Estuarine Science: A Synthetic Approach to Research and Practice

Abstract

Review: Science: A Synthetic Approach to Research and Practice John E. Hobbie (Ed.) Reviewed by Ryder Miller San Francisco, California, USA John E. Hobbie (Ed.). Science: A Synthetic Approach to Research and Practice. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2000. 540 pp. ISBN 1-55963- 699-8 (cloth); 1-55963-700-5 (paper). US$60 cloth; US$30 paper. Recycled, acid-free paper. Slough, inlet, bay, -they are often really estuaries, areas where fresh water streams and rivers meet the waters of the ocean, creating areas of high primary productivity and rich biotic diversity. The fresh water floats on top of the salt water, creating a variety of dilution zones in which fish can compete. Estuaries exhibit a high degree of spatial and temporal variation in chemical and physical characteristics. Large numbers of fish and shellfish can be found there and they also provide a birthing place for many marine animals. Most estuarine research has been local or statewide, but efforts are being made to bring synthesis to these studies and to create a dialog between local scientists to create more cross-estuary studies. There has been a lack of interest in research and synthesis of data from estuarine research, with most marine researchers focusing on the ocean. In 1995, with support from the U.S. Scientific Committee for Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 40 estuarine scientists gathered to put forth the argument for the synthesis of estuary research. The plenary talks from the conference comprise the majority of Science: A Synthetic Approach to Research and Practice, edited by John E. Hobbie, co-director of the Ecosystems Center of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. As Hobbie contends, synthesis is needed for a number of reasons: Estuarine research suffers from a lack of integration of knowledge that can be applied across sites. ... The results of most estuarine studies are not published in reviewed journals. ... The complex interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors is essential to answering many questions about estuarine systems. ... [And] estuarine research must be able to predict the consequences of future changes in climate or land use in watersheds (pp. 6-7). As the authors deftly show, estuaries, which are less often studied than the ocean, have been greatly affected by people. Some of the major effects that the rise in human population has had on estuarine ecosystems include nutrient increases causing algal blooms, dredging and filling of tidal habitats, alteration of seasonal patterns of fresh water inflow, overexploitation of natural resources, industrial pollution, and introduction of non-indigenous animals. …