Marine Biodiversity

Approximately 70 percent of the earth’s surface is covered, by water, and most of that is marine. Like all biological systems, the oceans are experiencing an ecologically and evolutionarily unprecedented series of stresses, many of which are changing the structure and organization of marine communities. Because humans rely on the oceans for food, mineral resources, and recreation, and because marine life offers potential future benefits to society, such as in the area of biomedical products, it is critical to develop conservation and management strategies that facilitate the long-term sustained use of the sea by humans while minimizing impacts on nature. Biodiversity loss has become one of the greatest environmental concerns of the last century, owing to increasing pressure on the environment by humans combined with the realization that our activities can seriously threaten the future sustainability of marine species and ecosystems. This book provides students with a basic understanding of the concepts that contribute to Marine Biodiversity.