The Ecology of Sandy Shores

The Ecology of Sandy Shores, Third Edition, provides both a holistic and conceptual introduction for beginners, while also presenting an in-depth and cutting-edge analysis for researchers interested in sandy shores. This new edition focuses on resource use, and has also been updated to include recent findings, enhanced illustrations, and additional coverage on beach fisheries and global/climate change. In addition, this release presents insights on food webs, greater coverage on global biodiversity patterns in sandy beaches, and new insights on population patterns, behavior and threats.

Research on beaches is difficult because of the dynamic nature of the environment. There is no other book covering the ecology of sandy beaches, despite the extent and economic importance of these systems. This book is designed to both provide the conceptual basis to introduce students to the basic principles of sandy shore ecology and to serve as a ready reference for doctoral students and researches working on these systems. It can also serve as a handbook for land and coastal managers.

Fully updated edition of the preeminent book on sandy shoresCovers sandy shores from the perspective that they are a socioecological systemRepresents the top resource on an enormous habitat that is important in every way—ecologically, environmentally, socially and economically

1. Introduction 2. The Physical Environment 3. The Interstitial Environment 4. Beach and Surf-Zone Flora 5. Sandy Beach Invertebrates 6. Adaptations to Sandy Beach Life 7. Benthic Macrofauna Communities 8. Benthic Macrofauna Populations 9. Interstitial Ecology 10. Surf-Zone Zooplankton and Nekton 11. Other Marine and Terrestrial Vertebrates 12. Energetics and Nutrients Cycling 13. Coastal Dune Ecosystems and Dune/Beach Interactions 14. Fisheries 15. Human Impacts 16. Climate Change 17. Management and Conservation