Marine glycobiology is an emerging and exciting area in the field of science and medicine. Glycobiology, which is the study of the structure and function of carbohydrates and carbohydrate containing molecules, is fundamental to all biological systems. Progress in glycobiology has shed light on a range of complex biological processes associated with, disease and immunology, molecular and cellular communication, and developmental biology. Marine Glycobiology: Principles and Applications revolutionise the concept of marine glycobiology, focusing on the latest principles and applications of marine glycobiology and their relationships. In fact, glycobiology combines all branches of biomedical research, revealing the vast and diverse forms of carbohydrate structures that exist in nature. Advances in structure determination have enabled scientists to study the function of complex carbohydrates in more depth and to determine the role that they play in a wide range of biological processes. Glycobiology research in marine systems has primarily focused on reproduction, in particular for what concern the chemical communication between the gametes. There is an established, if rather modest, tradition of glycobiology research in marine systems that have primarily focused on reproduction, biofouling, and chemical communication. The current status of marine glycobiology is mainly descriptive with very limited progress on structural clarification and the consequent definition of specific functional roles beyond a small number of classical examples, (eg: induction of the acrosome reaction in echinoderms). However, with recent advances in analytical instrumentation, there is now the capacity to begin to characterise marine glycoconjugates, many of which will have potential biomedical and biotechnological applications. This title will highlight the fundamental importance of glycobiology for many biological processes in marine organisms and will draw upon the best defined systems. These systems therefore may prove genuine candidates for full carbohydrate characterisation.