Ecology Of Australian Temperate Reefs

Describes the ecology of important elements of southern Australian sub-tidal reef flora and fauna, and the underlying ecological principles.

Most Australians live in the southern half of their vast continent and within striking distance of the coast. While great recreational and commercial use is made of the reefs that fringe this enormous coastline, our understanding of the reefs is only fragmentary. In this full colour guide to our reefs, leading marine biologists look at our current understanding of the ecology of subtidal reefs and their fisheries.

Australian Marine Habitats in Temperate Waters features the 10 major habitats found around the world's cooler coasts. In an easily understood way it summarises the most up-to-date knowledge of the ecological processes at work there. Ideal for students of marine biology, fishermen, divers, coastal managers and all those interested in understanding what is happening in Australia's Southern seas, this book is a companion volume to Australian Marine Life: The Plants and Animals of Temperate Waters.

Systematics, evolution and biogeography of species in coastal habitats - Planktonic processes - Genetics of marine populations - Rocky shores - Subtidal rocky reefs - Kelp beds - Seaweeds and other algae - Sandy beaches - Estuaries - Intertidal muddy shores - Mangrove forests - Mangroves - Saltmarshes - Marine birds and mammals - Fisheries and aquaculture - Waste disposal and environmental problems - Seagrass ______________

A guide to Australian marine life that describes 1200 of the most commonly seen plants and animals of temperate waters, including notes on their habitat and distribution, and more than 1300 full-colour photographs.

The largest seaweed, giant kelp (Macrocystis) is the fastest growing and most prolific of all plants found on earth. Growing from the seafloor and extending along the ocean surface in lush canopies, giant kelp provides an extensive vertical habitat in a largely two-dimensional seascape. It is the foundation for one of the most species-rich, productive, and widely distributed ecological communities in the world. Schiel and FosterÕs scholarly review and synthesisÊtake the reader from DarwinÕs early observations to contemporary research, providing a historical perspective for the modern understanding of giant kelp evolution, biogeography, biology, and physiology. The authors furnish a comprehensive discussion of kelp species and forest ecology worldwide, with considerations of human uses and abuses, management and conservation, and the current and likely future impacts of global change. This volume promises to be the definitive treatise and reference on giant kelp and its forests for many years, and it will appeal to marine scientists and others who want a better appreciation and understanding of these wondrous forests of the sea.