vii
Preface
Marine organisms are exposed to diverse environmental fluctuations, anthropogenic
stresses, and threats from invasive species and pathogens. Increasing ocean temperature and acidification in a changing climate continually alter the structure and function of marine ecological systems, thereby forcing the marine organisms to either
tolerate or adapt to new ocean conditions. Ecophysiology-based approaches in
studies of ecological adaptation to altered environmental conditions, such as measuring photosynthesis, growth, and morphological changes, have generally been unable
to precisely predict future changes in the performance and persistence of marine
organisms under a scenario of global climate change and increased anthropogenic
activities. In terrestrial ecosystems, however, approaches in systems biology have
played a major role in elucidating the functional adaptation of land plants to biotic and
abiotic stress conditions.
Systems biology integrates data from various disciplines, such as physiology,
genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, into numerical models
in order to simulate the physiology of a whole organism. It not only analyzes the
topology of biochemical and signaling networks in response to stress but also
captures the dynamics of these responses. Systems biology has been used extensively
to study terrestrial vegetation and their ecological adaptation to future climate
change scenarios, but to a lesser extent in the study of marine organisms.
This book, Systems Biology in Marine Ecosystem, describes current advances in
the biological and functional interplay within four marine ecosystems: seaweed
(Chaps. 1–5), seagrasses (Chaps. 6–9), microorganisms and microalgae (Chaps. 10–13),
and their bacterial interactions (Chaps. 14–16). It describes how systems biology
has been applied to advance knowledge of the stress response in these important
marine ecosystems to climatic and anthropogenic perturbations. This knowledge is
linked to mechanisms of resilience and persistence under varying environmental
scenarios, which have important implications for the conservation and management
of these ecosystems. In addition, the book describes how systems biology has been
used in research and discovery to benefit the marine biotechnology sector.
Seaweeds are the focus of Chaps. 1–5. Seaweeds, also known as macroalgae, are
the dominant flora of coastal ecosystems globally. Among the most important primary
Preface
Marine organisms are exposed to diverse environmental fluctuations, anthropogenic
stresses, and threats from invasive species and pathogens. Increasing ocean temperature and acidification in a changing climate continually alter the structure and function of marine ecological systems, thereby forcing the marine organisms to either
tolerate or adapt to new ocean conditions. Ecophysiology-based approaches in
studies of ecological adaptation to altered environmental conditions, such as measuring photosynthesis, growth, and morphological changes, have generally been unable
to precisely predict future changes in the performance and persistence of marine
organisms under a scenario of global climate change and increased anthropogenic
activities. In terrestrial ecosystems, however, approaches in systems biology have
played a major role in elucidating the functional adaptation of land plants to biotic and
abiotic stress conditions.
Systems biology integrates data from various disciplines, such as physiology,
genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, into numerical models
in order to simulate the physiology of a whole organism. It not only analyzes the
topology of biochemical and signaling networks in response to stress but also
captures the dynamics of these responses. Systems biology has been used extensively
to study terrestrial vegetation and their ecological adaptation to future climate
change scenarios, but to a lesser extent in the study of marine organisms.
This book, Systems Biology in Marine Ecosystem, describes current advances in
the biological and functional interplay within four marine ecosystems: seaweed
(Chaps. 1–5), seagrasses (Chaps. 6–9), microorganisms and microalgae (Chaps. 10–13),
and their bacterial interactions (Chaps. 14–16). It describes how systems biology
has been applied to advance knowledge of the stress response in these important
marine ecosystems to climatic and anthropogenic perturbations. This knowledge is
linked to mechanisms of resilience and persistence under varying environmental
scenarios, which have important implications for the conservation and management
of these ecosystems. In addition, the book describes how systems biology has been
used in research and discovery to benefit the marine biotechnology sector.
Seaweeds are the focus of Chaps. 1–5. Seaweeds, also known as macroalgae, are
the dominant flora of coastal ecosystems globally. Among the most important primary