The Mediterranean Sea

This volume is an indispensable addition to the multidisciplinary coverage of the science of the Mediterranean Sea. The editors have gathered leading authorities from the fields of Marine Biology, Ecology, paleoclimatology, Chemical and Physical Oceanography, Zoology, Botany, Aquatic Photosynthesis, Socioeconomics, Mariculture, Mediterranean History and Science of Humanity. Beginning with the birth of the Mediterranean Sea and its myths. From coral to fish, an introduction is given to its major inhabitants of plants and animals past and present. The chapters illustrate how organisms interact as part of the structure and function of the Sea's main ecosystems. The rise of the Mediterranean as the cradle of the Western Civilization leads to a discourse on the status of human interaction with the sea. Accelerating global climate change, water warming, ocean acidification and sea level rise, and analyses of their effects on key organisms, entire ecosystems and human socioeconomics are given. Forecasting and predictions are presented taking into account different future scenarios from the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change). The volume is richly illustrated in color, with an extensive bibliography. A valuable addition to the limited literature in the field, offering up-to-date broad coverage merging science and humanities.​

The Mediterranean Sea is considered the most threatened sea on Earth. This book presents a scientific look at the past, present and future changes occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, this book also gives a background description of the geology, physical oceanography, marine chemistry and marine biology of the Mediterranean Sea. It provides an up-to-date summary of the human (anthropogenic) factors affecting the Mediterranean marine environment, as well as an estimate of the future of the Mediterranean Sea as related to local and global changes, with an emphasis on climate change.

This volume represents a practical survey of current understanding of chemical contamination of the Mediterranean Sea. Beginning with an overview of the general physical and socio-economic context, the author reviews the exploration of processes governing the fate of chemicals, assesses the budget of both inorganic and organic contaminants, and describes new tools for studying the impact of pollution on the Mediterranean.

This book has been published by Allenvi (French National Alliance for Environmental Research) to coincide with the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakesh. It is the outcome of work by academic researchers on both sides of the Mediterranean and provides a remarkable scientific review of the mechanisms of climate change and its impacts on the environment, the economy, health and Mediterranean societies. It will also be valuable in developing responses that draw on “scientific evidence” to address the issues of adaptation, resource conservation, solutions and risk prevention. Reflecting the full complexity of the Mediterranean environment, the book is a major scientific contribution to the climate issue, where various scientific considerations converge to break down the boundaries between disciplines.

A guide to the underwater life of the Mediterranean Sea, Europe's most popular dive location. It includes practical advice for divers, explains the complex meteorological mechanisms of the area, and has illustrated biological information on important species of fish.

Connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea has been for millennia the place where religions, economies, and political systems met, clashed, influenced and absorbed one another. In this brilliant and expansive book, David Abulafia offers a fresh perspective by focusing on the sea itself: its practical importance for transport and sustenance; its dynamic role in the rise and fall of empires; and the remarkable cast of characters-sailors, merchants, migrants, pirates, pilgrims-who have crossed and re-crossed it. Ranging from prehistory to the 21st century, The Great Sea is above all a history of human interaction. Interweaving major political and naval developments with the ebb and flow of trade, Abulafia explores how commercial competition in the Mediterranean created both rivalries and partnerships, with merchants acting as intermediaries between cultures, trading goods that were as exotic on one side of the sea as they were commonplace on the other. He stresses the remarkable ability of Mediterranean cultures to uphold the civilizing ideal of convivencia, "living together." Now available in paperback, The Great Sea is the definitive account of perhaps the most vibrant theater of human interaction in history.

The Physical Oceanography of the Arctic Mediterranean Sea describes the circulation and the processes in the Arctic Mediterranean, how our present knowledge has developed, and presents recent changes caused by a gradually warmer global climate. The Arctic Mediterranean Sea has been intensively studied in recent years, especially during the fourth International Polar Year, 2007–09, and we have become increasingly aware of the changes presently taking place. This book collects and presents newly acquired knowledge and sets it in perspective to previous studies. Authored by a world-renowned leader in the field, this book explores the role of this small but important sea in the global oceanic circulation and climate—a must-read for researchers and students in the fields of oceanography and climate science. Relates observed features to active processes and provides sufficient background information to understand the theoretical explanations Presents the Arctic Mediterranean Sea in the context of global ocean circulation and climate Presents a modern, comprehensive, and coherent treatment of Arctic (and subarctic) physical oceanography