Scientists increasingly recognize the commanding position that oceans hold with regard to our planet's climate, food production, availability of living resources, and the air we breathe. As nations grapple with issues of economic development and global change, however, little attention has been paid to expanding our knowledge about the diversity of life in the 70% of the earth's surface that is oceanic. The evaluations in this volume reflect a consensus among scientists of several nations regarding the state of scientific knowlege about oceanic life relative both to existing demands and expectations, and to those yet to come. The contributors point out serious deficiencies and gaps in our knowledge-base, and suggest the level of effort needed to advance the field. The book includes specific, constructive short-term recommendations for a field in which international co-operation is both possible and desirable, and addresses itself not only to ocean and biological science policy, but to all science and technology policy.
