Cold Ocean Physiology

This book presents information about how animals have adapted to cope with life in freezing water.

A summary of information on the intriguing physiological adaptations exhibited by animals which have successfully exploited a seemingly inhospitable niche.From a human viewpoint, the cold waters of deep sea and polar marine regions present an inhospitable and harsh environment for life. The study of organisms which have exploited this seemingly hostile ecological niche has revealed intriguing physiological adaptations. This volume summarizes the information on the adaptations exhibited by representatives of the main groups of polar animals, including marine invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds, at scales ranging from the whole organism through to the underlying molecular adaptational mechanisms. Unique in its breadth of coverage, this volume will provide an important resource for all those concerned specifically with how animals have adapted to life in extreme conditions, as well as being of general interest to all marine biologists.