Coral Reefs

Nyhet

Their Complexity, Fragility and Future

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

1 819 kr

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Coral Reefs: Their Complexity, Fragility and Future offers an introduction to tropical coral reef ecosystems. It explores the combined geological, physical, chemical, and biological factors that make coral reefs among the most diverse and productive systems in the world. To unpack these complex systems, this book outlines the major players that create coral reefs, reconsiders how environmental and human forces shape reefs in the Anthropocene and identifies best practices for sustainable tourism and management of reef systems. Written by a leading expert of tropical reef systems, this book covers the biology, taxonomy, and ecological interactions of dominant reef organisms. Chapters systematically discuss the diversity of corals and the reef communities that they support, the key geological and biological factors driving their development, and critical processes of primary productivity, competition, predation, and herbivory. The book ends with a look to the future of coral reefs considering global change in the Anthropocene. Coral Reefs: Their Complexity, Fragility and Future combines fundamental concepts with novel research advances to explore the forces that shape coral reefs and predict the future of these ecosystems in the coming century. In discussing both the successes and failures of modern conservation efforts, this book offers a roadmap to guide stakeholders and industry leaders in developing policies surrounding the sustainable visitation and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. It is an indispensable resource for the next generation of marine scientists, conservationists, and policymakers concerned with the future of these critical ecosystems.

Defines how and where coral reefs form
Identifies key drivers of coral reef ecosystem structure and function
Illustrates the risks of climate change, acidification, and sea level rise on coral reefs
Differentiates between monitoring, management, and restoration approaches that do and do not work

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-11-01
Mått152 x 229 x undefined mm
Vikt450 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor300
FörlagElsevier Science
ISBN9780443301643

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Dr. Robert Steneck is Professor of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine’s School of Biology and Ecology. He obtained his PhD from John’s Hopkins University and brings 50 years of research experience on Caribbean and Indopacific corals to the project. He specializes in the ecology and evolutionary biology of benthic marine algae, invertebrates, and communities. He is a distinguished marine researcher who has been awarded Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, Bates-Morse Mountain Award for Environmental Lifetime Achievement, and, most recently, the University of Maine Presidential Research and Creative Achievement Award.

I. Overview • What are coral reefs and why should we care?1. Where do we find reefs and where are they most diverse?2. Why are coral reefs not found everywhere? Physical and chemical needsII. Types of Coral Reefs3. How many kinds of coral reefs are there and how do they differ?4. Barrier reefs, atolls, and fringing reefsIII. Organisms that Build Coral Reefs5. The phylum (Cnidaria) and the symbiosis that makes coral reefs happen6. The role of sunlight and algal symbionts in coral calcification and growth7. Other reef builders such as calcareous algaeIV. Reef Corals and Other Reef Creatures8. It takes a village: Which critters thrive on coral reefs, and which help coral reefs thrive?9. Macrophytes10. Echinoderms11. Lobsters12. Mollusks13. FishV. Geological Patterns and Processes14. How do coral reefs form and how old are they?15. Darwin’s volcanoes and other theories of how reefs form over geological time16. Relative sea level changes: Catch up, keep up, or drownVI. Biological Patterns and Processes17. Who needs sexual reproduction on coral reefs and who doesn’t?18. Fundamental distinctions between aclonal, clonal, and colonial animals19. How and why populations are established on coral reefs20. Larval dispersal and connectivity21. What limits populations?22. Interacting processes and their role in population dynamics23. Thresholds, feedbacks, and resilienceVII. Scaling Up in Space and Time24. Coral reefs before there were dinosaurs25. Macroevolution of reef corals26. Macroevolution of reef fishes27. Why are coral reefs so different from place to place? Biodiversity hotspotsVII. Coral Reefs in the Anthropocene28. Global climate stresses29. Coral bleaching & disease30. Overfishing, management, and MPAs31. Coral restoration32. Next-gen coral reefs and extreme measures to save reefs33. Causes for optimism