Assessments and Conservation of Biological Diversity from Coral Reefs to the Deep Sea

Assessments and Conservation of Biological Diversity from Coral Reefs to the Deep Sea: Uncovering Buried Treasures and the Value of the Benthos examines marine benthic habitats around the world that are linked by their physical location at the bottom of the oceans. The book approaches deep sea marine biodiversity with perspectives on genetics, microbiology and evolution, weaving a narrative of vital expert linkages with the goal of protecting something that most people cannot witness or experience. It provides a full assessment of biological diversity within benthic habitats, from coral reefs to plankton and fish species, and offers global case studies. It is the ideal resource for marine conservationists and biologists aiming to expand their knowledge and efforts to the rarely seen, yet equally important, realms of the ocean and respective benthic species. As these deep-sea ecosystems and their species face unprecedented threats of destruction and extinction due to factors including climate change, this book provides the most current knowledge of this undersea world along with solutions for its conservation. - Compares and contrasts between shallow and marine habitats to reveal revolutionary connections and continuity - Analyzes modern threats and gaps in biological knowledge regarding benthic communities - Examines benthic biodiversity through vertical vs. horizontal gradients - Poses possible solutions for the conservation of benthic habitats and organisms

Professor Lopez's research at Nova Southeastern University's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (NSU HCAS) pivots on the action of genes/genomes, microbes and evolution. For nearly 25 years, his lab has applied genomics tools to address various specific questions in marine invertebrate-microbial symbiosis, microbial ecology, forensics, metagenomics, gene expression of oil-exposed organisms, and systematics/phylogenetics. Dr. Lopez is part of the DEEPEND Consortium to better understand food webs and microbial distributions in the deep Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. His laboratory was one of the founding members for the Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance or GIGA. Professor Lopez and GIGA is also part of the wider Earth Biogenome Project. He was recently recognized as NSU's President's Distinguished Professor, and Halmos College Of Natural Sciences and Oceanography Professor of the Year (2018-2019).