Preface xi

Part One Principles of Marine Science
1 The Science of Marine Biology 3
2 The Sea Floor 22
3 Chemical and Physical Features of Seawater and the World Ocean 44
4 Fundamentals of Biology 70

Part Two The Organisms of the Sea
5 The Microbial World 93
6 Multicellular Primary Producers: Seaweeds and Plants 107
7 Marine Animals without a Backbone 120
8 Marine Fishes 154
9 Marine Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals 180

Part Three Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems
10 An Introduction to Marine Ecology 215
11 Between the Tides 235
12 Estuaries: Where Rivers Meet the Sea 259
13 Life on the Continental Shelf 277
14 Coral Reefs 297
15 Life Near the Surface 324
16 The Ocean Depths 354

Part Four Humans and the Sea
17 Resources from the Sea 377
18 The Impact of Humans on the Marine Environment 402
19 The Oceans and Human Affairs 424

Appendix A Units of Measurement 433
Appendix B Selected Field Guides and Other Useful References for the Identification of Marine Organisms 434
Glossary 436
Credits 448
Index 450