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Coral Reefs: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

Charles Sheppard

April 2021

ISBN: 9780198869825

152 pages
Paperback
174x111mm

In Stock

Very Short Introductions

Price: £8.99

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse of ecosystems. Here, Charles Sheppard tells the fascinating story of how and where coral reefs are formed and the variety of marine life they support. He highlights the severe threats they face due to climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation, and the ongoing conservation efforts to save them.

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Description

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse of ecosystems. Here, Charles Sheppard tells the fascinating story of how and where coral reefs are formed and the variety of marine life they support. He highlights the severe threats they face due to climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation, and the ongoing conservation efforts to save them.

  • Explores the vibrant and diverse ecosystems of coral reefs
  • Explains how coral reefs are created and have evolved
  • Emphasizes the threats coral reefs face and the conservation efforts in place
  • Discusses the important role of politics, governance, and human behaviour in arresting the decline of coral reefs
  • Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over ten million copies sold worldwide

New to this edition

  • Considers the consequences of the pair of ocean heatwaves in 2015 and 2016 that killed about half of the world's corals
  • Contains new research on the coral animals and their numerous and complex symbioses with mico-organisms

About the Author(s)

Charles Sheppard, Professor Emeritus

Charles Sheppard O.B.E. is Professor Emeritus in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick, and Visiting Professor in the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University. His research focuses on community ecology and on responses to climate change. He is the author or editor of several books including The Biology of Coral Reefs (2nd edition OUP, 2018).

Table of Contents

    1:Geology or biology?
    2:Ancient reefs and islands
    3:The architects of a reef
    4:The resulting structure - a reef
    5:Microbial and planktonic engines of the reef
    6:Reef fish and other major predators
    7:Regional scale pressures on reefs
    8:Global scale pressures on reefs - Climate change
    9:Doing something about it
    Further Reading
    Index

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