List of boxes. Part 1 Introduction to the world ocean: major features of the Earth; plate tectonics. Part 2 Basic principles of oceanography: physical and chemical properties of sea water; circulation systems of the world; waves; tides; the marine biological environment; life in the sea; marine geology and geophysics. Part 3 Coastal environments: estuaries and related environments; deltas; barrier island complexes; rocky coasts. Part 4 Open marine environment: reefs; continental shelf; outer continental margin; the pelagic environment; the floor of the ocean basins. Part 5 Applied oceanography: resources of the sea; human impact on the marine environment. Appendixes: conversions and constants; general classification of marine organisms.
