Ecology of Faunal Communities on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands


Book Description

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, consist of 572 islands with a land area of 8,249 km2. Their topography is hilly and undulating, with elevations up to 732 m on the Andaman and up to 568 m on the Nicobar Islands. They are known for their rich biodiversity and a very high degree of endemicity in all taxa, especially in plants, reptiles, fishes and corals. Their habitats include bays, mangroves, moist deciduous forests and evergreen forests. Comprising 20 chapters each written by an expert or professional in his/her particular field this book offers new insights into the fascinating faunal communities of these islands and provides the fundamentals for their conservation and environmental management.




Cephalopods of the World: Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae, and Spirulidae)


Book Description

This is a multiauthored compilation that reviews six families: Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae, with 23 genera and the 201 species known to the date of the completion of the volume. It provides accounts for all families and genera, as well as illustrated keys to all taxa. Information under each species account includes: valid modern systematic name and original citation of the species (or subspecies); main synonyms; English, French and Spanish FAO names for the species; illustrations of dorsal and ventral aspect of the whole animal (as necessary) and other distinguishing illustrations; field characteristics; diagnostic features; geographic and vertical distribution, including GIS map; size; habitat; biology; interest to fishery; local names when available; a remarks section (as necessary) and literature. The volume is fully indexed and also includes sections on terminology and measurements, an extensive glossary, an introduction with an updated review of the existing biological knowledge on cephalopods (including fisheries information and catch data for recent years) and a dedicated bibliography.




Reproductive Strategies and Developmental Patterns in Annelids


Book Description

The fascination of the Annelida to scientists lies in the beauty of their structures and the functionality of their body plan, the tremendous adaptive radiation which has made it possible for these animals to colonize almost all marine, limnic and terrestrial biotopes. In doing so they have evolved a great variety of life forms, and their reproduction and development are correspondingly diverse, with many modes and patterns unique in the animal kingdom. In this special volume recent progress in this broad research area is presented by 26 specialists, in general through surveys or treatments of selected examples. Some of them review important annelid taxa such as the Nereididae, Syllidae, Spionidae, Cirratulidae, Clitellata, and Pogonophora; others analyse reproductive and developmental structures and phenomena in annelids, e.g. segmental organs, sex pheromones, oogenesis, mating systems, sperm types, life cycles, larval settlement, cleavage and symmetry of embryos, or discuss controversial approaches to annelid systematics. The book will be of interest to all zoologists who work with annelids as well as to embryologists and other researchers in reproductive biology.




Cephalopods of the World


Book Description

This is the third volume of the entirely rewritten, revised and updated version of the original FAO Catalogue of Cephalopods of the World (1984). The present volume is a multiauthored compilation that reviews 13 families, i.e. (in alphabetical order), Alloposidae, Amphitretidae, Argonautidae, Bolitaenidae, Cirroctopodidae, Cirroteuthidae, Octopodidae, Ocythoidae, Opisthoteuthidae, Stauroteuthidae, Tremoctopodidae, Vampyroteuthidae, Vitreledonellidae, with 56 genera and the 279 species known and named to the date of the completion of the volume.




World Atlas of Seagrasses


Book Description

Seagrasses are a vital and widespread but often overlooked coastal marine habitat. This volume provides a global survey of their distribution and conservation status.




Threadfins of the World (family Polynemidae)


Book Description

This volume on the family Polynemidae includes 41 species belonging to 8 genera. There is an introductory section with general remarks on habitat and fisheries of the family, a glossary of technical terms, an illustrated key to each genus and all species, and a detailed account for all species. Species accounts include an illustration of each species, scientific and vernacular names, and information on habitat, biology, fisheries, size, relevant literature and distribution. Following the species accounts are a list of nominal species in the family, a table of species by major marine fishing areas, and color plates.




Mangrove Ecosystems: A Global Biogeographic Perspective


Book Description

This book presents a comprehensive overview and analysis of mangrove ecological processes, structure, and function at the local, biogeographic, and global scales and how these properties interact to provide key ecosystem services to society. The analysis is based on an international collaborative effort that focuses on regions and countries holding the largest mangrove resources and encompasses the major biogeographic and socio-economic settings of mangrove distribution. Given the economic and ecological importance of mangrove wetlands at the global scale, the chapters aim to integrate ecological and socio-economic perspectives on mangrove function and management using a system-level hierarchical analysis framework. The book explores the nexus between mangrove ecology and the capacity for ecosystem services, with an emphasis on thresholds, multiple stressors, and local conditions that determine this capacity. The interdisciplinary approach and illustrative study cases included in the book will provide valuable resources in data, information, and knowledge about the current status of one of the most productive coastal ecosystem in the world.




Farming the Waters for People and Food


Book Description

The Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 brought together a wide range of experts and important stakeholders and reviewed the present status and trends in aquaculture development, evaluated the progress made in the implementation of the 2000 Bangkok Declaration and Strategy, addressed emerging issues relevant to aquaculture development, assessed opportunities and challenges for future aquaculture development and built consensus on advancing aquaculture as a global, sustainable and competitive food production sector. This volume, yet another joint effort of FAO and NACA, brings the outcome of the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010, the much-needed clear and comprehensive technical information on how aquaculture could be mobilized to alleviate global poverty and improve food and nutrition security in the coming decades.




Mangrove Management and Conservation


Book Description

This publication presents the highlight of a workshop organized by the United Nations University, the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme in March 2000. Contributors outline the key areas for future focus in the management of this vital ecosystem, including appropriate legislation, community participation and empowerment, management agreements among communities, governments, and NGO's, and local responsibility for supervision and enforcement of rules and regulations.