Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea: An Introductory Guide

Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea: An Introductory Guide begins by providing the reader with an introduction on the general topics related to Descriptive Oceanography, mainly focused on physical oceanography, and includes some hints on basic concepts of climate dynamics, geology, chemical and biological oceanography. This allows the reader to gain the (Mediterranean-unrelated) necessary basic knowledge to be able to continue to read the rest of the book, which will deal with the specificities of the Mediterranean Sea, addressing the physical properties of water masses, the main elements of this miniature ocean compared with the global ones, and the changes that have been observed over the decades in the Mediterranean Sea. General concepts of Marine Biogeochemistry and in particular the chemistry of carbon and its role in ocean acidification will be discussed and exemplified by the Mediterranean conditions. Similarly, general concepts of Marine Biology and in particular ecosystem functioning, from the microbial realm to great predators of the sea, will be framed in the Mediterranean context. How the Mediterranean Sea is evolving in the Anthropocene, the future projections regarding different components of the sea that we might expect, and what strategies are suitable to keep this sea at its current high levels of biodiversity and ecosystem services are the themes of the concluding chapter.

Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea is devoted to introductory-level university courses in oceanography with an emphasis on the Mediterranean Sea. The book is primarily focused on the state-of-the-art understanding of the physical functioning of the Mediterranean Sea, while embracing the fundamental of geological, chemical and biological processes associated. Written by multiple scientists active over many years in the Mediterranean community, the book provides a broad overview on the information needed to get a robust background on the physical oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea for students in oceanography, climate science, marine geology and biology.