Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Coral reefs are among the most beautiful, and most diverse, of ecosystems. Early seafarers were wary of them, naturalists were confused by them, yet many coastal people benefited greatly from these mysterious rocky structures that grew up to the surface of the sea. They have been rich in their supply of food, and they provided a breakwater from storms and high waves to countless coastal communities that developed from their protection. Their scale is enormous and their value high. Found in countless locations around the world, from the Indo-Pacific coral reef province to the Caribbean and Australia, they support both marine and human life. But today coral reefs are in trouble, with many dying or suffering from over-exploitation, pollution, and the warming and acidification of the oceans. Understanding reefs, their conservation and management, is vital, and so is conveying this to authority if we are to preserve these remarkable ecosystems. In this Very Short Introduction Charles Sheppard describes the complex structure and interdependencies of a reef, how reefs have evolved, the diversity of marine life that they support, and their importance to the human population who live beside them. This new edition describes the latest research on the complex symbioses of coral animals with microorganisms. It also highlights the scale of the challenge facing our reefs today, following recent ocean heatwaves - part of wider climate disruption - that killed half the world's reefs, and considers what can be done to preserve these essential and vibrant ecosystems. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
This book is the story of the natural history of Chagos Archipelago, and of the efforts of many to get it recognized as an important and protected wildlife reserve. Exploring its immense natural riches and biodiversity, both on islands and in the marine environment, this book addresses competing claims to its resources, its politics, and the desire of some commercial and political parties to exploit the area. It is about the fight to conserve a wonderland of biodiversity and obtain its protection from exploitation, especially of its reefs and other marine life. This book shows the importance of the Chagos Archipelago and why so much research was done there. Rather than being a typical research book, this work presents research in a narrative form and describes the now substantial Government, UN, and legal interest in the archipelago since the UK was told to ‘decolonise’ it. It is also the story of our planet in miniature: the archipelago encapsulates much of the world’s conservation tribulations in a way we can much more easily understand. This narrative will explore the difficulties faced by the Chagos Archipelago, including displaced people, old and derelict industries (coconut in this case), the military, politics, rich and untouched ecosystems that some want to exploit, ruined habitats on land, climate change, and territorial claims. It will examine how all of these factors have affected the natural history, biodiversity, and conservation of the archipelago. With beautiful photography of the Chagos Archipelago coral reefs and islands, as well as graphs indicating their findings, this book offers professionals, researchers, academics, and students in conservation and biodiversity an insight into one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. It is also accessible for non‐academic readers with an interest in climate change, biodiversity, and the importance of conservation.
Connecting people with God is a duty every believer in Jesus Christ must do as God enables them."James Charles Sheppard, born August 2, 1947 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania has found the call of God to be a poet, a commission given on the night of his conversion to Christianity. And after twenty-seven years of writing, the experiences of life have been documented through many challenging trials where God has revealed His mercies and grace. Every poetic work has been bathed in prayer over each blank page before the Holy Spirit gave His unction. Following the scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: " KJV, the author similarly writes poetry under these categories for use in sermon topics, teaching aides, Bible study and private meditation. In addition there are two more categories, one of which is evangelism, containing subjects for the person who might be seeking God. And the second is exhortation writings based on Spirit-filled inspirational poems. It is the author's desire for every Christian to read a message to the church of Jesus Christ, given by way of a dream in 1988, that the Lord is coming for a bride who is to be ready. To God be the glory!
Coral reefs represent the most spectacular and diverse marine ecosystem on the planet as well as a critical source of income for millions of people. However, the combined effects of human activity have led to a rapid decline in the health of reefs worldwide, with many now facing complete destruction. Their world-wide deterioration and over-exploitation has continued and even accelerated in many areas since the publication of the first edition in 2009. At the same time, there has been a near doubling in the number of scientific papers that have been written in this short time about coral reef biology and the ability to acclimate to ocean warming and acidification. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, incorporating the significant increase in knowledge gained over the last decade whilst retaining the book's focus as a concise and affordable overview of the field. The Biology of Coral Reefs provides an integrated overview of the function, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of coral reef organisms. Each chapter is enriched with a selection of 'boxes' on specific aspects written by internationally recognised experts. As with other books in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate this marine environment although pollution, conservation, climate change, and experimental aspects are also included. Indeed, particular emphasis is placed on conservation and management due to the habitat's critically endangered status. A global range of examples is employed which gives the book international relevance.
An illustrated look at corals and the reefs they build around the world, and the causes and dire consequences of their rapid disappearance Corals are among the most varied lifeforms on Earth, ranging from mushroom corals and leather corals to button polyps, sea fans, anemones, and pulse corals. Bridging the gap between plant and animal, these marine invertebrates serve as homes to reef fish and share symbiotic relationships with photosynthesizing algae, which provide corals with their nourishment. This stunningly illustrated book profiles the astonishing diversity of the world's coral groups, describing key aspects of their natural history and explaining why coral reefs are critical to the health of our oceans. Representative examples of corals have been selected to illustrate the broad range of species, and the book's lively and informative commentary covers everything from identification to conservation, making it an essential resource for marine biologists, divers, and anyone who is fascinated by these remarkable sea creatures. Features more than 200 exquisite color photos Highlights key aspects of corals and their natural history Features representative examples from around the world Includes photos of rare and unusual species
Coral reefs represent the most spectacular and diverse marine ecosystem on the planet as well as a critical source of income for millions of people. However, the combined effects of human activity have led to a rapid decline in the health of reefs worldwide, with many now facing complete destruction. Their world-wide deterioration and over-exploitation has continued and even accelerated in many areas since the publication of the first edition in 2009. At the same time, there has been a near doubling in the number of scientific papers that have been written in this short time about coral reef biology and the ability to acclimate to ocean warming and acidification. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, incorporating the significant increase in knowledge gained over the last decade whilst retaining the book's focus as a concise and affordable overview of the field. The Biology of Coral Reefs provides an integrated overview of the function, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of coral reef organisms. Each chapter is enriched with a selection of 'boxes' on specific aspects written by internationally recognised experts. As with other books in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate this marine environment although pollution, conservation, climate change, and experimental aspects are also included. Indeed, particular emphasis is placed on conservation and management due to the habitat's critically endangered status. A global range of examples is employed which gives the book international relevance.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This single-volume edition combines books by two of Britain's leading animal illustrators of the 20th century: Raymond Sheppard's Drawing at the Zoo and Charles Tunnicliffe's How to Draw Farm Animals.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program is preparing to transition from a two print capture process to a 10-print slap capture process. In preparing for the 10-print pilot testing, a concern that the existing counters that house the fingerprint scanners are too tall to support the ten print collection process was identified. Lowering the counters in the facilities is not possible for the pilot testing. However, angling the scanners on the counter may alleviate the problems. US-VISIT asked the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Biometrics Usability team to examine the impact on fingerprint capture performance of angling the fingerprint scanners on the existing counter heights to accommodate the upcoming pilot testing. The NIST Biometrics Usability group's study1 was specifically designed to answer the question: Given the current counter heights in US-VISIT facilities, what is the “best” angle to position the fingerprint scanner? The study included three metrics: 1. Efficiency – the time to complete the tasks. Does the angle of the fingerprint scanner affect the time required to capture fingerprint images? 2. Effectiveness – how good are the prints? Does the angle affect the quality of the captured images? 3. Satisfaction – comfort. Do users prefer a particular fingerprint scanner angle?
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This top-selling series introduces the wild creatures of the world and examines the natural world. Good general introductions for ages 10+, these volumes contain the knowledge, personal experiences, and research of leading naturalists and scientists, accompanied by stunning photography. Unless otherwise noted (*), all volumes are sturdy paperback.
Coral reefs are one of the wonders of the world. Protecting thousands of miles of shoreline from erosion, these intricate three-dimensional structures support biodiversity essential to the balance of the world's ecosystem. The effects of global warming and mankind's overuse of the reefs are slowly becoming more evident, causing untold damage to these beautiful yet fragile formations. In this lavishly illustrated book, the author explores the underwater world of coral reefs and, using popular examples from around the world, explains how they function and what must be done to save one of nature's most significant and ancient infrastructures.
US-VISIT requested that the biometrics usability team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) examine the current US-VISIT face image collection process to identify any usability and human factors that may improve the existing face image capture process. As such this study did not address other technologies or technology solutions. This report presents the results of a study that examined five usability and human factors enhancements to the current US-VISIT collection process: 1. the camera should resemble a traditional camera; 2. the camera should click when the picture is taken to provide feedback to the traveler that the picture is being taken; 3. the camera should be used in portrait mode; 4. the operator should be facing the traveler and the monitor while positioning the camera and 5. provide some marking on the floor (such as footprints) to indicate to the traveler where to stand for the photograph.
Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse of ecosystems. Here, Charles Sheppard tells the fascinating story of how and where coral reefs are formed and the variety of marine life they support. He highlights the severe threats they face due to climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation, and the ongoing conservation efforts to save them.
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