Contains twenty-two essays that provide varying perspectives on issues related to the world's oceans, debating the level to which the world's oceans and coastlines are endangered, ocean management and conservation practices, sustainable fishing, and the impact of human activities on marine mammals.

Human activities threaten the world's oceans and coastal regions / Anne Platt McGinn -- Human efforts are improving the conditions of the world's oceans and coastal regions / Frank E. Loy -- The world's ocean fisheries are seriously threatened / Carl Safina -- Private conservation offers hope for ocean fisheries / Michael De Alessi -- Rising sea levels threaten coastal regions / Don Hinrichsen -- Claims that sea levels are rising are unproven / John L. Daly -- Increased regulation of cruise ship waste is neccessary / Kira Schmidt -- Voluntary efforts to control cruise ship waste are adequate / Ted Thompson -- Ocean fertilization can reduce global warming / Michael Markels, Richard T. Barber -- Ocean fertilization will harm the world's oceans / Sallie W. Chisholm, Paul G. Falkowski, John J. Cullen -- Fully protected marine reserves will promote sustainable fishing / David White -- Fully protected marine reserves do not always promote sustainable fishing / Robert L. Shipp -- Individual fishing quotas will benefit U.S. fisheries / Donald R. Leal -- Individual fishing quotas may not benefit fisheries / Kaitilin Gaffney -- Federal regulation of aquaculture is necessary / Rebecca J. Goldburg -- Alternatives to government regulation will promote the growth of aquaculture / Ferdinand F. Wirth, E. Jane Luzar -- The ban on commercial whaling protects endangered whales / Greenpeace -- The ban on commercial whaling is unnecessary and unfair / William Aron, William Burke, Milton Freeman -- Antisubmarine sonar threatens marine mammals / Nathan LaBudde -- Antisubmarine sonar does not threaten marine mammals / Dennis V. McGinn -- Keeping marine mammals captive in theme parks promotes conservation / George Mannina -- Keeping marine mammals captive in theme parks is cruel / Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.