This marine biology text is built around two important themes - it emphasizes the ecological principles governing marine life throughout the world, and it applies a habitat approach to the study of marine environments. The book covers all the major habitats found in the oceans of the world, making it a highly flexible teaching tool. In each chapter a wide range of topics is covered for a given habitat, from coral reefs to rocky shores. This edition has been updated to include the most recent material on such topics as the effects of global warming, the importance of nanoplankton and hydrothermal vents.