Toby Tyrrell
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691121581
- eISBN:
- 9781400847914
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691121581.001.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
One of the enduring questions about our planet is how it has remained continuously habitable over vast stretches of geological time despite the fact that its atmosphere and climate are potentially ...
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One of the enduring questions about our planet is how it has remained continuously habitable over vast stretches of geological time despite the fact that its atmosphere and climate are potentially unstable. James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis posits that life itself has intervened in the regulation of the planetary environment in order to keep it stable and favorable for life. First proposed in the 1970s, Lovelock's hypothesis remains highly controversial and continues to provoke fierce debate. This book undertakes the first in-depth investigation of the arguments put forward by Lovelock and others—and concludes that the evidence doesn't stack up in support of Gaia. The book draws on the latest findings in fields as diverse as climate science, oceanography, atmospheric science, geology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The book takes readers to obscure corners of the natural world, from southern Africa where ancient rocks reveal that icebergs were once present near the equator, to mimics of cleaner fish on Indonesian reefs, to blind fish deep in Mexican caves. It weaves these and many other intriguing observations into a comprehensive analysis of the major assertions and lines of argument underpinning Gaia, and finds that it is not a credible picture of how life and Earth interact. The book reflects on the scientific evidence indicating that life and environment mutually affect each other, and proposes that feedbacks on Earth do not provide robust protection against the environment becoming uninhabitable—or against poor stewardship by us.Less
One of the enduring questions about our planet is how it has remained continuously habitable over vast stretches of geological time despite the fact that its atmosphere and climate are potentially unstable. James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis posits that life itself has intervened in the regulation of the planetary environment in order to keep it stable and favorable for life. First proposed in the 1970s, Lovelock's hypothesis remains highly controversial and continues to provoke fierce debate. This book undertakes the first in-depth investigation of the arguments put forward by Lovelock and others—and concludes that the evidence doesn't stack up in support of Gaia. The book draws on the latest findings in fields as diverse as climate science, oceanography, atmospheric science, geology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The book takes readers to obscure corners of the natural world, from southern Africa where ancient rocks reveal that icebergs were once present near the equator, to mimics of cleaner fish on Indonesian reefs, to blind fish deep in Mexican caves. It weaves these and many other intriguing observations into a comprehensive analysis of the major assertions and lines of argument underpinning Gaia, and finds that it is not a credible picture of how life and Earth interact. The book reflects on the scientific evidence indicating that life and environment mutually affect each other, and proposes that feedbacks on Earth do not provide robust protection against the environment becoming uninhabitable—or against poor stewardship by us.
Tim R. McClanahan and George M. Branch
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195319958
- eISBN:
- 9780199869596
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195319958.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This chapter summarizes what the authors consider to be the key and general organizing principles of kelp forests and coral reefs along gradients of oceanography, latitude, and effects of fishing and ...
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This chapter summarizes what the authors consider to be the key and general organizing principles of kelp forests and coral reefs along gradients of oceanography, latitude, and effects of fishing and resource use on these ecosystems. The general structure of these food webs is described as well as the effects of top-down versus bottom-up controls and the prevalence of trophic cascades. Human effects and recommendations for management are presented.Less
This chapter summarizes what the authors consider to be the key and general organizing principles of kelp forests and coral reefs along gradients of oceanography, latitude, and effects of fishing and resource use on these ecosystems. The general structure of these food webs is described as well as the effects of top-down versus bottom-up controls and the prevalence of trophic cascades. Human effects and recommendations for management are presented.
Kevin M. Bailey, Anne B. Hollowed, and Warren S. Wooster
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198507499
- eISBN:
- 9780191709845
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198507499.003.0012
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
The impact of climate on fisheries is highly variable, indirect, and complex. Several dominant themes related to climate change and fisheries are considered in some of the chapters in this volume ...
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The impact of climate on fisheries is highly variable, indirect, and complex. Several dominant themes related to climate change and fisheries are considered in some of the chapters in this volume (Chapters 2, 3, and 6), including: complex interactions, formation of patterns over large-scales, high variability over small-scales, and the desirability of forecasting tools. This chapter discusses how these themes are focal issues in many of the world's seas, including the northeast Pacific Ocean. The chapter identifies how established climate-fish links often deteriorate with time, and underscore the role of regime shifts and switches of climatic controlling factors.Less
The impact of climate on fisheries is highly variable, indirect, and complex. Several dominant themes related to climate change and fisheries are considered in some of the chapters in this volume (Chapters 2, 3, and 6), including: complex interactions, formation of patterns over large-scales, high variability over small-scales, and the desirability of forecasting tools. This chapter discusses how these themes are focal issues in many of the world's seas, including the northeast Pacific Ocean. The chapter identifies how established climate-fish links often deteriorate with time, and underscore the role of regime shifts and switches of climatic controlling factors.
Simone Turchetti
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780226595658
- eISBN:
- 9780226595825
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226595825.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
Following the launch of Sputnik, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization became a prominent sponsor of scientific research in its member countries, a role it retained until the end of the Cold War. As ...
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Following the launch of Sputnik, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization became a prominent sponsor of scientific research in its member countries, a role it retained until the end of the Cold War. As NATO marks sixty years since the establishment of its Science Committee, the main organizational force promoting its science programs, Greening the Alliance is the first book to chart NATO’s scientific patronage—and the motivations behind it—from the organization’s early days to the dawn of the twenty-first century. Drawing on previously unseen documents from NATO’s own archives, Simone Turchetti reveals how its investments were rooted in the alliance’s defense and surveillance needs, needs that led it to establish a program prioritizing environmental studies. A long-overlooked and effective diplomacy exercise, NATO’s “greening” at one point constituted the organization’s chief conduit for negotiating problematic relations between allies. But while Greening the Alliance explores this surprising coevolution of environmental monitoring and surveillance, tales of science advisers issuing instructions to bomb oil spills with napalm or Dr. Strangelove–like experts eager to divert the path of hurricanes with atomic weapons make it clear: the coexistence of these forces has not always been harmonious. Reflecting on this rich, complicated legacy in light of contemporary global challenges like climate change, Turchetti offers both an eye-opening history of international politics and environmental studies and a thoughtful assessment of NATO’s future.Less
Following the launch of Sputnik, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization became a prominent sponsor of scientific research in its member countries, a role it retained until the end of the Cold War. As NATO marks sixty years since the establishment of its Science Committee, the main organizational force promoting its science programs, Greening the Alliance is the first book to chart NATO’s scientific patronage—and the motivations behind it—from the organization’s early days to the dawn of the twenty-first century. Drawing on previously unseen documents from NATO’s own archives, Simone Turchetti reveals how its investments were rooted in the alliance’s defense and surveillance needs, needs that led it to establish a program prioritizing environmental studies. A long-overlooked and effective diplomacy exercise, NATO’s “greening” at one point constituted the organization’s chief conduit for negotiating problematic relations between allies. But while Greening the Alliance explores this surprising coevolution of environmental monitoring and surveillance, tales of science advisers issuing instructions to bomb oil spills with napalm or Dr. Strangelove–like experts eager to divert the path of hurricanes with atomic weapons make it clear: the coexistence of these forces has not always been harmonious. Reflecting on this rich, complicated legacy in light of contemporary global challenges like climate change, Turchetti offers both an eye-opening history of international politics and environmental studies and a thoughtful assessment of NATO’s future.
Taisoo Park
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520098428
- eISBN:
- 9780520916029
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520098428.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
This chapter examines specimens picked from the Isaacs–Kidd midwater trawl (IKMT) samples selected from the collections available at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). It notes that ...
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This chapter examines specimens picked from the Isaacs–Kidd midwater trawl (IKMT) samples selected from the collections available at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). It notes that additional specimens were obtained from the IKMT, plankton net, and the MOCNESS (Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System) samples available at the National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution (USNM), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the University of Rhode Island (URI). It examines a total of 148 samples (one plankton net, 126 IKMT and 21 MOCNESS samples) collected throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. It accounts the sources, the areas they represent, the number of examples examined and the extent of geographic coverage for each ocean. It notes that citation of type material includes the number of specimens, collecting gear, sampling depth, source, expedition, cruise number, station number, latitude and longitude, area, and date of collection.Less
This chapter examines specimens picked from the Isaacs–Kidd midwater trawl (IKMT) samples selected from the collections available at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). It notes that additional specimens were obtained from the IKMT, plankton net, and the MOCNESS (Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System) samples available at the National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution (USNM), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the University of Rhode Island (URI). It examines a total of 148 samples (one plankton net, 126 IKMT and 21 MOCNESS samples) collected throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. It accounts the sources, the areas they represent, the number of examples examined and the extent of geographic coverage for each ocean. It notes that citation of type material includes the number of specimens, collecting gear, sampling depth, source, expedition, cruise number, station number, latitude and longitude, area, and date of collection.
Wolf H. Berger
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520247789
- eISBN:
- 9780520942547
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520247789.003.0017
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
The period between 1880 and 1930 laid the foundations for modern oceanography. It was a time of great expeditions and great expansion of sophisticated instrumentation. A shift to acoustics and marine ...
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The period between 1880 and 1930 laid the foundations for modern oceanography. It was a time of great expeditions and great expansion of sophisticated instrumentation. A shift to acoustics and marine physics also emerged, and along with this expansion came great advances in ocean engineering, which in turn benefitted studies in marine biology, including nutrient chemistry. In the 1960s and 1970s, large scale-cooperative investigations became dominant features. This concluding chapter presents a brief history of oceanography and some of the important contributions of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It pays special attention to the human impact on the oceans and the life within it. The chapter also presents recommendations for future research and approaches for managing sustainability and life-support systems in the ocean.Less
The period between 1880 and 1930 laid the foundations for modern oceanography. It was a time of great expeditions and great expansion of sophisticated instrumentation. A shift to acoustics and marine physics also emerged, and along with this expansion came great advances in ocean engineering, which in turn benefitted studies in marine biology, including nutrient chemistry. In the 1960s and 1970s, large scale-cooperative investigations became dominant features. This concluding chapter presents a brief history of oceanography and some of the important contributions of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It pays special attention to the human impact on the oceans and the life within it. The chapter also presents recommendations for future research and approaches for managing sustainability and life-support systems in the ocean.
Wolf H. Berger
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520247789
- eISBN:
- 9780520942547
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520247789.003.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This book explores the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean. It discusses the history of oceanography and exploration, and pays special attention to the developments of the Scripps ...
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This book explores the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean. It discusses the history of oceanography and exploration, and pays special attention to the developments of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the largest and oldest oceanographic institute in the United States. The chapter also examines the workings of the ocean as a life-support system and highlights the consequences of human impact on the ocean environment.Less
This book explores the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean. It discusses the history of oceanography and exploration, and pays special attention to the developments of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the largest and oldest oceanographic institute in the United States. The chapter also examines the workings of the ocean as a life-support system and highlights the consequences of human impact on the ocean environment.
Wolf H. Berger
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520247789
- eISBN:
- 9780520942547
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520247789.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This chapter discusses the impact of human activities on the ocean and provides a brief history of the expansion of ocean research. It begins by discussing the major causes of fishery decline in the ...
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This chapter discusses the impact of human activities on the ocean and provides a brief history of the expansion of ocean research. It begins by discussing the major causes of fishery decline in the North Atlantic. This is followed by a discussion on the history of early oceanography and the contributions of the Challenger Expedition and other expeditions that led to the progress of oceanographic science. The chapter then describes the history of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, a research center concerned with the study of nearshore and deep-sea organisms, as well as the geophysics of the seafloor and life-support systems of the planet.Less
This chapter discusses the impact of human activities on the ocean and provides a brief history of the expansion of ocean research. It begins by discussing the major causes of fishery decline in the North Atlantic. This is followed by a discussion on the history of early oceanography and the contributions of the Challenger Expedition and other expeditions that led to the progress of oceanographic science. The chapter then describes the history of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, a research center concerned with the study of nearshore and deep-sea organisms, as well as the geophysics of the seafloor and life-support systems of the planet.
David L. Kirchman
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- August 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198789406
- eISBN:
- 9780191831256
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198789406.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology, Aquatic Biology
Processes in Microbial Ecology discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other protists—the microbes—in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. The ...
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Processes in Microbial Ecology discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other protists—the microbes—in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. The book shows how advances in genomic and other molecular approaches have uncovered the incredible diversity of microbes in natural environments and unraveled complex biogeochemical processes carried out by uncultivated bacteria, archaea, and fungi. The microbes and biogeochemical processes are affected by ecological interactions, including competition for limiting nutrients, viral lysis, and predation by protists in soils and aquatic habitats. The book links up processes occurring at the micron scale to events happening at the global scale, including the carbon cycle and its connection to climate change issues. The book ends with a chapter devoted to symbiosis and other relationships between microbes and large organisms, which have large impacts not only on biogeochemical cycles, but also on the ecology and evolution of large organisms, including Homo sapiens.Less
Processes in Microbial Ecology discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other protists—the microbes—in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. The book shows how advances in genomic and other molecular approaches have uncovered the incredible diversity of microbes in natural environments and unraveled complex biogeochemical processes carried out by uncultivated bacteria, archaea, and fungi. The microbes and biogeochemical processes are affected by ecological interactions, including competition for limiting nutrients, viral lysis, and predation by protists in soils and aquatic habitats. The book links up processes occurring at the micron scale to events happening at the global scale, including the carbon cycle and its connection to climate change issues. The book ends with a chapter devoted to symbiosis and other relationships between microbes and large organisms, which have large impacts not only on biogeochemical cycles, but also on the ecology and evolution of large organisms, including Homo sapiens.
Simone Turchetti
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780226595658
- eISBN:
- 9780226595825
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226595825.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
In its first five years of existence, the Science Committee elaborated the three funding schemes that typified the science program for the following fifty years: fellowships to study abroad, the ...
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In its first five years of existence, the Science Committee elaborated the three funding schemes that typified the science program for the following fifty years: fellowships to study abroad, the organization of meetings (or Advanced Study Institutes) and research grants for collaborative projects. Analysing the quantitative data available on these three strands, this chapters reveals that while in principle NATO agreed to fund studies in a variety of disciplines, in reality this sponsorship was slanted so as to accommodate defense ambitions. In particular the creation of three subgroups of the Science Committee recommending studies on oceanography, meteorology, and radio meteorology marked the effort to prioritize projects aligned to the alliance's surveillance operations.Less
In its first five years of existence, the Science Committee elaborated the three funding schemes that typified the science program for the following fifty years: fellowships to study abroad, the organization of meetings (or Advanced Study Institutes) and research grants for collaborative projects. Analysing the quantitative data available on these three strands, this chapters reveals that while in principle NATO agreed to fund studies in a variety of disciplines, in reality this sponsorship was slanted so as to accommodate defense ambitions. In particular the creation of three subgroups of the Science Committee recommending studies on oceanography, meteorology, and radio meteorology marked the effort to prioritize projects aligned to the alliance's surveillance operations.
DANIEL F. DOAK, TERRIE M. WILLIAMS, and JAMES A. ESTES
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520248847
- eISBN:
- 9780520933200
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520248847.003.0018
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
One way to address big-scale problems and processes is to use small-scale data to construct and test mechanistic models of events at higher levels of organization and at larger spatial scales. Even ...
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One way to address big-scale problems and processes is to use small-scale data to construct and test mechanistic models of events at higher levels of organization and at larger spatial scales. Even though this general approach to understanding ocean ecosystems underpins much of biological oceanography, it has not been so commonly used in efforts to understand the population and community dynamics of marine mammals. This chapter uses demographic and bioenergetic tools to explore difficult-to-observe predator-prey interactions in marine mammal communities. It aims to understand better the interactions of mammal-feeding killer whales with their prey species in the North Pacific region, particularly in the vicinity of the Aleutian archipelago.Less
One way to address big-scale problems and processes is to use small-scale data to construct and test mechanistic models of events at higher levels of organization and at larger spatial scales. Even though this general approach to understanding ocean ecosystems underpins much of biological oceanography, it has not been so commonly used in efforts to understand the population and community dynamics of marine mammals. This chapter uses demographic and bioenergetic tools to explore difficult-to-observe predator-prey interactions in marine mammal communities. It aims to understand better the interactions of mammal-feeding killer whales with their prey species in the North Pacific region, particularly in the vicinity of the Aleutian archipelago.
ALAN M. SPRINGER, GUS B. VAN VLIET, JOHN F. PIATT, and ERIC M. DANNER
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520248847
- eISBN:
- 9780520933200
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520248847.003.0019
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
Did the removal of megatons of upper-trophic-level consumers significantly alter food-web dynamics by removing significant levels of predatory controls over prey populations, removing an important ...
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Did the removal of megatons of upper-trophic-level consumers significantly alter food-web dynamics by removing significant levels of predatory controls over prey populations, removing an important prey resource for predator populations, and changing the sensitivity of the ecosystem to physical forcing because of new predator-prey functional relationships? In order to address this question, it is necessary to understand where and when whales were harvested in the North Pacific Ocean, and how this ultimately affected whale distribution. Whales were not uniformly distributed across this broad region, and the roles they played were concentrated in relatively small areas. This chapter shows where great whales formerly were found in abundance in the North Pacific, relates those distributions to oceanography, and briefly explores some examples of the magnitude of change that might have resulted from the loss of great whales in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea.Less
Did the removal of megatons of upper-trophic-level consumers significantly alter food-web dynamics by removing significant levels of predatory controls over prey populations, removing an important prey resource for predator populations, and changing the sensitivity of the ecosystem to physical forcing because of new predator-prey functional relationships? In order to address this question, it is necessary to understand where and when whales were harvested in the North Pacific Ocean, and how this ultimately affected whale distribution. Whales were not uniformly distributed across this broad region, and the roles they played were concentrated in relatively small areas. This chapter shows where great whales formerly were found in abundance in the North Pacific, relates those distributions to oceanography, and briefly explores some examples of the magnitude of change that might have resulted from the loss of great whales in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea.
David L. Kirchman
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- December 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199586936
- eISBN:
- 9780191774645
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586936.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology, Biochemistry / Molecular Biology
This book, which discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other protists – the microbes – in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems, focuses on ...
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This book, which discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other protists – the microbes – in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems, focuses on biogeochemical processes, starting with primary production and the initial fixation of carbon into cellular biomass. It then discusses how that carbon is degraded in both oxygen-rich (oxic) and oxygen-deficient (anoxic) environments. These biogeochemical processes are affected by ecological interactions, including competition for limiting nutrients, viral lysis, and predation by various protists in soils and aquatic habitats. The book links up processes occurring at the micron scale to events happening at the global scale, including the carbon cycle and its connection to climate change issues, and ends with a chapter devoted to symbiosis and other relationships between microbes and large organisms. Microbes have large impacts not only on biogeochemical cycles, but also on the ecology and evolution of large organisms, including Homo sapiens.Less
This book, which discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other protists – the microbes – in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems, focuses on biogeochemical processes, starting with primary production and the initial fixation of carbon into cellular biomass. It then discusses how that carbon is degraded in both oxygen-rich (oxic) and oxygen-deficient (anoxic) environments. These biogeochemical processes are affected by ecological interactions, including competition for limiting nutrients, viral lysis, and predation by various protists in soils and aquatic habitats. The book links up processes occurring at the micron scale to events happening at the global scale, including the carbon cycle and its connection to climate change issues, and ends with a chapter devoted to symbiosis and other relationships between microbes and large organisms. Microbes have large impacts not only on biogeochemical cycles, but also on the ecology and evolution of large organisms, including Homo sapiens.
Naomi Oreskes
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780262027953
- eISBN:
- 9780262326100
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262027953.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
In the early 1990s a group of American oceanographers sought to change their focus away from Cold War military concerns and toward environmental matters related to anthropogenic climate change. ...
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In the early 1990s a group of American oceanographers sought to change their focus away from Cold War military concerns and toward environmental matters related to anthropogenic climate change. Drawing on insights and technologies developed in the Cold War, they proposed an experiment called ATOC—Acoustic Tomography of Ocean Climate—designed to provide definitive evidence of global warming. But the project was blocked when environmentalists and marine biologists raised concerns that it would harm marine mammals. In the ensuing public debate, the public judged the scientists more on their past activities than their present aspirations: many citizens distrusted the scientists’ new-found environmental passion and believed that global warming was a cover story hiding a secret military project. In the end, they judged scientists who had dedicated their lives to studying the ocean as a theatre of warfare not credible when they presented themselves as trustworthy guardians of the ocean as an abode of life. The failure of ATOC suggests that while Cold war military support led to numerous fundamental advances in understanding the ocean environment, it also created a community of scientists who were disrespectful not only of lay concerns but even of scientific evidence from other domains, unable to explain their work to diverse publics, and distrusted by significant segments of the American people. Forty years of military patronage were not just epistemically consequential, they were socially and culturally consequential as well.Less
In the early 1990s a group of American oceanographers sought to change their focus away from Cold War military concerns and toward environmental matters related to anthropogenic climate change. Drawing on insights and technologies developed in the Cold War, they proposed an experiment called ATOC—Acoustic Tomography of Ocean Climate—designed to provide definitive evidence of global warming. But the project was blocked when environmentalists and marine biologists raised concerns that it would harm marine mammals. In the ensuing public debate, the public judged the scientists more on their past activities than their present aspirations: many citizens distrusted the scientists’ new-found environmental passion and believed that global warming was a cover story hiding a secret military project. In the end, they judged scientists who had dedicated their lives to studying the ocean as a theatre of warfare not credible when they presented themselves as trustworthy guardians of the ocean as an abode of life. The failure of ATOC suggests that while Cold war military support led to numerous fundamental advances in understanding the ocean environment, it also created a community of scientists who were disrespectful not only of lay concerns but even of scientific evidence from other domains, unable to explain their work to diverse publics, and distrusted by significant segments of the American people. Forty years of military patronage were not just epistemically consequential, they were socially and culturally consequential as well.
Alexis Wick
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520285910
- eISBN:
- 9780520961265
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520285910.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter examines the emergence of the Red Sea as an operative concept at the center of the discursive formation of modernity, with particular emphasis on its surprisingly important place in the ...
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This chapter examines the emergence of the Red Sea as an operative concept at the center of the discursive formation of modernity, with particular emphasis on its surprisingly important place in the writings of major figures of modern thought. It shows that the idea of the sea forming a unitary and coherent space can be traced back to the early nineteenth century and the foundations of the modern disciplines of history, geography, botany, and most especially oceanography. It also considers the discursive parameters that permit affirmations of Mediterranean unity in particular, and the coherence of maritime basins in general, to be “persuasive as statements of fact.” Finally, it explores how the sea found pride of place in the works of Adam Smith, who laid the foundations for the theory of free trade.Less
This chapter examines the emergence of the Red Sea as an operative concept at the center of the discursive formation of modernity, with particular emphasis on its surprisingly important place in the writings of major figures of modern thought. It shows that the idea of the sea forming a unitary and coherent space can be traced back to the early nineteenth century and the foundations of the modern disciplines of history, geography, botany, and most especially oceanography. It also considers the discursive parameters that permit affirmations of Mediterranean unity in particular, and the coherence of maritime basins in general, to be “persuasive as statements of fact.” Finally, it explores how the sea found pride of place in the works of Adam Smith, who laid the foundations for the theory of free trade.
Tyler Carrier, Adam Reitzel, and Andreas Heyland (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198786962
- eISBN:
- 9780191829086
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198786962.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology, Ecology
For more than a century, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and oceanographers alike have been intellectually stimulated by marine invertebrate larval forms. In 1995, Ecology of Marine Invertebrate ...
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For more than a century, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and oceanographers alike have been intellectually stimulated by marine invertebrate larval forms. In 1995, Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, edited by the late Dr. Larry McEdward, captured the fundamental phenomenon and tremendous diversity of reproductive, biological, and oceanographic aspects of larval ecology. Now, more than twenty years later, this current edited volume provides an update to many of the original 13 chapters, while also reviewing several braches of larval ecology and evolution that have developed since. In Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, authors review the origins of marine invertebrate larvae and the developmental mechanisms and ecological factors that may generate this great diversity, and how these microscopic organisms feed, develop, and behave in the pelagic environment. Whether actively swimming in the coastal seas or the deep abyss, larvae are often in motion and must settle on the seafloor; however, if delayed, they are susceptible to a multitude of consequences later in life. Now, in an age of change, larvae face a warmer, more acidic, and more toxic ocean than ever before. Responses to these stressors plus many other facets of larval biology can be broadly profiled, thanks to current technological advances. This edited volume provides a major synthesis of an important interdisciplinary field. It aims to foster stimulating discussions centered on the evolution and ecology of marine invertebrate larvae.Less
For more than a century, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and oceanographers alike have been intellectually stimulated by marine invertebrate larval forms. In 1995, Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, edited by the late Dr. Larry McEdward, captured the fundamental phenomenon and tremendous diversity of reproductive, biological, and oceanographic aspects of larval ecology. Now, more than twenty years later, this current edited volume provides an update to many of the original 13 chapters, while also reviewing several braches of larval ecology and evolution that have developed since. In Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, authors review the origins of marine invertebrate larvae and the developmental mechanisms and ecological factors that may generate this great diversity, and how these microscopic organisms feed, develop, and behave in the pelagic environment. Whether actively swimming in the coastal seas or the deep abyss, larvae are often in motion and must settle on the seafloor; however, if delayed, they are susceptible to a multitude of consequences later in life. Now, in an age of change, larvae face a warmer, more acidic, and more toxic ocean than ever before. Responses to these stressors plus many other facets of larval biology can be broadly profiled, thanks to current technological advances. This edited volume provides a major synthesis of an important interdisciplinary field. It aims to foster stimulating discussions centered on the evolution and ecology of marine invertebrate larvae.
D. Graham Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226164717
- eISBN:
- 9780226164700
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226164700.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Imperialism and Colonialism
This chapter discusses the hydrographic mapping of Matthew Fontaine Maury. The significance of his mapping methods was important for the development of oceanography and for his particular conception ...
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This chapter discusses the hydrographic mapping of Matthew Fontaine Maury. The significance of his mapping methods was important for the development of oceanography and for his particular conception of tropicality. It lay firmly in the tradition of natural theology. But far from being an obstacle, this provided a congenial frame for his Humboldtian vision of science. The chapter also discusses Maury understanding of the earth's tropical zones. Maury's natural theological vision of the sea is not a blind ally in the history of oceanography but a legitimate, significant, and even, potentially, a constitutive episode in the history of the sciences of the sea. Maury not only extended a metrical, collative natural theological framework to the dark spaces of the sea, he also extended a system of enlightening scientific observation to sailors, a notoriously benighted population.Less
This chapter discusses the hydrographic mapping of Matthew Fontaine Maury. The significance of his mapping methods was important for the development of oceanography and for his particular conception of tropicality. It lay firmly in the tradition of natural theology. But far from being an obstacle, this provided a congenial frame for his Humboldtian vision of science. The chapter also discusses Maury understanding of the earth's tropical zones. Maury's natural theological vision of the sea is not a blind ally in the history of oceanography but a legitimate, significant, and even, potentially, a constitutive episode in the history of the sciences of the sea. Maury not only extended a metrical, collative natural theological framework to the dark spaces of the sea, he also extended a system of enlightening scientific observation to sailors, a notoriously benighted population.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226709321
- eISBN:
- 9780226709338
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226709338.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, Environmental History
Scientific interest in the ocean followed directly from the growing popular fascination in the late eighteenth century with the natural history and physical topography of the seashore. Beginning in ...
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Scientific interest in the ocean followed directly from the growing popular fascination in the late eighteenth century with the natural history and physical topography of the seashore. Beginning in the intertidal zone and then widening their gaze, by the mid-nineteenth century scientists had rendered the oceans not only comprehensible and controllable but also usable for commerce and imperialism. This conclusion examines the incentives that pushed governments to set up networks of observers in terrestrial magnetism, meteorology, and the study of the ocean itself. This move from science practiced in the laboratory to science practiced over the whole globe was a defining feature of nineteenth-century ocean science. This conclusion therefore offers a new perspective from which to view John William Lubbock, William Whewell, and George Biddell Airy's work on the tides, John Herschel's and Robert Fitzroy's work in meteorology, the intense study of the earth's magnetism, the beginning of oceanography, and ultimately the rise and institutionalization of multinational collaborations.Less
Scientific interest in the ocean followed directly from the growing popular fascination in the late eighteenth century with the natural history and physical topography of the seashore. Beginning in the intertidal zone and then widening their gaze, by the mid-nineteenth century scientists had rendered the oceans not only comprehensible and controllable but also usable for commerce and imperialism. This conclusion examines the incentives that pushed governments to set up networks of observers in terrestrial magnetism, meteorology, and the study of the ocean itself. This move from science practiced in the laboratory to science practiced over the whole globe was a defining feature of nineteenth-century ocean science. This conclusion therefore offers a new perspective from which to view John William Lubbock, William Whewell, and George Biddell Airy's work on the tides, John Herschel's and Robert Fitzroy's work in meteorology, the intense study of the earth's magnetism, the beginning of oceanography, and ultimately the rise and institutionalization of multinational collaborations.
J. Zavala-Garay, J. Wilkin, and J. Levin
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198723844
- eISBN:
- 9780191791185
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198723844.003.0024
- Subject:
- Physics, Geophysics, Atmospheric and Environmental Physics
This chapter presents examples of variational data assimilation in coastal oceanography using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Realizing that satellite data is the only source of ...
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This chapter presents examples of variational data assimilation in coastal oceanography using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Realizing that satellite data is the only source of information in real time in most parts of the world ocean, the Ocean Modeling Group at Rutgers University has developed methodologies to exploit the information content in remotely sensed observations. This chapter evaluates the extent to which incremental, strong constraint, four-dimensional variational data assimilation (IS4DVAR) can improve prediction of mesoscale variability using ROMS. Examples of two applications of IS4DVAR in two very different dynamical regimes are presented: the East Australia Current (EAC) and the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB). The two main sources of satellite information, namely sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), are found to be complementary, and therefore both need to be assimilated in order to approximate the three-dimensional structure of the ocean.Less
This chapter presents examples of variational data assimilation in coastal oceanography using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). Realizing that satellite data is the only source of information in real time in most parts of the world ocean, the Ocean Modeling Group at Rutgers University has developed methodologies to exploit the information content in remotely sensed observations. This chapter evaluates the extent to which incremental, strong constraint, four-dimensional variational data assimilation (IS4DVAR) can improve prediction of mesoscale variability using ROMS. Examples of two applications of IS4DVAR in two very different dynamical regimes are presented: the East Australia Current (EAC) and the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB). The two main sources of satellite information, namely sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), are found to be complementary, and therefore both need to be assimilated in order to approximate the three-dimensional structure of the ocean.
Charles Officer and Jake Page
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199837809
- eISBN:
- 9780190267872
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199837809.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
This chapter provides a scientific overview of what the Arctic was like in the mid-nineteenth century. It addresses the issue that science has no defining data on the Arctic, especially with respect ...
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This chapter provides a scientific overview of what the Arctic was like in the mid-nineteenth century. It addresses the issue that science has no defining data on the Arctic, especially with respect to the speculation of the Open Polar Sea at the time. Defining data are those pieces of information that sets a scientific inquiry into an area where a reasonable hypothesis can actually be put to a test. The only defining datum available on the polar sea was that north of the Arctic Circle was a sea of ice. Furthermore, this chapter discusses the geographical findings of August Petermann about the Arctic.Less
This chapter provides a scientific overview of what the Arctic was like in the mid-nineteenth century. It addresses the issue that science has no defining data on the Arctic, especially with respect to the speculation of the Open Polar Sea at the time. Defining data are those pieces of information that sets a scientific inquiry into an area where a reasonable hypothesis can actually be put to a test. The only defining datum available on the polar sea was that north of the Arctic Circle was a sea of ice. Furthermore, this chapter discusses the geographical findings of August Petermann about the Arctic.
