Dr. Ivan Valiela serves as Senior Research Scientist for The Ecosystems Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory. His research includes analysis structure and controls on coastal ecosystems, land-sea couplings, impacts of urbanization and deforestation on coastal ecosystems, management of coastal environments, and international environmental policy.

Updated and expanded content includes newest developments in marine ecology

Previous edition well-received as both a text and a reference for researchers

Detailed illustrations throughout

Includes supplementary material: [...]

ContentsPreface to the Third EditionPreface to the Second EditionPreface to the First EditionPart I Primary production in marine environmentsChapter 1 Primary producers in the sea 1.1 Phytoplankton 1.2 Benthic producersChapter 2 Production: the formation of organic matter 2.1 Photosynthesis 2.2 Chemosynthesis 2.3 Measurement of producer biomass and primary production 2.4 Contributions by different marine primary producersChapter 3 Factors affecting primary production 2.1 Light 2.2 The Uptake and Availability of Nutrients 2.3 Temperature and Interactions with Other Factors 2.4 Distribution of Phytoplankton Production Over the World OceanPart II Consumers in Marine EnvironmentsChapter 3 Dynamics of Populations of Consumers 3.1 Elements of the Mathematical Description of Growth of Populations 3.2 Survival Life Tables 3.3 Fecundity Life Tables 3.4 Some Properties of Life Table Variables 3.5 Reproductive TacticsChapter 4 Competition for Resources Among Consumers 4.1 Population Growth in Environments with Finite Resources 4.2 The Nature of Competition 4.3 Density-Dependent Control of Abundance 4.4 Density-Dependent Versus Density-Independent Effects on Abundance 4.5 Resource Partitioning 4.6 Niche Breadth and Species PackingChapter 5 Feeding and Responses to Food Abundance 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Functional Response to Prey Density< 5.3 Numerical Responses by the Predator to Density of Prey 5.4 Developmental Response to Prey DensityChapter 6 Food Selection by Consumers 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Behavioral Mechanisms Involved in Finding and Choosing Food 6.3 Factors Affecting Food Selection by Consumers 6.4 Examples of Feeding Mechanisms at Work: Suspension Feeding 6.5 Optimization in Food Selection by Consumers 6.6 Vulnerability and Accessibility of Food Items 6.7 The Importance of Alternate Prey 6.8 Interaction of Mechanisms of Predation 6.9 Predation and Stability of Prey PopulationsChapter 7 Processing of Consumed Energy 7.1 Flow of Energy Through Consumers 7.2 Assimilation 7.3 Respiration 7.4 Growth 7.5 Production 7.6 Energy Budgets for PopulationsPart III Structure and Dynamics of Marine CommunitiesChapter 8 Trophic Structure 1: Controls in Benthic Food Webs 8.1 Defining Food Webs 8.2 Controls of Community Structure 8.3 Control Mechanisms in Benthic CommunitiesChapter 9 Trophic Structure 2: Components and Controls in Water Column Food Webs 9.1 Food Webs in Marine Water Columns 9.2 Microbial Food Webs 9.3 The Classic Microplankton Food Web 9.4 Speculations as to Control of Prey Populations by Larger Predators in the Marine Water ColumnChapter 10 Taxonomic Structure: Species Diversity 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Measurement of Diversity 10.3 Factors Affecting Diversity 10.4 Integration of Factors Affecting Diversity and Some ConsequencesChapter 11 Spatial Structure: Patchiness 11.1 Scales of Patchiness 11.2 Description of Spatial Distributions 11.3 Sources of Patchiness 11.4 Ecological Consequences of Patchiness 11.5 The Problem of UpscalingChapter 12 Development of Structure in Marine Communities: Colonization and Succession 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Colonization Processes 12.3 Case Histories of Colonization and Succession 12.4 Interaction Among Communities at Different Stages of Succession 12.5 Generalized Properties of Succession in Marine EnvironmentsPart IV Functioning of Marine EcosystemsChapter 13 The Carbon Cycle: Production and Transformations of Organic Matter 13.1 Inorganic Carbon 13.2 The Carbon Cycle in Aerobic Environments 13.3 The Carbon Cycle in Anoxic EnvironmentsChapter 14 Nutrient Cycles and Ecosystem Stoichiometry 14.1 Phosphorus 14.2 Nitrogen 14.3 Sulfur 14.4 Ecosystem Energetics and StoichiometryChapter 15 Seasonal Changes in Marine Ecosystems 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Water Column Seasonal Cycles 15.3 Benthic Seasonal Cycles 15.4 Control of Seasonal CyclesChapter 16 Long-Term and Large-Scale Change in Marine Ecosystems 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Large-Scale Effects of Long-Term Atmospheric Changes 16.3 Depletion of Fishery Stocks 16.4 Eutrophication 16.5 Toxic Contamination 16.6 Spread of Exotic Species 16.7 Harmful Algal Blooms 16.8 Interception of Freshwater Inputs and Sediment Loads 16.9 Multiple Factors in Concert: The Case of Black Sea 16.10 Implications of Long-Term, Large-Scale ChangesReferencesIndex