The oceans represent a vast, complex and poorly understood ecosystem. Marine Ecological Processes is a modern review and synthesis of marine ecology that provides the reader with a lucid introduction to the intellectual concepts, approaches, and methods of this evolving discipline. Comprehensive in its coverage, this book focuses on the processes controlling marine ecosystems, communities, and populations and demonstrates how general ecological principles--derived from terrestrial and freshwater systems as well--apply to marine ecosystems.

Global warming and increased eutrophication and wetland destruction in recent years has made the study of ecological processes even more important for the preservation of marine environments. This thoroughly updated and expanded edition will provide students of marine ecology, marine biology, and oceanography with numerous illustrations, examples, and references which clearly impart to the reader the current state of research in thisfield: its achievements as well as unresolved controversies.