Sea turtles have existed for millions of years, making them fascinating subjects of study. In the last 20 years, the science of sea turtle biology has expanded at an exponential rate, leading to major advances in many areas. This book synthesizes the results of these advances and focuses on how these endangered marine reptiles operate in, adapt to, and are dependent upon particular features of their marine environment. New technology in data gathering, such as DNA analyses, remote sensing, and physiological monitoring techniques, has led to a much greater understanding of the biology of the sea turtle at all stages of their life history.
Sea turtles have existed for millions of years, making them fascinating subjects of study. In the last 20 years, the science of sea turtle biology has expanded at an exponential rate, leading to major advances in many areas. This book synthesizes the results of these advances and focuses on how these endangered marine reptiles operate in, adapt to, and are dependent upon particular features of their marine environment. New technology in data gathering, such as DNA analyses, remote sensing, and physiological monitoring techniques, has led to a much greater understanding of the biology of the sea turtle at all stages of their life history.
Since the first volume of The Biology of Sea Turtles was published in 1997, the field has grown and matured in ways few of the authors would have predicted—particularly in the areas of physiology, behavior, genetics, and health. Volume III presents timely coverage of emerging areas as well as the integration of approaches and information that did not exist even a decade ago. The book assembles the foremost experts in each topic to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive book on sea turtles available today. New areas covered include in vivo imaging of structure, spatial distributions of marine turtles at sea, epibiosis, imprinting, parasitology, and climatic effects. Life history is explored in three chapters covering age determination, predator-prey interactions, and mortality from bycatch. The Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume III will inspire scientists and students to explore and expand their understanding of these intriguing animals. The book provides clear baseline summaries, thoughtful syntheses, and effective presentation of the most fundamental topics spanning form and function, health, distributions, behavior, genetics, evolution, and ecology. Its scope and depth make it the definitive go-to reference in the field.
"The commercial landings of threatened and endangered species of marine turtles throughout U.S. waters have never been reported in detail. The early commercial sea turtle landings were sporadically collected and were published in a series of U.S. Government fisheries documents. Unfortunately, they have never been collated and summarized into a single data base or document. These are important base-line fisheries data on U.S. threatened and endangered species of sea turtles and provide considerable insight into the sociology and economics of the turtle fishery. Additionally, these data also provide basic biological information, such as species composition, seasonality, and sizes. These factors are necessary for understanding the ecology of these unique reptiles and enable resource managers to formulate sound management and conservation strategies, as mandated by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and subsequent amendments. In this report, I summarize the commercial U.S. sea turtle landings as reported by the U.S. Fisheries Commission, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and National Marine Fisheries Service for the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, and Hawaii"--Introduction
Winner, 2011 Book Award, The Wildlife Society2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Ernst and Lovich’s thoroughly revised edition of this classic reference provides the most updated information ever assembled on the natural histories of North American turtles. From diminutive mud turtles to giant alligator snappers, two of North America’s most prominent experts describe the turtles that live in the fresh, brackish, and marine waters north of Mexico. Incorporating the explosion of new scientific information published on turtles over the past fifteen years—including the identification of four new species—Ernst and Lovich supply comprehensive coverage of all fifty-eight species, with discussions of conservation status and recovery efforts. Each species account contains information on identification, genetics, fossil record, distribution, geographic variation, habitat, behavior, reproduction, biology, growth and longevity, food habits, populations, predators, and conservation status. The book includes range maps for freshwater and terrestrial species, a glossary of scientific names, an extensive bibliography for further research, and an index to scientific and common names. Logically organized and richly illustrated—with more than two hundred color photographs and fifty-two maps—Turtles of the United States and Canada remains the standard for libraries, museums, nature centers, field biologists, and professional and amateur herpetologists alike.
Seagrasses are unique plants; the only group of flowering plants to recolonise the sea. They occur on every continental margin, except Antarctica, and form ecosystems which have important roles in fisheries, fish nursery grounds, prawn fisheries, habitat diversity and sediment stabilisation. Over the last two decades there has been an explosion of research and information on all aspects of seagrass biology. However the compilation of all this work into one book has not been attempted previously. In this book experts in 26 areas of seagrass biology present their work in chapters which are state-of–the-art and designed to be useful to students and researchers alike. The book not only focuses on what has been discovered but what exciting areas are left to discover. The book is divided into sections on taxonomy, anatomy, reproduction, ecology, physiology, fisheries, management, conservation and landscape ecology. It is destined to become the chosen text on seagrasses for any marine biology course.
