Ocean - The Secret of Planet Earth (eBook)

The ocean characterises planet Earth and differentiates it from the more than 5000 known planets. It is also the habitat where life emerged as a singularity in the universe. However, we know less about the oceans than we do about some remote planets such as Mars.

This book provides basic facts for understanding the oceans, their properties and their importance to mankind through the ages. The long relationship between the ocean and humanity, which permeates all areas of our culture, is at a crossroads where human activity is profoundly affecting its functioning and the integrity of marine ecosystems. However, the intelligent and rational use of the ocean holds, in large part, the key to providing the resources needed to sustain our quality of life in the future. Unlocking, through scientific research, the secrets that the ocean still holds is an essential challenge for humanity. This book informs the reader about all these aspects of the ocean through a text that combines scientific rigour with personal reflections based on the author's own experiences, dedicated to exploring and learning more about the ocean.

Prof. Carlos Duarte is a world-wide leader in multiple branches of biological oceanography and marine ecology. He established himself very early in his career as the world-wide leading authority on the ecology of seagrass meadows. He published on all aspects of seagrass ecology, from population biology to genetics, from depth and geographical distribution patterns to their role in biogeochemical cycles, and from conservation strategies to their sensitivity towards climate change. Prof. Carlos Duarte is probably the most versatile aquatic ecologist of his generation: he works from the tropics to polar ecosystems, from macrophytes to microbes, from coastal systems to open ocean gyres using all type of approaches. Many of his synthesis papers have set the stage for the field; e.g. his work initiated the discussion on the heterotrophic nature of oligotrophic systems and identified the role of hypoxia thresholds for marine biodiversity, and the blue carbon strategy to mitigate climate change through the conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems. His research is characterized by independence, creativity, serendipity and interdisciplinary linking, as well as the capacity to organize and collaborate with large interdisciplinary teams. Prof. Duarte's research is also characterized by versatility addressing marine ecosystems from the tropics to polar ecosystems, from macrophytes to microbes, and from coastal systems to open ocean gyres using a broad range of approaches.