Produced in association with the World Conservation Union of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, this work aims to promote "understanding of the full complexity of interactions between the physical, chemical and biological processes which maintain the oceans in a healthy and productive state." It is organized in six sections: origins of the oceans; living resources; environment for life; harvesting the seas; the atlas itself; and the challenge of conservation. Outstanding color photographs predominate over text. The atlas is divided by ocean with information on fishing areas, industrial centers, oil and gas fields, threatened species, coastal development, coastal ecosystems, regional agreements, peoples, problems, and pollution provided for each ocean.