Marine Life and the Sea (Wadsworth Biology Series)

This introductory text covers the principles of marine biology, including marine organisms and their ecological interactions, and the role of ocean mechanisms and marine organisms in maintaining global stability. In addition this book covers the following aspects more completely than most texts: (1) an expanded view of the whole earth and the human role in it, including global warming, UV damage to marine systems via ozone depletion, and possible Gaia feedback mechanisms; (2) fisheries, a topic that is essential to understanding the human/sea relationship but has been traditionally ignored by marine biologists, (3) a much better treatment of marine life in the geologic past.