This text introduces and draws together pertinent aspects of fluid
dynamics, physical oceanography, solid mechanics, and organismal biology
to provide a much-needed set of tools for quantitatively examining the
biological effects of ocean waves. "Nowhere on earth does water move as
violently as on wave-swept coasts," writes the author, "and every
breaker that comes pounding on the shore places large hydrodynamic
forces on the organisms resident there." Yet wave-swept coral reefs and
rocky shores are home to some of the world's most diverse assemblages of
plants and animals, and scientists have chosen these environments to
carry out much of the recent experimental work in community structure
and population dynamics. Until now these studies have been hampered
because biologists often lack a working understanding of the mechanics
of the wave-swept shore. Mark Denny here supplies that understanding in
clear and vivid language.
Included are an introduction to wave-induced water motions and the
standard theories for describing them, a broad introduction to the
hydrodynamic forces these water movements place on plants and animals,
and an explanation of how organisms respond to these forces. These tools
are put to use in the final chapters in an examination of the mechanisms
of "wave exposure" and an exploration of the mechanical determinants of
size and shape in wave-swept environments.
Originally published in 1988.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from
the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions
preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting
them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the
Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich
scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
