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Rocky shores correspond to a very particular habitat in Brazil, which is concentrated in the Southeastern and Southern coasts. There are different types of substrata and seascapes that cause a high environmental heterogeneity responsible to host a high species biodiversity and a range of ecosystem services. Primary and secondary production, as well as structuring organisms and processes, differs from temperate areas.

The Brazilian coral reefs form structures significantly different from the well-known reef models, as follows: they have a growth form of mushroom-shaped coral pinnacles called'chapeirões'; they are built by a low diversity coral fauna rich in endemic species, with most of them relic forms dating back to the Miocene; and the nearshore bank reefs are surrounded by siliciclastic sediments. The reefs are distributed into four major sectors along the Brazilian coast: the northern, the northeastern, and the eastern regions, and the oceanic islands, but certain isolated coral species can be found in warmer waters in the embayment of the southern region. There are different types of bank reefs, fringing reefs, isolated'chapeirões'and an atoll present along the Brazilian coast. Corals, milleporids, and coralline algae build the rigid frame of the reefs. The areas in which the major coral reefs occur correspond to regions in which nearby urban centers are experiencing accelerated growth, and tourism development is rapidly increasing. The major human effects on the reef ecosystem are mostly associated with the increased sedimentation due to the removal of the Atlantic rainforest and the disposal of industrial and urban effluents. Fishing resources are seriously declining due to pollution and overfishing, and this reduction impacts artisanal fishers, who are impoverished and face food security risks. The effects of warming oceanic waters that have been affecting several reef areas with high-intensity coral bleaching did not show until the 2010 event, episodes of coral mass mortality in Brazilian reefs. However, since 2016, bleaching has increased, as has the mortality of milleporids. There are opportunities to develop purposeful biotechnologies that can support coral reef restoration and conservation. Reciprocally, preserved coral reef ecosystems containing peculiar genetic resources allow biotechnological opportunities to provide products and processes for economically and ecologically prosperous societies.

This book provides a compilation of basic information on the topic of the Patagonian Shelfbreak front, but integrally reanalyzes this under modern paradigms. The book provides a synthesis of the ecosystem characteristics, encompassing physical and chemical oceanography, plankton, nekton and benthos communities, fisheries and conservation issues. It provides hypothesis to guide future research, and recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. Fronts play key roles in marine ecosystems, and shelfbreak fronts are ubiquitous elsewhere in the world ocean, broadening the interest of our proposal. The Patagonian shelfbreak front is a hot spot of marine life, with several associated fisheries and intensive use by marine birds and mammals. This book will contribute to fill the information gap of the Southwestern Atlantic, a region where there is a growing interest in terms of conservation and management actions. Its primary audience are researchers and postgraduate students, being also relevant for conservation scientists and resource managers.

Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives is an award-winning and groundbreaking exploration of the fundamental elements of the taxonomy, systematics, physiology, and ecology of sharks, skates, rays, and chimera. This edition presents current research as well as traditional models, to provide future researchers with solid historical foundations in shark research as well as presenting current trends from which to develop new frontiers in their own work. Traditional areas of study such as age and growth, reproduction, taxonomy and systematics, sensory biology, and ecology are updated with contemporary research that incorporates emerging techniques including molecular genetics, exploratory techniques in artificial insemination, and the rapidly expanding fields of satellite tracking, remote sensing, accelerometry, and imaging. With two new editors and 90 contributors from the US, UK, South Africa, Portugal, France, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India, Palau, United Arab Emirates, Micronesia, Sweden, Argentina, Indonesia, Cameroon, and the Netherlands, this third edition is the most global and comprehensive yet. It adds six new chapters representing extensive studies of health, stress, disease and pathology, and social structure, and continues to explore elasmobranch ecological roles and interactions with their habitats. The book concludes with a comprehensive review of conservation policies, management, and strategies, as well as consideration of the potential effects of impending climate change. Presenting cohesive and integrated coverage of key topics and discussing technological advances used in modern shark research, this revised edition offers a well-rounded picture for students and researchers.

The Atlantic Forest is one of the 36 hotspots for biodiversity conservation worldwide. It is a unique, large biome (more than 3000 km in latitude; 2500 in longitude), marked by high biodiversity, high degree of endemic species and, at the same time, extremely threatened. Approximately 70% of the Brazilian population lives in the area of this biome, which makes the conflict between biodiversity conservation and the sustainability of the human population a relevant issue. This book aims to cover: 1) the historical characterization and geographic variation of the biome; 2) the distribution of the diversity of some relevant taxa; 3) the main threats to biodiversity, and 4) possible opportunities to ensure the biodiversity conservation, and the economic and social sustainability. Also, it is hoped that this book can be useful for those involved in the development of public policies aimed at the conservation of this important global biome.

The book presents a collection of large-scale network-modeling studies on coastal systems in Latin America. It includes a novel description of the functioning of coastal complex ecosystems and also predicts how natural and human-made disturbances percolate through the networks. Coastal areas belong to the most populated ecosystems around the globe, and are massively influenced by human impacts such as shipping, mining, fisheries, tourism, pollution and human settlements. Even though many of these activities have facilitated socio-economic development, they have also caused a significant deterioration in natural populations, communities and ecosystems worldwide. Covering coastal marine ecosystems of Latin America such as the NE and SE Pacific, NW Atlantic and Caribbean areas, it discusses the construction of quantitative (Ecopath-Ecosim-Ecospace and Centrality of Node Sets) and semi-quantitative (Loop Analysis) multispecies trophic-network models to describe and assess the impacts of natural and human interventions like pelagic and benthic fishing as well as natural events such as El Niño, and La Niña. The book also features steady state (and/or near moving equilibrium) and dynamical models to support the management of exploited organisms, and applies and quantifies macroscopic indices, based on Ascendency (Ulanowicz) and Local Stability (Levins´ Loop Analysis). Further, it discusses the determination of the Keystone Species Complex Index, which is a holistic extension of the classical concept of Keystone Species (Paine), offering novel strategies for conservation monitoring and management.

The Bahía Blanca Estuary is one of the largest coastal systems in Atlantic South America. This mesotidal estuary, situated in a sharp transition between humid subtropical and semiarid climates, has a unique combination of large interannual climatic variations. The estuarine area encompasses roughly 2300 square kilometers and is composed of wide expanses of intertidal flats, salt marshes, and emerged islands, which create intricate landscape patterns. Natural environments in the estuary sustain a high concentration of marine and terrestrial species, including endemic, threatened, and endangered fish and shorebirds. Puerto Cuatreros, in the inner zone of the estuary, hosts a permanent marine research station, whose records span more than 30 years of biophysical variables, and represent one of the largest time series of ecological data in South America. Beyond its ecological relevance, the Bahía Blanca Estuary is under increasing anthropogenic pressure from large urban settlements, industrial developments and harbors, raising the question of how to balance conservation and development. The Bahía Blanca Estuary: Ecology and Biodiversity offers a comprehensive review of life in the ecosystems of the estuary. The book is divided into five major sections, the first of which provides a description of the regional setting and covers key aspects of estuarine dynamics. The three following sections are dedicated to different habitat types and, within each section, the chapters are organized around major functional groups from pelagic and benthic environments. The fifth and final section covers issues related to management and conservation. Overall, the book provides essential and up-to-date reference material on the biodiversity and ecosystem processes of the Bahía Blanca Estuary, and will appeal to a broad international audience.

D'une beauté incontestable et d'une complexité fascinante, les estuaires constituent un milieu particulier, d'une grande richesse, autorisant plusieurs interprétations selon l'angle de vue abordé : estuaires des hydrologues, des villes, des ports, des industriels, mais aussi des paysages, des loisirs et des zones protégées. La pluralité des vues qui sont portées aux estuaires par les différents acteurs concernés par ce milieu, rend extrêmement intéressant et pédagogique la réflexion approfondie engagée dans cet ouvrage. Les milieux estuariens et littoraux, une approche scientifique pour les préserver et les exploiter durablement apporte en effet une contribution significative, documentée et illustrée, à l'état des connaissances sur le rôle et le fonctionnement du littoral et en particulier des estuaires. Cet ouvrage aide ainsi à comprendre la place et l'importante contribution des estuaires dans le fonctionnement des autres écosystèmes terrestres et marins. Il propose d'une façon très claire et accessible les schémas de développements qui sont nécessaires pour leur protection, leur adaptation aux changements, et surtout, de plus en plus indispensable, leur restauration en vue de préserver les services écosystémiques qui sont les siens.

This book gathers contributions from scientists and industry representatives on achieving a sustainable bioeconomy. It also covers the social sciences, economics, business, education and the environmental sciences. There is an urgent need to optimise and maximise the use of biological resources, so that primary production and processing systems can generate more food, fibre and other bio-based products with less environmental impacts and lower greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, we need a “sustainable bioeconomy” – a term that encompasses the sustainable production of renewable resources from land, fisheries and aquaculture environments and their conversion into food, feed, fibre bio-based products and bio-energy, as well as related public goods. Despite the relevance of achieving a sustainable bioeconomy, there are very few publications in this field. Addressing that gap, this book illustrates how biological resources and ecosystems could be used in amore sustainable, efficient and integrated manner – in other words, how the principles of sustainable bioeconomy can be implemented in practice. Given its interdisciplinary nature, the field of sustainable bioeconomy offers a unique opportunity to address complex and interconnected challenges, while also promoting economic growth. It helps countries and societies to make a transition and to use resources more efficiently, and shows how to rely less on biological resources to satisfy industry demands and consumer needs. The papers are innovative, cross-cutting and include many practice-based lessons learned, some of which are reproducible elsewhere. In closing, the book, prepared by the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) and the World Sustainable Development Research and Transfer Centre (WSD-RTC), reiterates the need to promote a sustainable bioeconomy today.