The Biogeography of the Australian North West Shelf provides the first assembly of existing information of the North West Shelf in terms of geological, oceanographic and climatological history and current understanding of such issues as biodiversity, connectivity, larval dispersal and speciation in the sea that determine the distribution patterns of its invertebrate fauna. It is intended as a source of information and ideas on the biota of the shelf and its evolutionary origins and affinities and the environmental drivers of species' ecology and distribution and ecosystem function. Regulators and industry environmental managers worldwide, but especially on the resource-rich North West Shelf, are faced with having to make decisions without adequate information or understanding of conservation values or the factors that drive ecosystem processes and resilience in the face of increasing anthropogenic and natural change. This book will provide a resource of information and ideas and extensive references to issues of primary concern. It will provide a big-picture narrative, putting the marine biota into a geological, evolutionary, and regional biodiversity context. - The first book to cover the major benthic habitats and physical and ecological condition of the North West Shelf of Australia - Covers new information on geomorphology and biota of coral reefs and other invertebrate habitats that are key species and functional groups of the North West Shelf - Introduces new ideas on biogeographic processes and patterns in tropical seas

Ecology of Australian Temperate Reefs presents the current state of knowledge of the ecology of important elements of southern Australian sub-tidal reef flora and fauna, and the underlying ecological principles. Preliminary chapters describe the geological origin, oceanography and biogeography of southern Australia, including the transitional temperate regions toward the Abrolhos Islands in the west and to Sydney in the east. The book then explains the origin and evolution of the flora and fauna at geological time scales as Australia separated from Antarctica; the oceanography of the region, including principal currents, and interactions with on-shelf waters; and the ecology of particular species or species groups at different trophic levels, starting with algae, then the ecological principles on which communities are organised. Finally, conservation and management issues are discussed. Ecology of Australian Temperate Reefs is well illustrated with line drawings, figures and colour photographs showing the many species covered, and will be a much valued reference for biologists, undergraduates, and those interested and concerned with reef life and its natural history. 2014 Whitley Award Commendation for Marine Ecology.

Mollusks have been important to humans since our earliest days. Initially, when humans were primarily interested in what they could eat or use, mollusks were important as food, ornaments, and materials for tools. Over the centuries, as human knowledge branched out and individuals started to study the world around them, mollusks were important subjects for learning how things worked. In this volume, the editors and contributors have brought together a broad range of topics within the field of malacology. It is our expectation that these topics will be of interest and use to amateur and professional malacologists.