The prime function of the interstitial system is the processing of organic material flushed into the sand. It functions as a carbon sink, which has significant implications in this age, in which we are trying to fight carbon levels in the atmosphere. Copepods are top predators here and thus crucially important. This book presents the first data about cyclopoid and poecilostomatoid copepods from the Australian marine interstitial. It includes one new cyclopoid family, the second record of the poecilostomatoid family Polyankyaliidae, one new genus, and 21 new species. A zoogeographic analysis of the copepods recorded emphasizes the importance of looking at small-scale patterns when inferring Gondwanaland biogeography, and a number of distinct zoogeographic regions is now becoming apparent in Australia.

The published works are derived from the Zoological catalogue of Australia database. Taxa in the Australian fauna are divided among volumes to form sets of about 1800-2000 species available names, such that each volume comprises the whole or part of one or more major groups.

In this Special Issue, we address the state of the art of the systematics of the main annelid groups and the improvements in the diversity they hold, with special emphasis on the latest discoveries in well-studied areas, expeditions to unsurveyed areas or environments, or the use of novel techniques that allow for the improvement of biodiversity knowledge. We are hoping that this Special Issue will provide a platform facilitating a review of current knowledge on the subject, identifying current research problems, as well as indicating directions and research trends for the future.

The nemerteans are a fascinating, common and often locally abundant group of invertebrates, yet for long have attracted the attention of only a handful of scientists. In recent years, however, increasing numbers of people have developed diverse research interests in the group with the result that our knowledge of these worms has rapidly advanced. Clearly there is a need for a regular series of international meetings where individuals working on these animals can meet to exchange ideas, review developments concerning nemertean biology and freely discuss future proposals. The first such meeting was held in Philadelphia during December 1983. Twenty-seven scientists from eight countries participated in the Second International Meeting on Nemertean Biology, held at the Tjarno Marine Biological Laboratory, Sweden, 11-15 August 1986. The meeting was divid ed into five sessions: two dealt with ecological studies, two with nemertean taxonomy, and the final session covered aspects of general biology. A total of 26 papers was presented; four, by N. Anadem, G. Berg, 1. Bierne, and 1.M. TurbeviIIe, were for different reasons not submitted for inclusion in this volume. Three additional presentations were made on behalf of B. Kulikova, E. N. WiIImer, and Z. Yin, all of whom were unable to participate in the meeting.

The Alboran Sea represents a regional Mediterranean space where North and South worlds merges, creating a geopolitical region where marine resources and maritime activities should be managed from a national and international perspectives. It is widely known, that currently the planet is suffering a global change, and it is also affecting the Alboran Sea, its ecosystems and populations. An important first step to update a paramount vision on this region is to understand the climatic, geologic and oceanographic, including biochemical cycles, process which shapes the rich geodiversity, biodiversity, the productivity, and the sustainable use of the marine resources from Alboran Sea. The fisheries management system should take into account marine environmental variability to achieve biological sustainability of marine resources. Well-funded policy-makers’ decisions require a sound science based knowledge of the interaction between the marine environment and commercial stocks. This is because the role of marine environment in the evolution of fish stocks is sometimes even more important than the one played by fishers in the commercial exploitation of them. Finally, we should analyze the different aspects of political context that could affect the management of the resources from Alboran Sea in the context of climate change. This book reviews different aspects of the Alboran Sea to help understand the current situation from the original Tethis Ocean. The book is divided into four blocks: (i) Oceanographic, geological and ecological context (chapters 2 to 7), (ii) biodiversity and ecosystems distribution (chapters 8 to 12), (iii) fisheries resources and aquaculture (chapters 13 to 20), and (iv) conservation, management and marine polices (chapters 21 to 25).

The book traces the ways in which terrestrial animals have evolved from aquatic ancestors and discusses the means by which they are adapted to life on land. The most important physiological adaptations are those involving salt and water balance, the excretion of nitrogen, reproductive mechanisms and the sense organ and these are given priority. Evidence from fossil history is combined with that from the ecology and physiology of present-day species to assess the probable routes along which various evolutionary lines had moved on to land. Individual chapters are concerned with specific animal groups and emphasis is placed on comparisons of physiological mechanisms between closely related animals before attempting wider generalisations. The book closes with a brief account of the recolonisation of the sea and fresh waters by terrestrial animals.

This book emphasises the important role that protozoa play in many natural ecosystems. To shed new light on their individual adaptive skills, the respective chapters examine the ecology and functional biology of this diverse group of eukaryotic microbes. Protozoa are well-established model organisms that exemplify many general problems in population ecology and community ecology, as well as evolutionary biology. Their particular characteristics, like large population sizes, life cycles and motile sensory behaviour, have a profound impact on their survival, distribution, and interaction with other species. Thus, readers will also be introduced to protozoan habitats in a broad range of environments. Even though this group of unicellular organisms is highly diverse, the authors focus on shared ecological patterns. Students and scientists working in the areas of eukaryotic microbiology and ecology will appreciate this updated and revised 2nd Edition as a valuable reference guide to the “lifestyles” of protozoa.