The American Sea : A Natural History of the Gulf of Mexico.

Intro -- Contents -- Dedication -- Foreword -- Obituary -- Foreword II -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Part I -- Historical Background -- Pre-Columbian Period -- Early Exploration and Mapping -- Redefinition of Political Boundaries -- Early Scientific Studies -- Wartime and Post-War Expansion -- An Introduction to Marine Science -- The Crust of the Earth and Margin of the Sea -- Surface Sediments -- Physical Characteristics of the Water Column -- Chemical Characteristics of Seawater -- Biological Organization of the Sea -- Marine Ecosystems -- Part II -- Origin and History of the Gulf of Mexico Basin -- Development of Knowledge About the Gulf Basin -- Definition of the Structural Basin -- Formation of Pangaea -- Basin Stability Followed by Rifting -- Changes in the Underlying Crust -- Associated Events During the Jurassic -- Cretaceous Events -- Tertiary Processes -- Quaternary Processes -- Salt Tectonics -- Petroleum Deposits -- The Chicxulub Event -- Physiography and Sedimentary Environments -- Physiography -- Regional Environments and Topographic Features -- Sedimentary Processes -- Reading the Deep Gulf -- Evidence of the K/T Boundary Event -- Meteorology -- Air Masses -- Wind -- Wind Stress -- Air Temperature -- Air Pressure -- Relative Humidity -- Precipitation -- Tropical Cyclones -- Cold Frontal Passages -- Heat and Mass Exchange at the Water's Surface -- Physical Oceanography -- Tides and Sea Level -- Surface Waves and Swell -- Water Masses -- Hydrography -- Circulation -- The Restless Gulf -- Numerical Modeling -- Chemical Oceanography -- General Background -- Suspended Material -- General Inorganic Chemistry -- General Organic Chemistry -- Chemistry of the Sediments -- Hydrocarbons -- Hypoxia -- Oxygen Levels in the Deep Gulf -- Part III -- Phytoplankton -- Phytoplankton Composition -- Distribution Patterns.

Phytoplankton Standing Crop -- Primary Production -- Noxious Phytoplankton Species -- Zooplankton -- Zooplankton Composition -- Zooplankton Distribution and Abundance -- Indicator Species -- Zoogeography -- Neuston -- Zooplankton in Relation to Food Chains of the Sea -- Benthos of Soft Bottoms -- The Benthic Environment -- Benthic Literature -- Composition of the Biota -- Biota of Hard Substrates -- The Hard-Substrate Environment -- Composition of the Biota -- Distribution of Hard-Substrate Habitat -- Hard-Substrate Communities of the Gulf -- Plant-Dominated Communities -- Higher Plants in the Marine Environment -- Salt Marsh Communities -- Mangrove Swamp Communities -- Seagrass Meadow Communities -- Nekton -- Modifications for Nektonic Life -- Composition of the Nekton -- Patterns of Nekton Distribution and Behavior -- The Deep Gulf -- Vertical Zonation -- Physical Environment of the Deep Gulf -- Distribution of Life and Nutrients in the Deep Gulf -- Vertical Patterns of Production and Standing Crop -- Adaptations for Life in the Deep Gulf -- Plankton and Nekton of the Open Gulf -- Benthos and Demersal Fishes of the Deep Gulf -- Part IV -- Ecological Processes I -- Ranges of Tolerance and Limiting Factors -- Physical Factors of the Environment -- Biological Factors -- Catastrophic Episodic Events -- Ecological Processes II -- Individual Life Histories -- Multispecies Aggregations -- Part V -- Human Impacts on Coastal and Marine Systems -- Historical Background -- Human Activities that Affect the Gulf -- Pollution-Related Issues -- Management Perspectives -- The Need for New Management Perspectives -- International Law of the Sea -- United States' Maritime Jurisdiction -- Federal Involvement in Managing the Gulf -- Future Prospects -- General Recommendations -- Literature Cited -- Index.

For more than a decade, Rezneat Darnell worked on this major synthesis of what is known about the Gulf of Mexico. His goal: to bring a deeper understanding of "the American Sea" to students, scientists, managers, and educated citizens of the public at large. The American Sea builds on Darnell's own research, the research of his graduate students, government agency research reports, data synthesis reports, and literature summaries to present a holistic view of the Gulf of Mexico. Although he is recognized as a pioneer in the study of continental shelf ecology, Darnell largely resisted specialization, remaining throughout his career "the writer and bringer together of things." Here, he has written a book that embraces history, geology, geography, meteorology, chemistry, biology, ecology, and human relations in one comprehensive reference. Although it is thorough and meticulous in coverage, what comes through in these pages is the enormity, complexity, and mystery of the world that lies just beyond the Texas vacation beach, the Louisiana wetland, or the Mexico fishing village. In addition to photographs of deep water and other organisms that are included in the book, a number of illustrations have been added to provide excellent visual material, including historical and ocean floor maps and many works of original art depicting marine species, sea turtles, fish, and crustaceans.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.