- Email: [email protected]
Oceanography and Marine Biology: An annual review, vol. 29
BOOK REVIEWS
289
contributions on predator-prey relationships at metapopulation level at empirical and theoretical levels (Nachman, Sabelis et al. and A. Taylor). With the increasing fragmentation of terrestrial and increasingly also coastal marine habitats by M-m's ever more pervasive influence on this planet, metapopulation ideas are being perceived to have increasing relevance to conservation management and restoration ecology - another recent growth-point in applied ecology, and both these topics are touched on in three chapters (Rolstad, B. Taylor and Caswell and Cohen). These develop these themes, usually based on the simple Levins model, with various forms of feedback coupling in relation to patch occupancy and the probability of local extinction. Finally, the important genetic consequences of metapopulation structure are developed by Gilpin, particularly with respect to cases of unusually low heterozygosity. One or two of the authors discuss marine species, but these examples are integrated into a seamless whole of general ecological significance. In any case, all the topics discussed have important and expanding dimensions in marine ecology. It does not seem unduly rash to predict that the metapopulation concepts so lucidly expounded in this volume will quickly become incorporated into mainstream marine ecology. Although the mathematical presentation in places is somewhat uncompromising~ and therefore a little heavy going to the less numerate of us (amongst which I count myself), the contributions have been well edited to project a consistent standard of presentation. The volume is prefaced and has been provided with a modest index. It deserves to be read by marine biologists interested in population and community ecology and promises to become a classic text for metapopulation dynamics. John D. Gage, Scottish Marine Biological Association, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, PO Box 3, Oban, Argyll PA34 4AD, UK
Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Vol. 29, ediled by Margaret Barnes; Aberdeen University Press, 1991; 560 pp.; GBP65.00; ISBN 0-08-040934-2. With the explosion in the published literature that has occurred in the 1980s, the importance of review articles has increased to both institute and university marine scientists. We find increasing (often administrative!) pressures on our time, thus reducing the time to search the very diverse marine literature in support of both research and teaching. Foremost amongst the review journals is Oceano.graphy and Marine Biology: An Annual Review and this latest volume, the 29th, offers us a wide range of stimulating material. Because of the diversity of reviews in this volume, it is unlikely that all articles
290
BOOK REVIEWS
will appeal to any one person but it is highly probable that at least one article, and most likely more, will appeal to all marine scientists. The volume starts with the final review, by Rogers and Bremner, in a seven-part series of a detailed account of the Benguela Ecosystem. This entire series of reviews has been a thoughtful and clever compilation of all the data associated with this upwelling system. Whereas the previous reviews have concentrated on the water column, this chapter deals with the seabed processes and the preservation of previous upwelling and downward vertical flux events in the fossil record. The thcnlc of primary production and sedimentation of organic matter, in relation to the hydrography of fjords and polls of the western Norwegian coast, is discussed by Paul Wassmann in the second review in this volume. This review is highly specific concentrating on the biological oceanography of low-latitude fjords with low-turbulent energy input. The paper reviews the hydrographic characteristics of these fjords followed by nutrients and primary production. The downward vertical flux of surface derived organic material is quantitatively described on a temporal scale as well as analysing the depth-related differences in vertical flux. To conclude, the author considers the oceanography of the 0ords in western Norway with those boreal fjords in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The third review by Y. J. Guo is the second in what will be a continuing series covering the oceanography of the Kuroshio. The physical aspects of the Kuroshio were considered in Vol. 28 of Oceanograph.v and Marine Biology: An Ammal Review whilst this current chapter examines and reviews the primary productivity and phytoplankton of this current from the Philippines up to the north-western Pacific Ocean. These parameters are considered in relation to the physical and chemical oceanography of the region. From the grand oceanographic scale of the first three reviews in this volume, the fourth review by Shimeta and Jumars changes the scale from 1000s of kilometres to millimetres. As we have come to expect from Jumars and his co-workers, this is a thought-provoking review examining the flow round, and capture of particles by, suspension-feeders. As with his approach in the past, this paper examines the basic parameters of particle-encounter geometry before going into the mathematics of mechanisms and models of particle encounter. The models are carefully prepared and have been tested on data gleaned from the already published literature. The interaction between physical mechanisms and biological processes has now passed the descriptive stage, and biologists are learning that these biological processes can be modelled to great effect. Not only biologists working on suspension-feeding, but all marine scientists interested in boundary layer flows, will find this chapter both interesting and stimulating. The fifth review in this volume addresses an interest close to my own. David Billett has produced a thorough and detailed account of the ecology of those denizens of the deep - the hoiothurians. Billett is a leading authority on this group and he takes a traditional path in describing their ecology and biology. He starts with their taxonomy and then considers their abundance and biomass drawing heavily on the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences' Deep Sea Programme in which he was a major participant.
BOOK REVIEWS
291
Little is known about the chemical composition or metabolism of this taxon in the deep sea and it may be a surprise to many readers that they are able to bioluminesce and even have pelagic representatives! He continues the review by examining the life history processes of growth, nutrition and reproduction as well as examining their spatial distribution and population structure. The next review is of the ecology and evolution of hydrothermal vents by Verena Tunnicliffe. The literature concerning hydrothermal vents must be one of the fastestgrowing areas of marine science. Not only is there a voluminous literature, it is wellscattered in a wide variety of journals. As this is a popular area of study by marine science-related undergraduates, a review such as this not only aids university teachers but provides an invaluable review for those of us not able t o keep up with this voluminous literature. Tunnicliffe considers the physico-chemical environment of the vents, their distribution and community characteristics as well as listing all the known vent species at the time of publication. The life-history biology of vent species is reviewed, as is an area of increasing interest - the spatio-temporal characteristics of vents. Vents have now been examined long enough to determine some of the main changes with time. The review concludes with some thought-provoking views on the evolution of vent faunas. I am excited that the preface to the volume hints that a review of the physiological and biochemical processes at vents is in preparation. The penultimate review of this volume is a review of methods of diet analysis in piscivorous marine mammals. Pierce and Boyle consider the diet of a wide variety of marine mammals in the context of the ethics and legalities involved in this type of sampling. They examine the possible bias in sampling before considering the processing of samples. A variety of identification methods are discussed from visual observation to serological methods and they show how to quantify these data. From the diet of individuals, they progress to the population food consumption and finally look at the future developments in this field. The last review returns to the theme ofphysico-biological interaction in which David Schneider discusses the role of fluid dynamics in the ecology of marine birds. He considers the theoretical aspects of this topic before continuing with analysis of movement patterns and the distribution of marine birds with the physical environment. A review not only for the biologist, but the mathematician and the ornithologist as well. I am delighted that the 29th volume has maintained the high standards we have come to expect of Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review. The marine community will gain tremendous benefit from this volume and I look forward to the publication of volumes of a simdar high standard in the future. P.A. Tyler, Department of Oceanography, The University, Southampton SO9 5NH, UK
289
contributions on predator-prey relationships at metapopulation level at empirical and theoretical levels (Nachman, Sabelis et al. and A. Taylor). With the increasing fragmentation of terrestrial and increasingly also coastal marine habitats by M-m's ever more pervasive influence on this planet, metapopulation ideas are being perceived to have increasing relevance to conservation management and restoration ecology - another recent growth-point in applied ecology, and both these topics are touched on in three chapters (Rolstad, B. Taylor and Caswell and Cohen). These develop these themes, usually based on the simple Levins model, with various forms of feedback coupling in relation to patch occupancy and the probability of local extinction. Finally, the important genetic consequences of metapopulation structure are developed by Gilpin, particularly with respect to cases of unusually low heterozygosity. One or two of the authors discuss marine species, but these examples are integrated into a seamless whole of general ecological significance. In any case, all the topics discussed have important and expanding dimensions in marine ecology. It does not seem unduly rash to predict that the metapopulation concepts so lucidly expounded in this volume will quickly become incorporated into mainstream marine ecology. Although the mathematical presentation in places is somewhat uncompromising~ and therefore a little heavy going to the less numerate of us (amongst which I count myself), the contributions have been well edited to project a consistent standard of presentation. The volume is prefaced and has been provided with a modest index. It deserves to be read by marine biologists interested in population and community ecology and promises to become a classic text for metapopulation dynamics. John D. Gage, Scottish Marine Biological Association, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, PO Box 3, Oban, Argyll PA34 4AD, UK
Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Vol. 29, ediled by Margaret Barnes; Aberdeen University Press, 1991; 560 pp.; GBP65.00; ISBN 0-08-040934-2. With the explosion in the published literature that has occurred in the 1980s, the importance of review articles has increased to both institute and university marine scientists. We find increasing (often administrative!) pressures on our time, thus reducing the time to search the very diverse marine literature in support of both research and teaching. Foremost amongst the review journals is Oceano.graphy and Marine Biology: An Annual Review and this latest volume, the 29th, offers us a wide range of stimulating material. Because of the diversity of reviews in this volume, it is unlikely that all articles
290
BOOK REVIEWS
will appeal to any one person but it is highly probable that at least one article, and most likely more, will appeal to all marine scientists. The volume starts with the final review, by Rogers and Bremner, in a seven-part series of a detailed account of the Benguela Ecosystem. This entire series of reviews has been a thoughtful and clever compilation of all the data associated with this upwelling system. Whereas the previous reviews have concentrated on the water column, this chapter deals with the seabed processes and the preservation of previous upwelling and downward vertical flux events in the fossil record. The thcnlc of primary production and sedimentation of organic matter, in relation to the hydrography of fjords and polls of the western Norwegian coast, is discussed by Paul Wassmann in the second review in this volume. This review is highly specific concentrating on the biological oceanography of low-latitude fjords with low-turbulent energy input. The paper reviews the hydrographic characteristics of these fjords followed by nutrients and primary production. The downward vertical flux of surface derived organic material is quantitatively described on a temporal scale as well as analysing the depth-related differences in vertical flux. To conclude, the author considers the oceanography of the 0ords in western Norway with those boreal fjords in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The third review by Y. J. Guo is the second in what will be a continuing series covering the oceanography of the Kuroshio. The physical aspects of the Kuroshio were considered in Vol. 28 of Oceanograph.v and Marine Biology: An Ammal Review whilst this current chapter examines and reviews the primary productivity and phytoplankton of this current from the Philippines up to the north-western Pacific Ocean. These parameters are considered in relation to the physical and chemical oceanography of the region. From the grand oceanographic scale of the first three reviews in this volume, the fourth review by Shimeta and Jumars changes the scale from 1000s of kilometres to millimetres. As we have come to expect from Jumars and his co-workers, this is a thought-provoking review examining the flow round, and capture of particles by, suspension-feeders. As with his approach in the past, this paper examines the basic parameters of particle-encounter geometry before going into the mathematics of mechanisms and models of particle encounter. The models are carefully prepared and have been tested on data gleaned from the already published literature. The interaction between physical mechanisms and biological processes has now passed the descriptive stage, and biologists are learning that these biological processes can be modelled to great effect. Not only biologists working on suspension-feeding, but all marine scientists interested in boundary layer flows, will find this chapter both interesting and stimulating. The fifth review in this volume addresses an interest close to my own. David Billett has produced a thorough and detailed account of the ecology of those denizens of the deep - the hoiothurians. Billett is a leading authority on this group and he takes a traditional path in describing their ecology and biology. He starts with their taxonomy and then considers their abundance and biomass drawing heavily on the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences' Deep Sea Programme in which he was a major participant.
BOOK REVIEWS
291
Little is known about the chemical composition or metabolism of this taxon in the deep sea and it may be a surprise to many readers that they are able to bioluminesce and even have pelagic representatives! He continues the review by examining the life history processes of growth, nutrition and reproduction as well as examining their spatial distribution and population structure. The next review is of the ecology and evolution of hydrothermal vents by Verena Tunnicliffe. The literature concerning hydrothermal vents must be one of the fastestgrowing areas of marine science. Not only is there a voluminous literature, it is wellscattered in a wide variety of journals. As this is a popular area of study by marine science-related undergraduates, a review such as this not only aids university teachers but provides an invaluable review for those of us not able t o keep up with this voluminous literature. Tunnicliffe considers the physico-chemical environment of the vents, their distribution and community characteristics as well as listing all the known vent species at the time of publication. The life-history biology of vent species is reviewed, as is an area of increasing interest - the spatio-temporal characteristics of vents. Vents have now been examined long enough to determine some of the main changes with time. The review concludes with some thought-provoking views on the evolution of vent faunas. I am excited that the preface to the volume hints that a review of the physiological and biochemical processes at vents is in preparation. The penultimate review of this volume is a review of methods of diet analysis in piscivorous marine mammals. Pierce and Boyle consider the diet of a wide variety of marine mammals in the context of the ethics and legalities involved in this type of sampling. They examine the possible bias in sampling before considering the processing of samples. A variety of identification methods are discussed from visual observation to serological methods and they show how to quantify these data. From the diet of individuals, they progress to the population food consumption and finally look at the future developments in this field. The last review returns to the theme ofphysico-biological interaction in which David Schneider discusses the role of fluid dynamics in the ecology of marine birds. He considers the theoretical aspects of this topic before continuing with analysis of movement patterns and the distribution of marine birds with the physical environment. A review not only for the biologist, but the mathematician and the ornithologist as well. I am delighted that the 29th volume has maintained the high standards we have come to expect of Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review. The marine community will gain tremendous benefit from this volume and I look forward to the publication of volumes of a simdar high standard in the future. P.A. Tyler, Department of Oceanography, The University, Southampton SO9 5NH, UK