Author Description

For over a decade no comprehensive treatment of modern rocky coast ecology world-wide has been available until now. With this volume a new and critical evaluation of that expanding, vital field is presented to provide a reference base for future work. Each chapter is written by an international authority, forming all together a thorough description of established knowledge and current research. Advances in littoral and sublittoral ecology are presented side-by-side for the first time. Interactions between flora and fauna are stressed throughout, such as a detailed appreciation of algal faunas and an extensive treatment of grazing molluscs. Other contributions develop themes central to all ecology, for example predation and optimal foraging, and life history strategies, issue whose original definitions were derived from studies of rocky coast organisms. The contents are closely integrated and include an appreciation of the work of Dr. J.R. Lewis, to whom this volume is dedicated upon his retirement. The exhaustive bibliography represents a unique and valuable source of reference to modern literature.