Marine Gels

This book is an effort to alert oceanographers to the remarkable predicting power of polymer physic laws to address the dynamics of marine biopolymers and gel formation in the ocean. It also aims to persuade polymer physicists that the ocean represents an urgent challenge for the survival of our planet, to convince them to respond not to the siren appeals from Mars, Jupiter, or distant galaxies, to which many countries remain invested, but to the urgent call of our own planet.This book is comprised of a short tutorial on the dynamics of polyelectrolytes, outlining the fundamental principles that govern marine polymer association, as a brief toolbox for oceanographers to approach macromolecular dynamics, as well as a set of minireviews that invite polymer physicists to tackle the many fundamental questions requiring urgent attention in marine macromolecular dynamics. This double aim of the book will certainly bring colleagues and students to a new frontier on marine gel chemistry, physics, microbiology, atmospheric science, and the still pending critical question of the role of gels on marine carbon cycling.