Life in the world's oceans : diversity, distribution, and abundance /

An array of international researchers began a coordinated program called the Census of Marine Life in the 1990s to characterize and quantify marine biodiversity. In addition to numerous research articles in scientific journals, that effort has produced some works summarizing the results of that research to date. Among the latter, Life in the World's Oceans should serve as the primary resource for scientists learning about what has been done, what resources are available, and what yet needs to be accomplished in this arena. The multi-author work is well crafted and edited with a logical overall structure, consistency in form and tone among chapters, useful citations and Web addresses, and high-quality illustrations. The book is not intended for lay audiences. Anyone seeking numerous pages of only pictures of newly discovered organisms will be disappointed. In contrast, academics interested in gaining access to the latest concepts and tools available for biodiversity research will be rewarded. Biodiversity research has advanced beyond the "stamp collecting" stage (just cataloging species) to a conceptually rich discipline that informs scientific understanding of how ecosystems function and evolve. This book illustrates that point well. See also Census of Marine Lif. (CH, May'11, 48-5060). Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners. S. R. Fegley University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill