Transcripts from the round table discussions are not included in this report, but they can be downloaded as a zipfile from here.

Seaweeds of India: The Diversity and Distribution of Seaweeds of Gujarat Coast. Developments in Applied Phycology , Vol. 3. Jha, B., Reddy, C.R.K., Thakur, M.C., Rao, M.U. 2009. ISBN: 978-90-481-2487-9. 216 pp. Hardcover. $129.00

This book is first of its kind from India and describes a total of 198 species of marine macroalgae representing all three major groups of Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta collected from the Gujarat coast which is well known for its algal abundance and diversity. All species described in this book are based on primary collections exclusively made for this purpose and truly reflect the current status of seaweed biodiversity of Gujarat coast. For easy identification, high resolution colour pictures of each species in its natural habitat together with well spread habit of thallus with cross sections showing characteristic features of respective specimens have been provided. Further, the taxonomical descriptions along with distribution and GPS data, abundance, ecology, economic importance etc. have also been included. The contents of this book are user friendly and provide most reliable baseline data on seaweed biodiversity for monitoring and evaluating the impact of any coastal developmental activities aimed at long term economic gains or environmental changes as a result of global warming and climate change.

Biofuels. Wim Soetaert. 2009. ISBN: 978-0-470-02674-8. 256 pp. Hardcover. $130.00

This book gives a broad overview of the key topics in this field of study, approaching them from a technical and economic angle giving the reader a comprehensive insight into biofuels as a whole. Dealing specifically with liquid and gaseous biofuels that can be produced from renewable resources this text also gives a summary of the past, present and future production technologies and applications of biofuels.

This book is particularly relevant as it highlights the extensive debate of the on-going global needs to find alternative fuels, making it not only a necessary text for working professionals and researchers in the field, but for anyone with an interest in sustaining the earth.

Protist Diversity and Geographical Distribution. Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol. 8. Foissner, W.; Hawksworth, David Leslie (Eds.). Due September 2009. ISBN: 978-90-481-2800-6. 212 pp. Hardcover. $179.00

There is still a widespread belief that microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, protists, and small multicellulars, have a cosmopolitan distribution due to a presumed easy dispersal by wind and water. However, the contributions collected in this book – ranging from protists to rotifers and mosses – show that microorganisms have community structures and biogeographies similar to those found in animals and vascular plants, although the ranges of many can be wider and local endemism is rarer. Accordingly, the cosmopolitan distribution model of Finlay & Fenchel is to be replaced by the moderate endemicity model of Foissner, which assumes that one third of microscopic organisms are morphological and/or genetic endemics. This has far-reaching consequences for estimates of the number of species and their conservation. There is convincing evidence that we know only about 20% of the actual diversity in many protist groups, especially saprotrophs and heterotrophs such as amoebae, flagellates, and ciliates. It is probable that this great diversity of microscopic organisms is caused by low extinction rates over geological time, and short generation times which foster dispersal of genetic variants. That the great diversity of microorganisms has remained unrecognized for such a long time has several reasons, of which the most serious is a shortage of taxonomists. Considering the dramatic losses of habitats occurring, especially in the tropics, a large portion of the Earth’s protist biodiversity will disappear before it has been discovered. Reprinted from Biodiversity and Conservation, volume 17:2 (2008)

Biofuels: Securing the Planet’s Future Energy Needs. Demirbas, Ayhan. 2009. ISBN: 978-1-84882-010-4. 336 pp., 71 illustrations. Hardcover. $139.00

Biofuel is a renewable energy source produced from natural (biobased) materials, which can be used as a substitute for petroleum fuels. The benefits of biofuels over traditional fuels include greater energy security, reduced environmental impact, foreign exchange savings, and socioeconomic issues related to the rural sector. Furthermore, biofuel technology is relevant to both developing and industrialized countries. For these reasons, the share of biofuels in the automotive fuel market is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade. The most common biofuels, such as ethanol from corn, wheat or sugar beet and biodiesel from oil seeds, are produced from classic food crops that require high-quality agricultural land for growth. However, bioethanol is a petrol additive/substitute that can be produced from plentiful, domestic, cellulosic biomass resources such as herbaceous and woody plants, agricultural and forestry residues, and a large portion of municipal and industrial solid waste streams. Production of bioethanol from biomass is one way to reduce both the consumption of crude oil and environmental pollution. There is also a growing interest in the use of vegetable oils for making biodiesel, which is less polluting than conventional petroleum diesel fuel.

Biofuels: Securing the Planet’s Future Energy Needs discusses the production of transportation fuels from biomass (such as wood, straw and even household waste) by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

Endosymbionts in Paramecium. Microbiology Monographs, Vol. 12. Fujishima, Masahiro (Ed.). 2009. ISBN: 978-3-540-92676-4. 252 pp., 69 illustrations, 22 in color. Hardcover. $179.00

Endosymbiosis is a primary force in eukaryotic cell evolution. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in this mutualistic relationship, experiments to reproduce endosymbiosis are indispensable. The ciliate “Paramecium” is an ideal host for performing such studies.Topics presented in this volume are: the origins of algal and bacterial symbionts in “Paramecium”, the diversity of endosymbiotic bacteria, such as “Holospora” bacteria and especially “Chlorella” species, as well as the infection and maintenance processes. The metabolic control, the regulation of circadian rhythms and photobiological aspects of the mutualistic association, as well as the killer effect of “Paramecium” and its causative agents are further points discussed.

Marine Hard Bottom Communities: Patterns, Dynamics, Diversity, and Change. Ecological Studies, Vol. 206. Wahl, Martin (Ed.). 2009. ISBN: 978-3-540-92703-7. 445 pp., 36 illustrations, 1 in color. Hardcover. $199.00

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.

Still Available:

Freshwater Algae of North America, Ecology and Classification. John D. Wehr and Robert g. Sheath. 2002. ISBN: 0127415505. 917 pp. Hardcover. $160.00

Identifying Marine Phytoplankton. Carmelo R. Tomas. 1997. ISBN: 012693018X. 858 pp. Softcover. $149.95

If you would like to place an order, please send me an email with your complete mailing address (STREET) and method of payment. We accept Purchase Orders, Visa or Mastercard, and Prepaid Checks. Our email server/fax is secure for sending credit card numbers and expiration.

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Scott Balogh

Balogh International, Inc.

1911 North Duncan Road, Champaign IL 61822 USA

+1 217 355 9331; fax: +1 217 355 9413

http://www.balogh.com scott@balogh.com

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Please note: We do not sell our imported books on approval. If you need more information, just ask. We do not accept returns of correctly supplied books. We accept Visa, Mastercard, US Dollar checks. All prices are quoted in US dollars.

Dates: August 31th to September 11th of 2009
Place: Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto
Politécnico Nacional. México City. México

Speakers:

• Dr. Jiri Masojidek, Institute of Microbiology, Academic of Sciences,
Trebon,
and Institute of Physical Biology, University of South Bohemia, Nove Hrady,
Czech Republic.
• Dra. Rosa Olivia Cañizares-Villanueva.  CINVESTAV-IPN, Departamento de
Biotecnología. Laboratorio de Biotecnología de Microalgas, México
• Dr. Sergio González-Moreno. UNAM, Facultad de Estudios Superiores
Iztacala, UMF-Laboratorio de Bioquímica, México
• Dr. Hugo V. Perales-Vela. UNAM, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala,
UMF-Laboratorio de Bioquímica, México

Lectures:
1. Mass cultivation of freshwater microalgae
2. Photobiorreactors
3. Photosynthetic metabolism
4. Respiratory metabolism
5. Chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic activity

Practical activities:
1. Cultivation of algae
2  Pigments determination
3. Growth determination
4. Nutrient consumption
5. Quantification of respiration and photosynthesis by oxygen production and

consumption
6. Quantification of photosynthesis by chlorophyll a fluorescence

Conferences:
1. Algae Biotechnology
2. Algae Production of hydrogen and biodiesel
3. Algae Production of carotenoids
4. Algae remediation of waste water: Heavy metals
5. Algae remediation of waste water: N and P
6. Algae Production of proteins and PUFAS

For more information please contact to hperales@yahoo.com or
hugo.perales@gmail.com

Over the summer, the algae will be tested for their ability to extract nutrients from the surface water pumped through the ponds. The objective is to achive a cycle in which the algae will clean the water before being led in to the sea. The algae will be collected, dried and used as fertilizer on local farms.

Within the next couple of weeks the other two ponds will be cultivating algae currently being grown in the laboratories at Roskilde University.

Jonathan Trent, a researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., sees algae farmed at sea as a win-win-win scenario: The plants are oil-rich and easy to grow; sea-based nurseries leave land free for food production; and the process should take out more carbon from the atmosphere than what it puts in.

As an added bonus, the system purifies waste water now being pumped into the ocean.
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