Coastal Ecosystem Processes

Introduction Beaches and Tidal Flats Introduction Food Chains, Energy, and Carbon Flow Nitrogen Cycling Linkages to Physical Processes Mangroves and Salt Marshes Introduction Global Trends in Plant Biomass and Primary Production Factors Limiting Plant Production and Growth Food Webs and Decomposition Processes Nitrogen Flow Outwelling Seaweed and Seagrass Ecosystems Introduction Standing Crop and Primary Productivity Photosynthesis and Whole-Plant Carbon Balance Limiting Factors The Role of Grazers Detritus and Mineralization Processes Ecosystem Budgets Carbon Balance: Export and Links to Adjacent Systems Coral Reefs Introduction Sources of Carbon Production The Fate of Organic Matter Nitrogen and Phosphorus: Cycles and Limitation The Coral Factory: Carbon and Energy Budgets Systems-Level Perspectives: Models and Budgets The Role of Coral Reefs in the Tropical Biosphere The Coastal Ocean I. The Coastal Zone Introduction The Coastal Ocean Defined What Is an Estuary? Hydrographic Classification of Coastal Systems Coastal Plain Estuaries, Tidal Lagoons, and Bays (Types IV, V, and VI) Coastal Lagoons (Type VII) River-Dominated Systems (Types I, II, and III) The Coastal Ocean II. The Shelf Proper and Shelf Edge Introduction Shelf-Sea Fronts Along- and Across-Shelf Gradients Processes at the Shelf Edge Nutrient Cycles and Global Change in the Coastal Ocean Global Estimates of Fishery Yields to Humans Degradation and Conservation A Glimpse at the Global Problem Eutrophication Habitat Modification and Destruction Restoration Attempts: Problems and Progress Sustainability: Implications for Management Conservation: Tools and Impediments Global Climate Change: Coastal Implications A Final Remark References Index