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This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Field observations have revealed that when water flow is consistently from one direction, seagrass shoots align in rows perpendicular to the primary axis of flow direction. In this study, live Zostera marina shoots were arranged either randomly or in rows perpendicular to the flow direction and tested in a seawater flume under unidirectional flow and waves to determine if shoot arrangement: a) influenced flow-induced force on individual shoots, b) differentially altered water flow through the canopy, and c) influenced light interception by the canopy. In addition, blade breaking strength was compared with flow-induced force to determine if changes in shoot arrangement might reduce the potential for damage to shoots. Under unidirectional flow, both current velocity in the canopy and force on shoots were significantly decreased when shoots were arranged in rows as compared to randomly. However, force on shoots was nearly constant with downstream distance, arising from the trade-off of shoot bending and in-canopy flow reduction. The coefficient of drag was higher for randomly-arranged shoots at low velocities (<30 cm s^-^1) but converged rapidly among the two shoot arrangements at higher velocities. Shoots arranged in rows tended to intercept slightly more light than those arranged randomly. Effects of shoot arrangement under waves were less clear, potentially because we did not achieve the proper plant size-row spacing ratio. At this point, we may only suggest that water motion, as opposed to light capture, is the dominant physical mechanism responsible for these shoot arrangements. Following a computation of the Environmental Stress Factor, we concluded that even photosynthetically active blades may be damaged or broken under frequently encountered storm conditions, irrespective of shoot arrangement. We hypothesize that when flow is generally from one direction, seagrass bed patterns over multiple scales of consideration may arise as a cumulative effect of individual shoot self-organization driven by reduced force and drag on the shoots and somewhat improved light capture. ... Read more

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Derived from an unprecedented research effort covering over 70 field years of field data in a series of studies, Trophic Organization in Coastal Systems represents an alternative approach to coastal research that has been successfully applied to coastal resource management issues. This unique book is based upon a sequence of long-term, interdisciplinary studies of a series of coastal regions in the NE Gulf of Mexico that include nutrient loading, habitat definition, quantified collections of organisms from microbes to fishes, and the determination of the trophic organization that defines the processes that shape the productivity of these areas.A multidisciplinary team of marine scientists, chemists, physical oceanographers, geologists, hydrologists, engineers, experimental biologists, and taxonomists have created a singular database of changes in a series of Gulf of Mexico coastal systems. This field information, together with field and laboratory experimentation, is integrated with the scientific literature to advance our understanding of how coastal food webs work. The central focus is on the relationship of primary production in the form of species-specific phytoplankton communities with associated food webs of coastal systems and the relationship of tropho-dynamic processes to long-term changes (natural and polluted) in such areas. The impacts of phytoplankton blooms on trophic organization is elucidated.The author, a renowned marine scientist, provides detailed knowledge of the processes that drive coastal ecosystems. He presents an in-depth discussion on how there is a hierarchy of cycles of differing periods that is associated with the formation and development of aquatic food webs. Trophic Organization in Coastal Systems will be particularly useful to those involved in research related to the importance of aquatic food webs to an understanding of how aquatic systems function. The principles and processes of trophic organization presented here can serve as a valuable model for research in other regions of the world. ... Read more

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New Zealand sits in a very watery part of the world. The Pacific stretches out to the north and east, while to the south is continuous ocean. It has the fourth largest Exclusive Economic Zone, with a band 200 nautical miles wide around the country, including its offshore islands. Only a fraction of this vast area has been explored. From what is known already, it is clear that these seas harbour a fascinating diversity of marine life. Southern New Zealand boasts wave-lashed coasts and ocean beaches, sheltered inlets and the grandeur of Fjordland. Its marine life is equally varied. Best known are the large seabirds and marine mammals - albatrosses, fur seals and sea lions - icons of southern ecotourism. As top predators, they depend on the underlying productivity of the region's marine food web. Finding out about and understanding this marine environment, its habitats, plants and animals is the task of the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre, located on the Otago Harbour. First and foremost a research centre, it is also a leader in public marine education in New Zealand, offering visits to its aquarium and now this book introducing the southern marine environment to the general reader. ... Read more

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Archie Carr, one of the greatest biologists of the twentieth century, played a leading part in finding a new and critical role for natural history and systematics in a post-1950s world dominated by the glamorous science of molecular biology. With the rise of molecular biology came a growing popular awareness of species extinction. Carr championed endangered sea turtles, and his work reflects major shifts in the study of ecology and evolution. A gifted nature writer, his books on the natural history of sea turtles and their habitats in Florida, the Caribbean, and Africa entertained and educated a wide audience. Carr's conservation ethic grew from his field work as well as his friendships with the fishermen who supplied him with many of the stories he retold so engagingly. With Archie Carr as the focus, The Man Who Saved Sea Turtles explores the evolution of the naturalist tradition, biology, and conservation during the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Man who saved Sea Turtles
The book got to me very quickly and in great shape.So glad I ordered.

An unsung hero
Davis has done his homework and written a thorough and very readable book about an amazing man. Most people have probably never heard of Archie Carr, but he may have done more for conservation - of sea turtles or any other endangered animal - than just about anyone else. This book is a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in sea turtles, conservation, or just the ocean and the beach. It's also a must for every student of biology, ecology, or marine science. Carr will be your hero. ... Read more