Author Description

The Pacific Rim - a vast area of the globe taking in one third of the world's population and a diversity of economic, climatic and ecological conditions - is also one of the fastest developing. The imbalance between short-term economic gain and longer-term socioeconomic benefit is diminishing the value of the marine resources of the Pacific Rim at a critical point in time. Human interventions and climate change have altered the productivity of the large marine ecosystems (LMEs) of the Pacific and put the region under tremendous stress. Fortunately both the global environmental community and local interests are sensitive to these pressures and keen to assess, monitor and mitigate them through concerted action. Containing contributions from Asian, Australian and North American scientists and policy-makers, particular attention is paid to those LMEs under the greatest pressures, for example the LMEs of the Yellow Sea and South China Seas. The transboundary marine resources within these LMEs are unmanaged and continue to be subjected to unsustainable human activities including overexploitation of fisheries, coastal pollution, and the continuing loss of coastal habitat. Timely and hugely informative, this book contains a wealth of recommendations to guide future management practices for the region. The eight case studies illustrate the emerging trends in changing biomass yields and offer useful insights for future studies. With the initiation of science-based management practices, this book demonstrates how these LMEs can provide a more sustainable source of economic growth, improved food security, and nutritional benefits than is presently being realized.