This is the first ever book devoted entirely to the chemical ecology of algae. Algae from both marine and freshwater habitats are covered, as are macroalgae (seaweeds) and microalgae (including phytoplankton). While its main emphasis is on the ecological rather than chemical aspects of the field, the book also includes a unique introductory chapter intended as a primer on algal natural products chemistry for ecologists. It elucidates the roles of chemical defenses in various regions and habitats, of DMSP, oxidative burst responses, and herbivore offense. Topics such as algal sensory chemical ecology and defenses against ultraviolet radiation are also treated, and an introduction to the chemical ecology of phytoplankton is provided.

The chemistry of algal secondary metabolism

Macroalgal chemical defenses and their roles in structuring tropical marine communities
Macroalgal chemical defenses and their roles in structuring temperate marine communities
Macroalgal chemical defenses in polar marine communities
Macroalgal and cyanobacterial chemical defenses in freshwater communities
New perspectives for addressing patterns of secondary metabolites in marine macroalgae
Macroalgal models in testing and extending defense theories
Ecological and physiological roles of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and DMSP cleavage in marine macroalgae
Influence of algal secondary metabolites on plankton community structure
Herbivore offense in the sea: the detoxification and transport of secondary metabolites
Secondary metabolite defenses against pathogens and biofoulers
Oxidative burst and related responses in biotic interactions of algae
Defense strategies of algae and cyanobacteria against solar ultraviolet radiation
Algal sensory chemical ecology.