LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 21, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Microorganisms are the most numerous and important organisms on Earth, writes David M. Carlberg, Ph.D. They play a vital role in everything humans and other species do to survive, which makes them a crucial focus in environmental activism. In the new book, Biofilms and Dead Zones: The Microbe-Environment Connection: How Unseen Life Influences the World Around Us (now available through 1stBooks), Carlberg presents one of the first layman guides about the importance of microorganisms to the health of Earth's environment.
Microorganisms have both positive and negative effects on the environment. Life needs bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms to survive, but, on a negative note, the wrong type of microorganisms introduced into a location can have detrimental, even catastrophic, effects. Acid mine drainage and fish farming, for example, both can have disastrous impacts on the environment. It is crucial for environmental activists to understand the importance of these unseen organisms' roles.
Carlberg presents the simple basics of microbiology, and he discusses both the positive and negative impact of microorganisms, including recent threats of bioterrorism.
Written for the typical reader, this book informs interested citizens and environmental activists about the world of microscopic beings.
Carlberg is a professor emeritus at California State University in Long Beach, where he has taught microbiology for 37 years. His previous professional endeavors include pharmaceutical chemistry, astrobiology and biological warfare defense. He has also been an environmental activist for 25 years and was a leader in the successful campaign to save the Bolsa Chica Wetland, 1,100 acres of wetlands in California. His previous books include Essentials of Bacterial and Viral Genetics and Cleanroom Microbiology for the Non-Microbiologist.
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