Pollution Impacts On Marine Biotic Communities

Pollution of estuaries and coastal marine waters is of profound ecological and societal importance. These coastal environments serve as critical habitat for a multitude of organisms and are of great commercial and recreational value to humans. Designed to meet the research, monitoring, and assessment needs of scientists, administrators, planners, and managers, Pollution Impacts on Marine Biotic Communities is a uniquely comprehensive reference covering pollution in coastal marine and estuarine waters. The book provides a detailed look at the short- and long-term impacts of pollutants on these ecologically important regions. Case studies that reflect a broad range of pollution problems are analyzed, outlining the real-life issues and providing solutions to common problems. Despite being highly sensitive systems, estuarine and coastal marine environments have served as repositories for dredge spoils, sewage sludge, and industrial and municipal effluents for many decades. The adverse effects of these pollutants are only now being fully realized and understood. Pollution Impacts on Marine Biotic Communities includes a basic introduction to the subject of pollution in estuarine and marine environments and also a detailed examination of specific marine pollutants. Both the coverage and the format - which includes abundant illustrations and tables - make this book a valuable reference for scientists, administrators, and students engaged in coastal research and planning.

Pollution of estuaries and coastal marine waters is of profound ecological and societal importance. These coastal environments serve as critical habitat for a multitude of organisms and are of great commercial and recreational value to humans. Designed to meet the research, monitoring, and assessment needs of scientists, administrators, planners, and managers, Pollution Impacts on Marine Biotic Communities is a uniquely comprehensive reference covering pollution in coastal marine and estuarine waters. The book provides a detailed look at the short- and long-term impacts of pollutants on these ecologically important regions. Case studies that reflect a broad range of pollution problems are analyzed, outlining the real-life issues and providing solutions to common problems. Despite being highly sensitive systems, estuarine and coastal marine environments have served as repositories for dredge spoils, sewage sludge, and industrial and municipal effluents for many decades. The adverse effects of these pollutants are only now being fully realized and understood. Pollution Impacts on Marine Biotic Communities includes a basic introduction to the subject of pollution in estuarine and marine environments and also a detailed examination of specific marine pollutants. Both the coverage and the format - which includes abundant illustrations and tables - make this book a valuable reference for scientists, administrators, and students engaged in coastal research and planning.

While oceans are vast, they represent a fragile resource that must be protected if we want to protect our livelihoods and our planet. Marine pollution has been a topic of concern for a long time, and it has recently attracted the attention of scientists, environmentalists, economists, politicians and journalists in mainstream media. Besides providing food, transportation routes and other resources, the oceans serve as a heat absorbing sink which offsets the extreme heating effects of climate change, but only to a limited degree. Pollution in marine environments such as the oceans, poses a threat to coastal communities by affecting the fauna and flora in the environment and the health of the nearby population. This has a disruptive effect on the health and economy of these communities. Marine Pollution: Current Status, Impacts and Remedies emphasizes the limitations of marine resources that relevant environments provide. Readers will find chapters on methods to assess pollution as well as important information for identifying, measuring, and remediating various pollutants. The book also covers some known pollutants (heavy metals, organic pollutants, microplastics) and ways to manage these substances. Other issues covered in the book include problems caused by invasive species, and the ecological problems caused by pollutants which affect local fauna and flora. This book will prove to be a useful resource for students, researchers, and policymakers, who are working in environmental science, marine conservation and allied fields. [Series Intro] Marine Ecology: Current and Future Developments brings forth contemporary issues in the study of marine environments. The scope of the series includes ecological, toxicological and biological aspects of the topic. Each volume of the series focuses on a broad theme, with reviews contributed by several experts in the field. The series is essential reading for environmental scientists, ecologists, conservationists and marine biologists.

This book provides an up-to-date account of the range of materials that constitute 'marine pollutants', their observed impacts, the management responses used to mitigate them, and the underlying science of how we measure their effects.

Ecology of Estuaries represents the most definitive and comprehensive source of reference information available on the human impact on estuarine ecosystems. The volume discusses both acute and insidious pollution problems plaguing these coastal ecotones. It also provides a detailed examination of the deleterious and pervasive effects of human activities on biotic communities and sensitive habitat areas in estuaries. Specific areas covered include organic loading, oil pollution, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, heavy metals, dredging and dredged-spoil disposal, radionuclides, as well as other contaminants and processes. The diverse components of these anthropogenic influences are assembled in an organized framework and presented in a clear and concise style that facilitates their understanding.

The ocean has absorbed a significant portion of all human-made carbon dioxide emissions. This benefits human society by moderating the rate of climate change, but also causes unprecedented changes to ocean chemistry. Carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean decreases the pH of the water and leads to a suite of chemical changes collectively known as ocean acidification. The long term consequences of ocean acidification are not known, but are expected to result in changes to many ecosystems and the services they provide to society. Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean reviews the current state of knowledge, explores gaps in understanding, and identifies several key findings. Like climate change, ocean acidification is a growing global problem that will intensify with continued CO2 emissions and has the potential to change marine ecosystems and affect benefits to society. The federal government has taken positive initial steps by developing a national ocean acidification program, but more information is needed to fully understand and address the threat that ocean acidification may pose to marine ecosystems and the services they provide. In addition, a global observation network of chemical and biological sensors is needed to monitor changes in ocean conditions attributable to acidification.