Book Description

Coastal-Marine Conservation: Science and Policy introduces studentsand managers to complex conservation and management issues facingcoastal nations of the world, their citizens, and international andnon-governmental organizations. It aims to reduce complexity andinspire a greater consensus for more effective conservationaction. Presents the coastal realm as a heterogeneous, diverseecosystem of exceptionall high biological diversity andproductivity, and where conservation challenges are most difficultand urgent Examines the critical issues facing coastal-marine conservationand the mechanisms for dealing with them Reviews the basic science required for addressing conservationissues by presenting the coastal realm as a land-sea ecosystem ofglobal significance, and by reviewing the natural-history featuresof coastal-marine organisms Presents three ecologically and latitudinally distinct"real-world" case studies to create a context for understanding ofregional systems, their cultures, and their conservation: the polarBering Sea, the temperate Chesapeake Bay, and the tropicalBahamas Makes apparent the ecological stresses on the coastal realm,increasing rates of ecosystem change, loss of ecosystem health, andfragmented governance Synthesizes the major challenges for conservation and suggestsfuture policy and management strategies, including ecosystemmanagement and needs for achieving sustainability and addressingthe environmental debt This book is intended for undergraduates and graduates takingcourses in coastal and marine conservation and management, as wellas those actively engaged in coastal-marine conservationactivities, and gives the reader a clear steer to future managementapproaches. References additional to those in the book are available athttp://www.blackwellpublishing.com/pdf/ray_references.pdf The artwork is available to download athttp://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ray/