Following the successful format adopted previously, this new edition treats the oceans as a unified entity, and addresses the question ‘ ’  To address this question, the text has been updated to cover recent advances in our understanding of topics such as the carbon chemistry of the oceans, nutrient cycling and its effect on marine chemistry, the acidification of sea water, and the role of the oceans in climate change. In addition, the importance of shelf seas in oceanic cycles has been re-evaluated in the light of new research. offers both undergraduate and graduate students and research workers an integrated approach to one of the most important reservoirs in the Earth System.