Marine hard bottoms feature some of the most spectacular and diverse biological communities on this planet. These not only contain a rich treasure of genetic, taxonomic and functional information but also deliver irreplaceable ecosystem services. At the same time, they are highly vulnerable and increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures. This volume has collected contributions by 50 scientists from numerous biogeographic regions, dealing with characteristics of hard bottom communities. Distributional patterns in space and time are described, followed by analyses of the intrinsic and extrinsic dynamics producing these patterns. A strong emphasis is placed on the ongoing changes occurring in the structure and diversity of these communities in response to spiralling environmental impacts, and on state-of-the-art countermeasures aiming to preserve these ecological treasures. Finally, various values of diversity are assessed, hopefully as an incentive for enhanced conservation efforts.

Inhalt
Habitat, Substrata and Communities.- Habitat Characteristics and Typical Functional Groups.- The Role of Mineral, Living and Artificial Substrata in the Development of Subtidal Assemblages.- Communities on Deep-Sea Hard Bottoms.- Epibiosis.- Diversity Patterns and Their Causes.- Latitudinal Patterns of Species Richness in Hard-Bottom Communities.- Regional-Scale Patterns.- Patterns Along Environmental Gradients.- Evolutionary Patterns of Diversity and Their Causes.- Environmental Variability.- Community Dynamics.- Fertilization Strategies.- Larval Supply and Dispersal.- Settlement and Recruitment.- Seasonal Dynamics.- Disruption, Succession and Stochasticity.- Changes in Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning During Succession.- Simple and Complex Interactions.- Changing Biodiversity.- Anthropogenic Changes in Patterns of Diversity on Hard Substrata: an Overview.- Shifts in Abiotic Variables and Consequences for Diversity.- The Loss of Natural Habitats and the Addition of Artificial Substrata.- Multiple Stressors and Disturbances.- Mass Mortalities and Extinctions.- Biological Invasions.- Habitat Distribution and Heterogeneity in Marine Invasion Dynamics: the Importance of Hard Substrate and Artificial Structure.- Rehabilitation of Habitat and the Value of Artificial Reefs.- Protection of Biota and the Value of Marine Protected Areas.- Role of Diversity.- The Role of Biodiversity for the Functioning of Rocky Reef Communities.- Functional and Taxonomic Perspectives of Marine Biodiversity.- Mechanisms Underpinning Diversity-Stability Relationships in Hard Bottom Assemblages.- The Aesthetic Value of Littoral Hard Substrata and Consideration of Ethical Frameworks for Their Investigation and Conservation.- Appropriate Research Methods.- Field and Research Methods in Marine Ecology.