Marine sediments dominate the global seabed, creating the largest ecosystem on earth. Seafloor biodiversity is a key mediator of ecosystem functioning, yet critical processes are often excluded from global biogeochemical budgets or simplified to black boxes in ecosystem models. This accessible textbook provides an ideal point of entry into the field, providing basic information on the nature of soft-sediment ecosystems, examples of how and why we research them, the new questions these studies inspire, and the applications that ultimately benefit society. While focussing on coastal habitats (200m depth) to emphasize process-based experimental studies, it is relevant to the full range of marine sedimentary habitats. The authors describe the interactions between marine organisms and their physical and chemical environment, demonstrating the need for carefully designed research programs and providing the basic steps required to formulate sound ecological questions before applying them to empirical studies of real-world ecosystems. The book reveals the connections between different system components and drivers of change, examining how we can develop knowledge on the biodiversity and functioning of soft sediments and apply it to a better understanding of ecosystem change, human impacts, and effective restoration. Ecology of Coastal Marine Sediments is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who have completed a general ecology course but received no further training in marine science. It will also be useful to both professional researchers and resource managers in marine ecology and environmental science who seek a compact and authoritative introduction to sediment ecology.

Title_Pages
Preface
Acknowledgements
The_sedimentary_environment
Benthic_animals_and_plants_and_what_they_do_to_sediments
Disturbance_patches_and_mosaics
Design_and_the_philosophy_of_sampling
Data_collection_methods_and_statistical_analyses
Describing_assemblages_and_biodiversity_of_sedimentliving_organisms
Biotic_interactions
Temporal_variations_in_benthic_assemblages_and_processes
Ecosystem_functions_and_the_work_of_soft_sediments
Biodiversityecosystem_function
Human_impacts
Climate_change_and_seafloor_ecology
Restoration_of_softsediment_habitats
Glossary
Index

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