Seagrass community ecology: Marine Community Ecology

Marine Community Ecology and Conservation was written to give advanced undergraduate and graduate students a current overview of what is known about the structure, organization, and conservation of organism assemblages that live on the sea floor. It largely focuses on advancements over the past decade since the publication of Marine Community Ecology (2001). Each chapter is written by leading researchers to give students an up-to-date look at these communities, and what remains to be learned about them. The book is organized into three parts. The first part explores general processes that generate pattern in benthic communities. These introductory chapters examine how physical and biological forces interacting with historical and genetic constraints operate to structure marine communities. The second part examines the ecology of specific marine benthic community types, ranging from rocky shores and soft substrate habitats to kelp forests to coral reefs. These chapters are intended to be the most current summaries available of our understanding of these communities. The final part examines conservation and management issues of marine communities. The closing chapters emphasize how pervasively and profoundly marine communities are impacted by humans and outlines how we can use our understanding of these systems to manage and preserve the valuable services and resources they provide. Marine Community Ecology and Conservation is extensively referenced and includes a bibliography of over 5,000 citations. It is suitable as a text for advanced marine ecology courses and seminars, as well as a general reference for students and researchers.