Acknowledgements -- Foreword -- Introduction -- The importance of marine biodiversity -- Key features -- Hierarchical components -- The impacts of human activities on marine biodiversity -- The strategic values of research -- Status and trends -- How many marine species are there? -- Taxonomic records -- Cryptic species -- The DNA barcode -- The drive to identify new species -- The "taxonomic impediment" -- Species under pressure -- Extinct species -- Endangered species -- Ecosystems under pressure: the deep sea -- Spatial patterning of characteristics -- Temporal patterns -- Conceptualising biodiversity -- Conceptual frameworks for relationships between biodiversity and human societies -- Choice of model framework -- Measuring biodiversity -- Biodiversity as a macroscopic descriptor in the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) -- Drivers of changes in biodiversity and its uses -- Environmental drivers: a working framework -- Integrated scenarios and policies -- Policies and decision support -- Developing scenarios -- Quantitative methods, models and integrated assessment -- Research needs -- The framework: environmental research -- Naturalistic dimensions -- Human dimensions of research -- Developing modelling: a summarising approach -- Sources -- References -- Databases -- Abbreviations and acronyms -- Group of experts.

Oceans cover more than 70% of earth and host a largely unknown marine biodiversity critical for future human beings. An improved knowledge of marine biodiversity at various scales (from genes to ecosystems) is required to facilitate building integrated scenarios and policies for a sustainable development as well as its conservation. Understanding species interactions, ecosystem functioning and dynamics, as well as biodiversity uses is presently a scientific challenge. Conservation of marine biodiversity is now a worldwide priority emphasized by several international conventions (UN, CBD..) and a key target for European policies and national strategies. This book provides a comprehensive review of the status and trends of marine biodiversity, an impact assessment of human activities and suggests a conceptual framework for relationships between biodiversity and human societies. Further research needs and priorities are identified to sustain the development of integrated scenarios and policies, considering a sustainable development as well as biodiversity conservation. The book is the product of a collective scientific expertise based upon international experts originating from social, biological and ecological sciences.       .