All about Deserts

Abstract

Saline water covers most of our planet and supports a rich variety of life. Whether one considers genomes, species, ecosystems, or biomes, there is seemingly inexhaustible knowledge to be gained. The Anthropocene is an era marked by novel and complex interactions between the environment and humans that present challenges to our relationship with marine biodiversity (e.g., Bornatowski et al. 2013, 2014). The extraordinary natural variability across multiple biological levels and spatiotemporal scales, with its concomitant uncertainties, blind spots, shortfalls, and abrupt community shifts, when coupled with exploitative and unsustainable practices leads to potential synergistic natural or anthropogenic effects. Current management practices rarely incorporate interactions among the different stressors on the multiple uses, traditional and new, of marine biodiversity. Humaninduced climate change and the increasing use of marine resources have clear consequences for marine environments, notably the melting of sea ice, ocean acidification, thermal-regime shifts, introduction of non-native invasive species, pollution, and overfishing, all of which affect both biodiversity and ecosystem services (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005; Reid et al. 2016). Human effects are not random. For instance, extinction threat relative to pelagic animals is powerfully linked to large body size (Payne et al. 2016). I suspect we are heading toward an overall "aquatic benthification" (Zhu et al. 2006) as a particular element of the global process of biotic simplification and homogenization. Despite all the negative effects we humans have imposed, the marine environment continues to provide pleasant surprises, such as the recent discovery of an extensive and novel type of marine reef ecosystem at the mouth of the Amazon River (Moura et al. 2016). Unfortunately, marine protected areas are few, not well planned or managed, and are just beginning to increase in number (Lanyon 2016). The Marine realm does not exist for humans to take whatever they want. This fact needs to be understood for the welfare of humanity. In this context, I trust that Hiscock and Beaugrand's books will, in many ways, help us deal with current and new challenges with respect to rapid and drastic changes in marine biodiversity and especially to avoid losing natural heritage, the extent of which is still unknown. These two monographs in the Routledge Earthscan Oceans Series have dissimilar general approaches. The first has a slightly greater emphasis on practical management and conservation, whereas the second has a more theoretical focus. Both merit attention from a wide readership, including oceanographers, marine biologists, managers, and a more general audience of academics, conservation practitioners, planners, and members of the public with interest in nature and conservation. These books provide the reader with an immense collection of solid information concerning marine biodiversity, including major ecosystem patterns, processes, and theories; human impacts; an...