Publisher's Synopsis
This work contains 2500 entries - 500 new to this edition - dealing with the basic vocabulary of marine science. Coverage includes explanatory charts and graphs related to the areas of water chemistry, marine ecosystems, physical features of oceans, such as reefs, coastlines, and tides; currents and their effects; and plants and animals that dwell in the oceans. Revised information on time scales, an updated chronology of significant events, and a taxonomic classification of living organisms are also included.;Entries in this edition include: abyssal rocks; Luis Alvarez; celestial navigation; giant squid; global warming; microfossil; off-shore drilling; phosporence; saw shark; and zoantharia.