Table of Contents

Part One: Ocean Systems; Physical nature of oceans; Formation of planet Earth; Processes (plate tectonics) that shape and reshape continents and oceans; Interaction of sea and land; Properties of ocean water; Regulation of temperature and climate; Rhythms of waves, tides, and weather; Hidden riches of the seas - energy and minerals; Part Two: Ocean Life; Evolution and extinction of ocean life over four billion years; Diversity of ocean life and the ocean food chain; Evolution and adaptation of marine organisms; Marine ecosystems and complex communities; Sustainability and preservation of fragile marine environments

About the Author

Dorrik Stow is professor of ocean and earth science at the Southampton Oceanography Centre, Europe's leading center for ocean research. A world-renowned oceanographer and marine geoscientist with a specialty in the deep sea, Stow has published numerous books, papers, and edited volumes. He has sailed all the world's major oceans.

Reviews

"There is a lot we don't know about the oceans' structure, processes, and inhabitants. Much of the knowledge we do have has been skillfully compiled in Oceans: An Illustrated Reference. This beautifully designed volume will introduce you to a fascinating and complex world, and help you better understand the role that oceans play in our lives. You will also learn how the oceans - and ocean sciences - are being transformed as the twenty-first century begins." - From the Preface by Charles F. Kehnel, director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego"