Gavin M. Burnell – författare

This volume presents a representative sample of contributions to the 41st European Marine Biology Symposium held in September 2005 in Cork, Ireland. The theme of the symposium was ‘Challenges to Marine Ecosystems’ and this was divided into four sub themes; Genetics, Marine Protected Areas, Global Climate Change and Marine Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Agriculture.

The world’s marine ecosystems face multiple challenges, some natural, but many resulting from humankind’s activities. Global climate change, driven by influences of energy usage and industrial practices, is a reality now accepted by most of the world’s scientists, media and political establishments. Warming seas and rising sea levels are regarded as threats, while visionaries consider deep ocean carbon disposal as a technological opportunity. Exploitation of the seas continues apace, with repeated concerns over the impact of over-fishing, plus reservations about the environmental effects of marine aquaculture. We need to understand how resilient organisms and ecosystems are to these challenges, while responding by protecting biologically-meaningful areas of the oceans. The subthemes of the 41st European Marine Biology Symposium address all of these matters.

Coastal populations of shellfish have been exploited by humans for millennia as an easily accessible source of fresh protein. Unfortunately, because the intertidal zone and the shallow coastal margins are so intertwined with man''s activities, these shellfish stocks are now severely threatened around the world. Issues such as anthropogenic pollution, harmful algal blooms, overfishing, loss of habitat, and local stakeholder conflicts are all contributing to an alarming decline in the natural productivity of these regions.

There have now been five International Conferences on Shellfish Restoration (ICSR) since 1996, which have focused the attention on transferring scientific knowledge into practical remedial and restorative actions for shellfish populations. This volume represents a selection of contributions from the third meeting in Cork, Ireland, 1999. It includes papers on lobsters, sea urchins, whelks, clams, mussels, and scallops, with a thematic emphasis on ranching, disease, environmental interactions, fisheries management, aquaculture, restoration, toxic algal blooms, and toxicity testing.