With contributions by E.Abraham, D.Barnes, R.Carpenter, L.Collado, P.Dodds, S.Dudgeon, D.Garbary, S.Gatti, B.Helmuth, M.R.Koehl, H.Lasker, R.Merks., W.Müller, S.Muko, B. Rinkevich, J.Sanchez, P.Sloot, M.Vermeij

Presents an illustrated, A-Z encyclopedia with more than 600 entries providing information on topics related to marine science.

This book offers a thorough and up-to-date treatment of the use of morphometric procedures in a wide variety of contexts. As one of the most dynamic and popular fields on the contemporary biological scene, morphometrics is gaining notice among researchers and students as a necessary complement to molecular studies in the understanding and maintenance of biodiversity. This is the first reference to meet that growing need.

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are known to be very rich sources for bioactive compounds, mainly secondary metabolites. Main efforts are devoted to cell- and mariculture of sponges to assure a sustainable exploitation of bioactive compounds from biological starting material. These activities are flanked by improved technologies to cultivate bacteria and fungi which are associated with the sponges. It is the hope that by elucidating the strategies of interaction between microorganisms and their host (sponge), by modern cell and molecular biological methods, a more comprehensive cultivation of the symbiotic organisms will be possible. The next step in the transfer of knowledge to biotechnological applications is the isolation, characterization and structural determination of the bioactive compounds by sophisticated chemical approaches.

The importance of molecular approaches for comparative biology and the rapid development of new molecular tools is unprecedented. The extraordinary molecular progress belies the need for understanding the development and basic biology of whole organisms. Vigorous international efforts to train the next-generation of experimental biologists must combine both levels – next generation molecular approaches and traditional organismal biology. This book provides cutting-edge chapters regarding the growing list of marine model organisms. Access to and practical advice on these model organisms have become a conditio sine qua non for a modern education of advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and postdocs working on marine model systems. Model organisms are not only tools they are also bridges between fields – from behavior, development and physiology to functional genomics. Key Features Offers deep insights into cutting-edge model system science Provides in-depth overviews of all prominent marine model organisms Illustrates challenging experimental approaches to model system research Serves as a reference book also for next-generation functional genomics applications Fills an urgent need for students Related Titles Jarret, R. L. & K. McCluskey, eds. The Biological Resources of Model Organisms (ISBN 978-1-1382-9461-5) Kim, S.-K. Healthcare Using Marine Organisms (ISBN 978-1-1382-9538-4) Mudher, A. & T. Newman, eds. Drosophila: A Toolbox for the Study of Neurodegenerative Disease (ISBN 978-0-4154-1185-1) Green, S. L. The Laboratory Xenopus sp. (ISBN 978-1-4200-9109-0)

Advances in Marine Biology has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 -- over 45 years of outstanding coverage! The series is well-known for both its excellence of reviews and editing. Now edited by Michael Lesser, with an internationally renowned Editorial Board, the serial publishes in-depth and up-to-date content on a wide range of topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Rated "Number 1" in the highly competitive category of Marine & Freshwater Biology by ISI in the 2000 ISI journals citation report Maintains an Impact Factor of 3.37, the highest in the field Series features over 35 years of coverage of the research

Seaweeds (macroalgae) represent the most striking living components in the Antarctic’s near-shore ecosystems, especially across the West Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent islands. Due to their abundance, their central roles as primary producers and foundation organisms, and as sources of diverse metabolically active products, seaweed assemblages are fundamental to biogeochemical cycles in Antarctic coastal systems. In recent years, the imminence of climate change and the direct impacts of human beings, which are affecting vast regions of the Antarctic, have highlighted the importance of seaweed processes in connection with biodiversity, adaptation and interactions in the benthic network. Various research groups have been actively involved in the investigation of these topics. Many of these research efforts have a long tradition, while some “newcomers” have also recently contributed important new approaches to the study of these organisms, benefiting polar science as a whole. This book provides an overview of recent advances and insights gleaned over the past several years. Focusing on a timely topic and extremely valuable resource, it assesses the challenges and outlines future directions in the study of Antarctic seaweeds.

Some of the most challenging problems in science and engineering are being addressed by the integration of computation and science, a research ?eld known as computational science. Computational science plays a vital role in fundamental advances in biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and a host of other disciplines. This is through the coordination of computation, data management, access to instrumentation, knowledge synthesis, and the use of new devices. It has an impact on researchers and practitioners in the sciences and beyond. The sheer size of many challenges in computational science dictates the use of supercomputing, parallel and distri- ted processing, grid-based processing, advanced visualization and sophisticated algorithms. At the dawn of the 21st century the series of International Conferences on Computational Science (ICCS) was initiated with a ?rst meeting in May 2001 in San Francisco. The success of that meeting motivated the organization of the - cond meeting held in Amsterdam April 21–24, 2002, where over 500 participants pushed the research ?eld further. The International Conference on Computational Science 2003 (ICCS 2003) is the follow-up to these earlier conferences. ICCS 2003 is unique, in that it was a single event held at two di?erent sites almost opposite each other on the globe – Melbourne, Australia and St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. The conference ran on the same dates at both locations and all the presented work was published in a single set of proceedings, which you hold in your hands right now.