Thomas S. Bianchi

Elizabeth A. Canuel

This textbook provides a unique and thorough look at the application of chemical biomarkers to aquatic ecosystems. Defining a chemical biomarker as a compound that can be linked to particular sources of organic matter identified in the sediment record, the book indicates that the application of these biomarkers for an understanding of aquatic ecosystems consists of a biogeochemical approach that has been quite successful but underused. This book offers a wide-ranging guide to the broad diversity of these chemical biomarkers, is the first to be structured around the compounds themselves, and examines them in a connected and comprehensive way. This timely book is appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate students seeking training in this area; researchers in biochemistry, organic geochemistry, and biogeochemistry; researchers working on aspects of organic cycling in aquatic ecosystems; and paleoceanographers, petroleum geologists, and ecologists. Provides a guide to the broad diversity of chemical biomarkers in aquatic environments The first textbook to be structured around the compounds themselves Describes the structure, biochemical synthesis, analysis, and reactivity of each class of biomarkers Offers a selection of relevant applications to aquatic systems, including lakes, rivers, estuaries, oceans, and paleoenvironments Demonstrates the utility of using organic molecules as tracers of processes occurring in aquatic ecosystems, both modern and ancient

Chemical Biomarkers in Aquatic Ecosystems

Robert R. Twilley

Jonathan R. Pennock

The definitive ecological guide to the Gulf of MexicoEstuaries Today the ecological health of the Gulf of Mexico--long the base ofvast commercial fisheries--is at risk from a potent array ofthreats, from increased nutrient inputs to the loss of coastalwetlands that impact water quality. Never before has knowledge of the biogeochemical processes of theGulf's estuaries and wetlands been so critical to its preservation,and yet until now research on this vital area has beenfragmented. Biogeochemistry of Gulf of Mexico Estuaries offers a comprehensive,integrated examination of these vital natural resources and theirecology. Featuring contributions from a diverse group of expertscientists from all regions of the Gulf Coast, thisinterdisciplinary reference provides extensive coverage of what isknown about biogeochemical processes--and the factors that regulatethem--in warm temperate and subtropical systems. Organized around aframework that integrates geomorphology, sedimentary processes,nutrient cycling, and trace metals chemistry, it not onlydemonstrates how the Gulf's estuarine systems work, but alsoestablishes a basis for how they compare with other, better-studiedtemperate estuaries. In addition, the book features afascinating--and timely--examination of the effects ofbiogeochemical processes on estuarine management. Biogeochemistry of Gulf of Mexico Estuaries will be welcomed byecologists, marine scientists, environmental activists, and anyoneinvolved with managing these precious natural resources.

Biogeochemistry of Gulf of Mexico Estuaries

Biogeochemistry of Estuaries offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding biogeochemical cycling in estuaries. Designed as a text for intermediate to advanced students, this book utilizes numerous illustrations and an extensive literature base to impart the current state-of-the-art knowledge in this field. While many of the existing books in estuarine science are comprised of edited volumes, typically focused on highly specific topics in estuaries,Biogeochemistry of Estuaries provides, for the first time, a unique foundation in the areas of geomorphology, geochemistry, biochemistry, aqueous chemistry, and ecology, while making strong linkages (trhoughout the text) to ecosystem-based processes in estuarine sciences. Estuaries, located at the interface between land and the coastal ocean are dynamic, highly productive systems that, in many cases, have been historically associated with development of many of the great centers of early human civilization. Consequentially, these systems have and continue to be highly impacted by anthropogenic inputs. This timely book takes the foundational basis of elemental cycling in estuarine and applies it to estuarine management issues. Biogeochemistry of Estuaries will be welcomed by estuarine/marine scientists, ecologists, biogeochemists, and environmentalists around the world.

Biogeochemistry of Estuaries

Mead A. Allison

Wei-Jun Cai

This volume provides a state-of-the-art summary of biogeochemical dynamics at major river-coastal interfaces for advanced students and researchers. River systems play an important role (via the carbon cycle) in the natural self-regulation of Earth's surface conditions by serving as a major sink for anthropogenic CO2. Approximately 90 percent of global carbon burial occurs in ocean margins, with the majority of this thought to be buried in large delta-front estuaries (LDEs). This book provides information on how humans have altered carbon cycling, sediment dynamics, CO2 budgets, wetland dynamics, and nutrients and trace element cycling at the land-margin interface. Many of the globally important LDEs are discussed across a range of latitudes, elevation and climate in the drainage basin, coastal oceanographic setting, and nature and degree of human alteration. It is this breadth of examination that provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the overarching controls on major river biogeochemistry.

Linkages with Global Change

Biogeochemical Dynamics at Major River-Coastal Interfaces

Michael Seidel

Nicholas D. Ward

Patricia M. Medeiros

Richard G. Keil

Carol Robinson

The goal of this research topic was to motivate innovative research that blurs traditional disciplinary and geographical boundaries. As the scientific community continues to gain momentum and knowledge about how the natural world functions, it is increasingly important that we recognize the interconnected nature of earth systems and embrace the complexities of ecosystem transitions. We are pleased to present this body of work, which embodies the spirit of research spanning across the terrestrial-aquatic continuum, from mountains to the sea. Publisher’s note: In this 2nd edition, the following article has been updated: Sawakuchi HO, Neu V, Ward ND, Barros MdLC, Valerio AM, Gagne-Maynard W, Cunha AC, Less DFS, Diniz JEM, Brito DC, Krusche AV and Richey JE (2017) Carbon Dioxide Emissions along the Lower Amazon River. Front. Mar. Sci. 4:76. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2017.00076

Integrative Research on Organic Matter Cycling Across Aquatic Gradients, 2nd Edition

Humans have had a long relationship with the ebb and flow of tides on river deltas around the world. The fertile soils of river deltas provided early human civilizations with a means of farming crops and obtaining seafood from the highly productive marshes and shallow coastal waters associated with deltas. However, this relationship has at times been both nurturing and tumultuous for the development of early civilizations. The vicissitudes of seasonal changes in river flooding events as well as frequently shifting deltaic soils made life for these early human settlements challenging. These natural transient processes that affect the supply of sediments to deltas today are in many ways very similar to what they have been over the millennia of human settlements. But something else has been altered in the natural rhythm of these cycles. The massive expansion of human populations around the world in both the lower and upper drainage basins of these large rivers have changed the manner in which sediments and water are delivered to deltas. Because of the high density of human populations found in these regions, humans have developed elaborate hydrological engineering schemes in an attempt to "tame" these deltas. The goal of this book is to provide information on the historical relationship between humans and deltas that will hopefully encourage immediate preparation for coastal management plans in response to the impending inundation of major cities, as a result of global change around the world.

Thomas S. Bianchi

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