The success of the first volume of The Biology of Sea Turtles revealed a need for broad but comprehensive reviews of major recent advances in sea turtle biology. Biology of Sea Turtles, Volume II emphasizes practical aspects of biology that relate to sea turtle management and to changes in marine and coastal ecosystems. These topics i

This multivolume field guide covers the species of interest to fisheries of the major marine resource groups exploited in the Eastern Central Atlantic. The area of coverage includes FAO fishing area 34 and part of 47. The marine resource groups included are bivalves, gastropods, chitons, cephalopods, stomatopods, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes, chimaeras, bony fishes and sea turtles. The introductory chapter outlines the environmental, ecological, and biogeographical factors influencing the marine biota, and the basic components of the fisheries in the Eastern Central Atlantic. Within the field guide, the sections on the re source groups are arranged phylogenetically according to higher taxonomic levels such as class, order, and family. Each resource group is introduced by general re marks on the group, an illustrated section on technical terms and measurements, and a key or guide to orders or families. Each family generally has an account summarizing family diagnostic characters, bi o logical and fisheries in formation, notes on similar families occur ring in the area, a key to species, a check list of species, and a short list of relevant literature. Families that are less important to fisheries include an abbreviated family account and no de tailed species in formation. Species in the important families are treated in detail (arranged alphabetically by genus and species) and include the species name, frequent synonyms and names of similar specie s, an illustration, FAO common name(s), diagnostic characters, biology and fisheries in formation, notes on geo graphical distribution, and a distribution map. For less important species, abbreviated accounts are used. Generally, this includes the species name, FAO common name(s), an illustration, a distribution map, and notes on biology, fisheries, and distribution. Each volume concludes with its own index of scientific and common names.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. The Gulf of Mexico is an open and dynamic marine ecosystem rich in natural resources but heavily impacted by human activities, including agricultural, industrial, commercial and coastal development. The Gulf of Mexico has been continuously exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons for millions of years from natural oil and gas seeps on the sea floor, and more recently from oil drilling and production activities located in the water near and far from shore. Major accidental oil spills in the Gulf are infrequent; two of the most significant include the Ixtoc I blowout in the Bay of Campeche in 1979 and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. Unfortunately, baseline assessments of the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before these spills either were not available, or the data had not been systematically compiled in a way that would help scientists assess the potential short-term and long-term effects of such events. This 2-volume series compiles and summarizes thousands of data sets showing the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Volume 2 covers historical data on commercial and recreational fisheries, with an analysis of marketing trends and drivers; ecology, populations and risks to birds, sea turtles and marine mammals in the Gulf; and diseases and mortalities of fish and other animals that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico.

The most comprehensive book ever written on leatherback sea turtles. Weighing as much as 2,000 pounds and reaching lengths of over seven feet, leatherback turtles are the world’s largest reptile. These unusual sea turtles have a thick, pliable shell that helps them to withstand great depths—they can swim more than one thousand meters below the surface in search of food. And what food source sustains these goliaths? Their diet consists almost exclusively of jellyfish, a meal they crisscross the oceans to find. Leatherbacks have been declining in recent decades, and some predict they will be gone by the end of this century. Why? Because of two primary factors: human redevelopment of nesting beaches and commercial fishing. There are only twenty-nine index beaches in the world where these turtles nest, and there is immense pressure to develop most of them into homes or resorts. At the same time, longline and gill net fisheries continue to overwhelm waters frequented by leatherbacks. In The Leatherback Turtle, James R. Spotila and Pilar Santidrián Tomillo bring together the world’s leading experts to produce a volume that reveals the biology of the leatherback while putting a spotlight on the conservation problems and solutions related to the species. The book leaves us with options: embark on the conservation strategy laid out within its pages and save one of nature’s most splendid creations, or watch yet another magnificent species disappear.