"Management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems require in-depth knowledge and understanding of the ecosystem functions, of the approaches for resource assessment and management, and of the socioeconomic context. This book helps the reader navigate through these complex issues by combining and integrating the knowledge of the different research disciplines involved. The nine book chapters cover fundamentals of ecology, the description of aquatic ecosystems, a review of aquatic resources and their use, threats, modeling tools, approaches for coastal planning, the law of the sea, as well as principles of biostatistics and guidelines on how to communicate science. The book is meant as a 'back ground reader' for students and professionals working in the field of tropical coastal research and management."--Publisher's description.