The book covers the following areas: biology and boundary layers; biology of the mixed layer; the verticled structure of open water; freshwater run off and tidal mixing - life in coastal waters; coastal upwelling areas - producers of sardine and anchovy; fronts in coastal waters - zones of high productivity; tides, tidal mixing and internal waves; ocean basin circulation - the biology of major currents, gyres, mings eddies; variability in ocean circulation - its biological consequences; the oceans and global climate - physical biological aspects; oceans and the future.