2nd Edition

Biology of the Southern Ocean

By George A. Knox Copyright 2006
    634 Pages 291 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    First published in 1993, The Biology of the Southern Ocean has been referred to as international research at its best and an invaluable reference. Drawing on the considerable volume of information published in the last ten years, this second edition retains the format that made the first edition a popular bestseller, while updating the information with the latest research results available.

    The book begins with a description of the physico-chemical environment and, in a logical sequence, covers phytoplankton and primary production, the sea ice microbial communities and the secondary consumers, the zooplankton. The author includes an extended chapter on the biology and ecology of Antarctic krill that highlights its central position in the Southern Ocean food web. A series of chapters consider the higher consumers, nekton (with an emphasis on cephalopods) fish, seals, whales, and seabirds. The following chapters explore selected ecosystem components; the benthic communities, life beneath the fast ice and ice shelves, recent advances in understanding decomposition processes, and the role of bacteria and protozoa.

    The author synthesizes ecosystem dynamics, with an emphasis on the pelagic ecosystem. He covers resource exploitation, the impact of such exploitation on the marine ecosystem, and the problems involved in the management of the living resources. His epilogue summarizes the extent to which our understanding of the functioning of the Antarctic marine ecosystem has changed in the last 50 years; for example, there has been a dramatic change in our view of krill and its role in the Southern Ocean marine ecosystem. The book concludes with the statement that research carried out under the AGCS Programme and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) will continue to provide critical information on the functioning of Antarctic marine ecosystems.

    Intended for all those with an ongoing interest in Antarctic research, conservation, and management, this volume represents one of the most authoritative resources in the field as it covers all aspects of this important marine ecosystem.

    THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
    Introduction
    The Evolution of the Southern Ocean
    Bathymetry
    Climate
    Ice Cover
    Circulation Patterns and Water Masses
    Some Regional Hydrographic Features
    Bottom Water Formation

    PHYTOPLANKTON AND PRIMARY PRODUCTION
    Introduction
    Data Base
    Species Composition and Distribution
    Latitudinal Zonation of Planktonic Subsystems
    Phytoplankton Biomass
    Primary production
    Seasonal and Geographic Variation of Phytoplankton Biomass and Primary Production
    Factors Affecting Primary Production
    Growth Rates
    Heterotrophic Nutrition
    A model of Phytoplankton Production

    SEA ICE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES
    Introduction
    Sea ice as a Habitat
    Sea ice Communities
    Environmental Factors and Sea Ice Microalgal Physiology
    Sea Ice Micro- and Meiofauna
    Dynamics of Sea Ice Microbial Communities

    ZOOPLANKTON
    Introduction
    Species Composition and Distribution
    Life History and Growth
    Vertical Migration
    Swarming
    Feeding
    Biomass and Production
    Ecophysiology
    Strategies for Winter Survival
    Biotic and Abiotic Factors Affecting Distribution Patterns
    Life History and Growth
    Vertical Migration
    Swarming
    Feeding
    Biomass and Production
    Strategies for Winter Survival

    KRILL
    Introduction
    Species of Euphausiids
    Life History and Growth
    Krill Aggregations
    Distribution and Abundance
    Feeding and Energy Expenditure
    Krill Production

    NEKTON
    Introduction
    Species Composition and Distribution
    Cephalopods

    FISHES
    Introduction
    Species Composition and Distribution
    Morphological and Physiological adaptations
    Reproduction and growth
    Age, growth, mortality and biomass estimates
    Factors controlling the distribution and abundance of Antarctic fishes

    SEALS
    Introduction
    Species Composition and Distribution
    Abundance
    Social Organization and Reproductive Behaviour
    Feeding Ecology
    Reproduction, Growth and Development
    Population Dynamics

    WHALES
    Introduction
    Species Composition
    Distribution, General Life-Histories and Migration
    Segregation
    Reproduction
    Feeding Ecology
    Bioenergetics
    Population Dynamics
    Role in the Ecosystem

    BIRDS
    Introduction
    Species Composition and Distribution
    Abundance
    Breeding Biology
    Non-Breeding Biology
    Food and Feeding Ecology
    Energetics
    Population Structure and Dynamics
    Role in the Ecosystem

    BENTHIC COMMUNITIES
    Introduction
    The Antarctic Benthic Environment
    Littoral Communities
    Shallow Sublittoral Communities
    Epifaunal Communities
    Infaunal Communities
    Shelf and Upper Slope Communities
    Deep Sea Communities
    Microbial Communities
    Meiofauna
    Biogeography and Origin of the Benthic Fauna
    Factors Responsible for Shaping the Antarctic Benthos
    Biogeographical Schemes for the Antarctic Region
    Diversity, Abundance and Biomass
    Food and Feeding
    Bentho-Pelagic Coupling
    Ecological Strategies

    THE FAST ICE AND ICE SHELVES
    Introduction
    The Coastal Fast Ice Environment
    Primary Production
    Sedimentation and Resuspension
    Zooplankton
    The Sympagic Community
    The Platelet Ice Community
    The Cryopelagic Community
    The Ross and McMurdo Ice Shelves

    ICE EDGE PROCESSES
    Introduction
    Ice Edge Habitat
    Ice Edge Phytoplankton Biomass and Primary Production
    Potential Causes of Phytoplankton Blooms
    A Model of Ice Edge Bloom Dynamics
    Bacterioplankton
    Ice Edge Microheterotrophs
    Ice Edge Zooplankton and Nekton
    Ice edge vertebrates
    The Importance of the Ice Edge in the Ecology of the Southern Ocean

    DECOMPOSITION AND THE ROLE OF BACTERIA AND PROTOZOA
    Introduction
    Quantities and Sources of Organic Matter
    Sedimentation of POM
    Biogenic Fluxes in the Water Column
    Bacteria
    Viruses
    Protozoa
    Bacteria-Protozoa-POM Interactions
    The Microbial Loop
    Nutrient Cycling

    ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS
    Introduction
    Pelagic Zonation
    Phytoplankton and Primary Production
    Food Webs
    Ecosystem Models
    Southern Ocean Variability and Its Impact on the Pelagic Ecosystem

    RESOURCE EXPLOITATION
    Introduction
    Krill
    Fishes
    Seals
    Whales

    ECOSYSTEM CHANGES RESULTING FROM RESOURCE EXPLOITATION
    Introduction
    Ecosystem Changes Resulting from the Decline in Whale Stocks
    Potential Ecosystem Changes Which Might Result from Future Resource Exploitation

    MANAGEMENT OF THE LIVING RESOURCES
    Introduction
    The Convention of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
    Ecosystem Approach to the Management of the Living Resources of the Southern Ocean
    The Role of Modelling Studies
    Monitoring Indicators of Possible Ecological Changes in the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem
    Experimental Fishing as a Management Tool
    Alternative Management Strategies

    NEW! ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
    Introduction
    Biological Hazards of Ultraviolet Radiation
    UV Tolerance Mechanisms
    Impacts of Ultraviolet Radiation on Antarctic Marine Biota
    Conclusions

    NEW! GLOBAL WARMING AND ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
    Introduction
    The Physical Environment
    Evidence of Global Warming in the Southern Ocean
    The Potential Impact of Further Global Warming on Antarctic Marine Ecosystems
    Potential Change in Ecosystem Structure and Function

    NEW! HUMAN IMPACT
    Introduction
    Impact of Stations and Field Camps
    Impact of Waste Disposal
    Waste Disposal
    Disturbance of Nesting Seabirds
    Contamination of Marine Biota by Pollutants
    Impact of Oil Spills
    Impact of Resource Exploitation
    Epilogue
    References

    Biography

    George A. Knox

    "This book is a tribute to Knox’s tenacity. It remains the only comprehensive volume on the biology of the southern ocean published anywhere, and it is still by a single author. Anyone going, planning to go, or hoping to go to the Antarctic should become familiar with this book."

    – Gerald Gooyman, Biomedicine & Biotechnology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, in The Quarterly Review of Biology, Dec 2007, Vol. 82, No. 4

    ". . . gives us a perspective on Southern Ocean biology that is unique. This book, like its predecessor, is sure to become a standard, reference for Southern Ocean research."

    – Eileen E. Hofmann, in Antarctic Science, 2008, Vol. 20, No. 2

    "That a single author could compile a work of such breadth is astounding, even considering that his involvement in Antarctic research dates back to 1960. With its comprehensive coverage and vast list of references, this is an indispensable reference for natural science libraries. Summing Up: Essential."

    – G.C. Jensen, University of Washington, in Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Oct 2007, Vol. 45, No. 2