Mediterranean Marine Avifauna

May I first congratulate, inconditionally, the Association MEDMARAVIS for organizing this symposium and for inviting me re presenting the Sardinian Ministry of the Environment. I would like to assert that such initiatives help a great deal and in a concrete way, Heads of government departments in charge of land use and natural resources. At this first symposium of the Mediterranean Marine Avifau na I must congratulate the scientific faculty for proposing such an ample spectrum of high quality papers dealing with diverse parts of the Mediterranean and beyond. I am sure that their con tributions will further scientific research, will help to pro tect our environment and will lead, more especially, to the ma nagement and conservation of seabirds. To know in order to manage has often been said at this sym posium. In fact, it is not possible to manage thoughtfully and rationally the natural resources without knowing more profound ly how they function. This reasoning is also valid on a more ge neral scale: regional planning of human activities should not disregard the evaluation of the ecosystem.

May I first congratulate, inconditionally, the Association MEDMARAVIS for organizing this symposium and for inviting me re presenting the Sardinian Ministry of the Environment. I would like to assert that such initiatives help a great deal and in a concrete way, Heads of government departments in charge of land use and natural resources. At this first symposium of the Mediterranean Marine Avifau na I must congratulate the scientific faculty for proposing such an ample spectrum of high quality papers dealing with diverse parts of the Mediterranean and beyond. I am sure that their con tributions will further scientific research, will help to pro tect our environment and will lead, more especially, to the ma nagement and conservation of seabirds. To know in order to manage has often been said at this sym posium. In fact, it is not possible to manage thoughtfully and rationally the natural resources without knowing more profound ly how they function. This reasoning is also valid on a more ge neral scale: regional planning of human activities should not disregard the evaluation of the ecosystem.

Algal systematists, geologists and evolutionary biologists provide a synthesis of the evolutionary biogeography of red, brown, and green algae of the North Atlantic Ocean also considering their relationships with species and genera in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans as well as other subtropical and tropical seas. The history of the Atlantic Basin and its connections to other ocean basins is treated from the geological, paleontological and paleoclimatic perspective. This is contrasted with biogeographic analyses of marine animal systems and the role of plant/animal interactions in evolution. Some of the approaches include traditional systematic studies, cladistic analysis, the experimental evaluation of environment in establishing distribution limits and the application of molecular biology.

In the summer of 1988, under NATO sponsorship, approximately 80 scientists lived and worked together in Plymouth for two weeks to evaluate the ecological role of protozoa in the sea. Through the convivial surroundings, close working conditions and special facilities that had been brought together for NATO ASI 604/87 a 'melting pot' of ideas was formed, which stimulated the multidisciplinary creativity which is expressed in this book and in a second series of papers which will be published in Marine Microbial Food Webs under the title - "Protozoa and their Role in Marine Microbial Food Webs". Discussions of the role of protozoa in the microbial food web, in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen and the extent to which this web acts as a link or sink to metazoa in the water column were major themes of the ASI. Structured sessions covering oral and poster presentations, field work, model 1 ing, laboratory practicals and demonstrations of techniques such as image analysis and flow cytometry, formed the core of the meeting. Participants took part enthusiastically in the practical sessions developing new concepts and obtaining new insights into their work. The practicals included a 'protozoo' and some beautiful films and videos. Field excursions were made to a range of sites including a unique marine sewage farm at Looe in Cornwall, (Jones this volume). Interactive workshops allowed scientists with no modelling experience to input their results to three simulation models and a flow analysis package.

This new volume from the SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) Special Publications Series examines the phenomenon of persistent pollutants in the seas and oceans. Unlike the highly visible and obvious effects caused by oil, certain chemicals have unseen but long-term and far-reaching effects on the marine ecosystem. They often have long half-lives, are carried great distances and pass easily through the food chain from prey to predator. The behaviour and effects of these persistent pollutants on each type of marine animal (invertebrates, vertebrates, fish, mammals and fish-eating birds) are described. A final overview draws the observations and conclusions together presenting a work that provides a foundation for understanding the behaviour of persistent pollutants in the marine environment.

This authoritative title is the definitive avifauna covering the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian Peninsula is one of Europe's most ornithologically varied regions offering a host of regional specialities. It includes famous birding hotspots such as the Coto Donaña wetlands, mountainous areas such as the Picos de Europa and the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean cork and holm oak forests of the southwest, the migration crossroads of the Strait of Gibraltar and the steppe-like plains of Extremadura and Alentejo. Large numbers of birders from around Europe visit the region to see this wealth of winged wildlife, but to date there has been no comprehensive regional avifauna in English. Birds of the Iberian Peninsula is a national avifauna that fills this gap in the ornithological literature. Full-colour throughout, the book begins with authoritative introductory chapters covering subjects such as geography, climate, habitats, the history of Iberian ornithology and the composition of the avifauna. The species accounts then cover every species recorded in mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra, including the many vagrants. For each species there is detailed treatment of distribution – with maps of breeding and wintering ranges – habitat selection, population trends, historical and current status, migration and conservation.

This book is about all aspects of man’s contact with the animal world; sacrifice, sacred animals, diet, domestication, in short, from the sublime to the mundane. Chapters on art, literature, religion and animal husbandry provide the reader with a complete picture of the complex relationships between the peoples of the Ancient Near East and (their) animals. A reference guide and key to the menagerie of the Ancient Near East, with ample original illustrations.

The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin which experienced different natural and anthropogenic phenomena causes of community or intra-species changes over time. The Mediterranean Sea went through dramatic changes in its biota through the last 6 million years and more quickly in the recent century. All the events left a footprint on the gene pool of marine species, on their morpho-anatomical features, and on the loss or expansion of the geographical range extent. Nowadays the Mediterranean basin is changing its physical and ecological characteristics. The changes in its environmental conditions are followed by changes in its species composition and have been recorded in historical museum collections. In this book, the biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea is described at a synchronic or diachronic level, highlighting the past two centuries for which museum collections can provide overlooked information.