For the inhabitants of many of the world's major cities and towns, estuaries provide their nearest glimpse of a natural habitat; a habitat which, despite the attempts of man to pollute it or reclaim it, has remained a fascinating insight into a natural world where energy is transformed from sunlight into plant material, and then through the steps of a food chain is converted into a rich food supply for birds and fish. The biologist has become interested in estuaries as areas in which to study the responses of animals and plants to severe environmental gradients. Gradients of salinity for example, and the problems of living in turbid water or a muddy substrate, prevent most animal species from the adjacent sea or rivers from entering estuaries. In spite of these problems, life in estuaries can be very abundant because estuarine mud is a rich food supply which can support a large number of animals with a large total weight and a high annual production. Indeed estuaries have been claimed to be among the most productive natural habitats in the world. When the first edition of this book appeared, biologists were beginning to realise that the estuarine ecosystem was an ideal habitat in which to observe the processes controlling biological productivity.

Estuaries are among the most biologically productive ecosystems on the planet--critical to the life cycles of fish, other aquatic animals, and the creatures which feed on them. Estuarine Ecology, Second Edition, covers the physical and chemical aspects of estuaries, the biology and ecology of key organisms, the flow of organic matter through estuaries, and human interactions, such as the environmental impact of fisheries on estuaries and the effects of global climate change on these important ecosystems. Authored by a team of world experts from the estuarine science community, this long-awaited, full-color edition includes new chapters covering phytoplankton, seagrasses, coastal marshes, mangroves, benthic algae, Integrated Coastal Zone Management techniques, and the effects of global climate change. It also features an entriely new section on estuarine ecosystem processes, trophic webs, ecosystem metabolism, and the interactions between estuaries and other ecosystems such as wetlands and marshes

For the inhabitants of many of the world's major towns and cities, estuaries provide their first and nearest glimpse of a natural habitat. Despite the attempts of man to pollute or reclaim it, the estuarine ecosystem continues to provide a fascinating insight into a natural world where energy is transformed from sunlight into plant material, and then through the steps of a food chain is converted into a rich food supply for birds and fish. The book provides a concise readable introduction to estuarine ecology. First published in 1981, it soon established itself as the principle textbook of choice in the UK & NW Europe. This new edition builds upon the strengths of the earlier editions but has been thoroughly revised throughout. The new co-author brings a human impact dimension to the revised book. It is written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students (particularly taught masters) who have had a general ecology course, but no further training in estuarine science. It will be useful to both professional researchers and practical managers in marine ecology and environmental science who seek a compact but comprehensive introduction to estuarine ecology.

Estuarine Ecohydrology focuses on the principal components of an estuary. The book demonstrates how one can quantify an estuarine ecosystem's ability to cope with human stresses. The theories, models, and real-world solutions covered will serve as a toolkit for designing a management plan for the ecologically sustainable development of an estuary. This book is organized into seven chapters dealing with topics such as estuarine water circulation; estuarine sediment dynamics; tidal wetlands; estuarine food webs; and ecohydrology models and solutions. Although each chapter contains rigorous specialist knowledge, it is presented in an accessible way that encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration between such fields as hydrology, ecology and mathematical modeling. Estuarine Ecohydrology is appropriate for use as a textbook and as a reference for researchers; advanced undergraduate and graduate students in marine biology, oceanography, coastal management, and coastal engineering; coastal developers; resources managers, shipping operators; and those involved in estuarine fisheries and sustainable development communities. * Appropriate for use as a textbook and as a reference* Focuses on the principal components of an estuary* Presents theories, models, and real-world solutions to serve as a toolkit for designing a management plan for the ecologically sustainable development of an estuary

This book provides recent environmental, ecological and hydrodynamic information for the major estuaries and the coastal marine systems of the Western Indian Ocean Region. It covers various functions and values of the region’s estuarine ecosystems and their respective habitats, including the land/ocean interactions that define and impact ecosystem services. The Western Indian Ocean region covered by this volume consists of the continental coastal states of Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania and the island states of Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros.

Estuarine Interactions is a compilation of papers presented at the Fourth International Estuarine Research Federation Conference, held at the Mount Airy Lodge, Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania in October 1977. The compendium consists of scientific investigations on the structure and functioning of estuaries and adjacent environments. This volume includes the written form of the invited papers that were part of eight sessions. Papers presented deal with topics on estuarine management needs, impacts of coastal engineered systems, and productivity and initial photosynthate dispersion in the ecosystem. Natural catastrophic events in the estuarine environment, the impact of possible climatic changes on estuarine ecosystems, and pollutant cycling and water quality are likewise discussed. Estuarine scientists will find the book invaluable.

The book presents recent research on marine ecology in different parts of the world. It aims to shed light on relevant topics for budding marine ecologists. The "blue soup" of Planet Earth, which comprises both biotic and abiotic components, is essential to keeping the wheel of civilization running. Four major ecosystem service categories have been identified within this context, namely provisioning services such as water, food, mangrove timber, honey, fish, wax, fuel wood, fodder and bioactive compounds from marine and estuarine flora and fauna; regulating services such as the regulation of climate, coastal erosion, coral bleaching and pollution; cultural services encompassing recreational (tourism), spiritual and other non-material benefits; and supporting services such as nutrient cycling and photosynthesis. These valuable services are obtained from various resources that must be conserved for the sake of humanity. This book presents data for each resource type, not just in the form of a simple description, but also through case studies that resulted from several research projects and pilot programs carried out in different parts of the world. Statistical tools were also used to critically analyze the influence of relevant hydrological parameters on the biotic community. Advanced research in marine and estuarine ecology is based on the use of sophisticated instruments, sampling precision, statistical tools, etc., which have also been highlighted in the book.