seawater, describing in detail biological and chemical techniques, which are considered to be amongst those most often used by biological oceanographers. The manual provides complete instructions for the addition of reagents and calculation of results with reference material for each method so that the original texts can be consulted if necessary. In general, the techniques require a minimum of prior professional training and methods needing very expensive equipment have been avoided.

Since the book first appeared in 1976, Methods of Seawater Analysis has found widespread acceptance as a reliable and detailed source of information. Its second extended and revised edition published in 1983 reflected the rapid pace of instrumental and methodological evolution in the preceding years. The development has lost nothing of its momentum, and many methods and procedures still suffering their teething troubles then have now matured into dependable tools for the analyst. This is especially evident for trace and ultra-trace analyses of organic and inorganic seawater constituents which have diversified considerably and now require more space for their description than before. Methods to determine volatile halocarbons, dimethyl sulphide, photosynthetic pigments and natural radioactive tracers have been added as well as applications of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and various electrochemical methods for trace metal analysis. Another method not previously described deals with the determination of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide as part of standardised procedures to describe the marine CO2 system.