Dr. Barbara Sladonja

Aquaculture is the art, science and business of cultivating aquatic animals and plants in fresh or marine waters. It is the extension of fishing, resulted from the fact that harvests of wild sources of fish and other aquatic species cannot keep up with the increased demand of a growing human population. Expansion of aquaculture can result with less care for the environment. The first pre-requisite to sustainable aquaculture is clean wate, but bad management of aquatic species production can alter or even destroy existing wild habitat, increase local pollution levels or negatively impact local species. Aquatic managers are aware of this and together with scientists are looking for modern and more effective solutions to many issues regarding fish farming. This book presents recent research results on the interaction between aquaculture and environment, and includes several case studies all over the world with the aim of improving and performing sustainable aquaculture.

Protected areas are at the base of the most national and international conservation strategies. Due to the many unpredictable elements in ecology matters, each protected area requires a case-specific set of guidelines but a common issue is how to cope with human interaction. The management of protected areas is replete with challenges and the only way to gain understanding and achieve greater management possibilities is to exchange experiences and knowledge. Environmental managers are aware of that and together with scientists are looking for more modern and better solutions, both with respect to natural resources and human interactions in many issues regarding nature protection. This publication presents reviews and research results on protected areas management, as well as 12 case studies derived from around the world with the aim of improving management effectiveness of the protected areas.

The book "The Mediterranean Genetic Code - Grapevine and Olive" collects relevant papers documenting the results of research in grapevine and olive genetics, as a contribution to overall compendium of the existing biodiversity for both species with insight into molecular mechanisms responsible for their desirable and important traits. Book encompasses a broad and diverse palette of different topics related to grapevine and olive genetics, with no areal or any other strict limitation, keeping the title as a loose frame for borderless science. Divided in four sections it takes us for a "molecular walk" through different levels of genetic variability, uncovering the remains of still existing wild populations and treasures of neglected local peculiarities, weaving the network from plant to product and back to the beginning, to the hearth of all questions asked and answers hidden in genetics.