This is the third edition of a well-received supplementary text first published in 1973. Completely revised and updated, this new edition of this highly acclaimed anthology about the world's oceans includes 37 articles and essays, most published after 1990, by over fifty of the world's leading ocean scientists. Based on the outline for an introductory course in oceanography, the new edition includes several articles that address important recent developments in the field, including global research programs dealing with ocean circulation, sea level, climate, and deltas. Other articles discuss advances in marine technology and challenge the way world communities manage their oceans. Several contemporary articles describe continuing research in the field and in the laboratory in such areas as sea level and climate change, and gas hydrates. Designed to provide supplemental reading on current research topics the book features a balance of categories, and the articles vary in terms of technical difficulty, providing students and instructors with the opportunity for in-depth discussions of research strategies and methodologies.