Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. Key concepts. 1. Introduction / Tasman Crowe, Melanie Austen and Christopher Frid ; 2. Ecosystem services and benefits from marine ecosystems / Melanie Austen, Caroline Hattam and Tobias Börger ; 3. Assessing human impacts on marine ecosystems / Christopher Frid and Tasman Crowe ; 4. Modifiers of impacts on marine ecosystems : disturbance regimes, multiple stressors and receiving environments / Devin Lyons, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Christopher Frid and Rolf Vinebrooke ; 5. Impacts of changing biodiversity on marine ecosystem functioning / Tasman Crowe -- Part II. Impacts of human activities and pressures. 6. Marine fisheries and aquaculture / Odette Paramor and Christopher Frid ; 7. Artificial physical structures / Fabio Bulleri and M. Gee Chapman ; 8. Eutrophication and hypoxia : impacts of nutrient and organic enrichment / Samuli Korpinen and Erik Bonsdorff ; 9. Pollution : effects of chemical contaminants and debris / Emma L. Johnston and Mariana Mayer-Pinto ; 10. Invasions by non-indigenous species / Mads Solgaard Thomsen, Thomas Wernberg and David Schiel -- Part III. Synthesis and conclusions. 11. Human activities and ecosystem service use : impacts and trade-offs / Melanie Austen, Caroline Hattam and Samantha Garrard ; 12. Conclusions / Tasman Crowe, Dave Raffaelli and Christopher Frid.

Ecosystem services are emerging as a key driver of conservation policy and environmental management. Delivery of ecosystem services depends on the efficient functioning of ecosystems, which in turn depends on biodiversity and environmental conditions. Many marine ecosystems are extremely productive and highly valued, but they are increasingly threatened by human activities. With contributions from leading researchers, this volume synthesises current understanding of the effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning caused by a variety of human activities and pressures at play in coastal marine ecosystems. The authors examine the likely consequences for ecosystem service provision, covering key topics including fisheries, aquaculture, physical structures, nutrients, chemical contaminants, marine debris and invasive species. Critically reviewing the latest developments, this is a unique resource both for environmental managers and policy makers and for researchers and students in marine ecology and environmental management. -- Back cover. --