Marine Fishery Resources

Description

Marine fisheries are very important to the economy and well- being of coastal communities. Maintaining the long-term prosperity and sustainability of marine fisheries is not only of political and social significance but also of economic and ecological importance. Marine biology is the scientific study of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxonomy.
Marine ecosystems are very important for the overall health of both marine and terrestrial environments. According to the World Resource Centre, coastal habitats alone account for approximately 1/3 of all marine biological productivity, and estuarine ecosystems (i.e., salt marshes, seagrasses, mangrove forests) are among the most productive regions on the planet. In addition, other marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, provide food and shelter to the highest levels of marine diversity in the world.
The primary goal of preparing this book is to present a balanced view of the diversity of issues that relate to the water and marine environment and to provide the fundamental information that will allow readers to understand the complexities of those issues.