Preface xi

Part One Principles of Marine Science
1 The Science of Marine Biology 1
2 The Sea Floor 19
3 Chemical and Physical Features of Seawater and the World Ocean 40
4 Fundamentals of Biology 64

Part Two The Organisms of the Sea
5 The Microbial World 85
6 Multicellular Primary Producers: Seaweeds and Plants 102
7 Marine Animals without a Backbone 115
8 Marine Fishes 151
9 Marine Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals 177

Part Three Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems
10 An Introduction to Marine Ecology 211
11 Between the Tides 241
12 Estuaries: Where Rivers Meet the Sea 265
13 Life on the Continental Shelf 283
14 Coral Reefs 303
15 Life Near the Surface 328
16 The Ocean Depths 357

Part Four Humans and the Sea
17 Resources from the Sea 379
18 The Impact of Humans on the Marine Environment 402
19 The Oceans and Human Affairs 421

Appendix A Units of Measurement 431
Appendix B Selected Field Guides and Other Useful References for the Identification of Marine Organisms 433
Glossary 435
Credits 447
Index 449