Bibliografía: páginas 155-177

Climate and oceanography Laura Carrillo, Guillermo Horta Puga, Juan Pablo Carricart Ganivet páginas 34-40 Reef corals Guillermo Horta Puga, Juan Manuel Vargas Hernández, Juan Pablo Carricart Ganivet páginas 95-101 Reef zonation and ecology: Veracruz shelf and Campeche Bank Ernesto Chávez, John W. Tunnel JR. and Kim Withers páginas 41-67

Coral reefs declined worldwide during the 1980s and 1990s, making them perhaps the most endangered marine ecosystem on Earth. This realization spurred John W. Tunnell Jr. and others to write a comprehensive book that would raise awareness of coral reefs and their plight. Tunnell and coeditors Ernesto A. Chávez and Kim Withers present an integrated and broad-ranging synthesis, while Mexican and U.S. experts assess the current state of these fragile systems and offer a framework for their restoration. Beginning with a history of the research done in this region, Coral Reefs of the Southern Gulf of Mexico covers the geography, geology, oceanography, ecology, and biodiversity of the thirty-eight? emergent or platform-type coral reefs in the southern Gulf. The editors include chapters on the biota?from algae to fish? followed by a look at environmental impacts, both natural (such as hurricanes and red tides) and human (such as ship groundings and dredging). The book closes with a discussion of conservation issues, which is both descriptive and prescriptive in its assessment of what has been done and what should be done to protect and manage these vital ecosystems. Inglés