Understanding how higher fungi with their spectrum of cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzymes degrade wood tissue, while labyrinthuloids and thraustochytrids further contribute to the dissolved organic matter entering the open ocean is essential to marine ecology. This work provides an overview of marine fungi including morphology and ultrastructure, phylogeny and biogeography. Biotechnology is also turning to these organisms to develop new bioactive compounds and to address problems such as decomposition of materials in the ocean and bioremediation of oil spills.

E. B. Gareth Jones, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Pathum Thani, Thailand; Ka-Lai Pang, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan (R.O.C.).

1;1. Introduction Marine fungi;17 2;Phylogeny of marine fungi;31 2.1;2. Phylogeny of the Dothideomycetes and other classes of marine Ascomycota;33 2.2;3. Phylogeny of the marine Sordariomycetes;51 2.3;4. Basidiomycota;65 2.4;5. Taxonomy of filamentous anamorphic marine fungi: morphology and molecular evidence;81 2.5;6. Yeasts in marine environments;107 2.6;7. Zoosporic true fungi;119 2.7;8. Morphology and ultrastructure of marine fungi with special reference to the origin of the membrane complex in the marine ascomycete Corollospora gracilis;133 3;Phylogeny of fungal-like organisms;151 3.1;9. An introduction to fungus-like microorganisms;153 3.2;10. Cryptomycota (Rozellida) and Mesomycetozoea (Ichthyosporea) the Super-group Opisthokonta;169 3.3;11. Hyphochytriomycota, Oomycota and Perkinsozoa (Super-group Chromalveolata);183 3.4;12. Labyrinthulomycota;231 3.5;13. Phytomyxea (Super-group Rhizaria);261 4;Biodiversity of marine fungi;267 4.1;14. Mangrove fungi;269 4.2;15. Biodiversity of fungi on the palm Nypa fruticans;289 4.3;16. Diversity of endophytic and marine-derived fungi associated with marine plants and animals;307 4.4;17. Fungi from marine algae;345 4.5;18. Salt marsh fungi;361 4.6;19. Diversity and ecology of marine-derived fungi;399 5;Application of marine fungi;425 5.1;20. Natural products from marine-derived fungi;427 5.2;21. Enzymes from marine fungi: current research and future prospects;457 5.3;22. Decomposition of materials in the sea;491 5.4;23. Culture collections and maintenance of marine fungi;517 5.5;24. Epilogue: importance and impact of marine mycology and fungal-like organisms: challenges for the future;525 6;Index;535