Marine Ecosystems: Human Impacts on Biodiversity, Functioning and Services

Description

Ecosystem services are emerging as a key driver of conservation policy and environmental management. Delivery of ecosystem services depends on the efficient functioning of ecosystems, which in turn depends on biodiversity and environmental conditions. Many marine ecosystems are extremely productive and highly valued, but they are increasingly threatened by human activities. With contributions from leading researchers, this volume synthesises current understanding of the effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning caused by a variety of human activities and pressures at play in coastal marine ecosystems. The authors examine the likely consequences for ecosystem service provision, covering key topics including fisheries, aquaculture, physical structures, nutrients, chemical contaminants, marine debris and invasive species. Critically reviewing the latest developments, this is a unique resource both for environmental managers and policy-makers, and for researchers and students in marine ecology and environmental management.

Tasman P. Crowe is Associate Dean of Science and a member of the Earth Institute and the School of Biology and Environmental Science at University College Dublin. He has undertaken research in Australia, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Ireland, the UK and continental Europe, studying individual and combined impacts of a range of stressors on marine benthic habitats, particularly rocky shores, and field-based testing of biomonitoring tools. Christopher L. J. Frid is Professor of Marine Biology and Head of the Griffith School of Environment at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. A benthic ecologist by background, his research has sought to understand how marine ecosystems function and how human impacts alter the dynamics of these systems. He has worked in the UK and throughout Europe, as well as in Ghana, Indonesia, Thailand and Australia.

'... a valuable tool for those involved in policy and resource management.' Choice '... a balanced, engaging, and useful volume. It is a delight to read and concise. This publication provides a much-needed and effective bridge between the academic state of the art and the policy actions the science might be invoked to support. The book is well suited for graduate students, as well as the broad audience of scientists working in government, management, or nonprofit contexts.' Mary I. O'Connor, The Quarterly Review of Biology