This volume presents a reconstruction of the formation of the environmental conditions and biota in the present-day Baltic Sea area during the last glacial cycle and thereafter under the influence of extra-terrestrial, climatic and geological factors. Abiotic conditions in the contemporary Baltic Sea (water salinity, temperature, oxygen and light conditions, currents and other water movements) are characterized and in this background the natural regional system of the sea has been generated. Important issues are considered such as life forms in the Baltic and their dependence on the natural environment (both in the conditions of the relative stable environment and during the regime shifts), as well as anthropogenic influences and the basic differences between the areas of the World Ocean and the brackish Baltic Sea. This book also equips readers with basic principles of assessments and management of ecosystems and fish resources (including the long-term assessment and forecast on ecosystems and fish resources) and provides information on the structures of international collaboration developed in the Baltic Sea.

This unique richly-illustrated account of the landforms and geology of the world’s coasts, presented in a country-by-country (state-by-state) sequence, assembles a vast amount of data and images of an endangered and increasingly populated and developed landform. An international panel of 138 coastal experts provides information on “what is where” on each sector of coast, together with explanations of the landforms, their evolution and the changes taking place on them. As well as providing details on the coastal features of each country (state or county) the compendium can be used to determine the extent of particular features along the world’s coasts and to investigate comparisons and contrasts between various world regions. With more than 1440 color illustrations and photos, it is particularly useful as a source of information prior to researching or just visiting a sector of coast. References are provided to the current literature on coastal evolution and coastline changes.

The first symposium on sediment/freshwater interactions was held in Amsterdam, in 1976, and the second was held at Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in 1981. The third symposium was held at the University of Geneva, in 1984, and also included a num ber of contributions dealing with sediment/saltwater interactions. It is expected that future symposia of this series will retain this approach, and that the revised sympo sium title will remain the same for later proceedings of these meetings. Because of the large number of submissions in 1984, many were given as poster presentations. Extended abstracts of all contributions to the Geneva symposium appear in Interactions Between Sediments and Ubter (C. E. P. Consultants Ltd. , 26 Albany St. , Edinburgh, EHI 3QH, U. K. , 1984). Full-length papers appear only in the proceedings. The format of the third symposium was similar to its predecessors. The location provided a particularly good opportunity for attendance by European scientists, who represented about 81% of the participants. About 16% came from North America and 3% were from Southeast Asia and Australia. It is unfortunate that there were no contributors from either Africa or South America, or other parts of Asia. In all, 16 countries were represented at this symposium. In a continuing attempt to provide equal opportunities for attendance by scientists from other parts of the world, it is planned to hold the next symposium in Australia in 1987. Further information about the symposia series can be obtained from Dr. E. D.