Marine Conservation Paleobiology:The Fossil Record as an Archive of Preindustrial Ecosystems.
Conservation paleobiology complements approaches of historical ecology and
archaeology by melding geochemical, geochronological, and paleontological data to study human impacts on the environment. Fossil, archaeological, and other historical data have been used for decades to assess human-ecosystem interactions, but the modern-style conservation paleobiology that capitalizes on rapid advances in geochemistry, paleontology, and ecology has emerged only recently. Using multiple case examples from various habitat types and regions, we will explore the utitlity of fossils as a tool for improving assessmenet, management, conservation and restoration of aquatic habitats.