A Student’s Guide to the Seashore - Softcover

Fish, J.D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0045740445 ISBN 13: 9780045740444

Publisher: Springer, 1989

Synopsis

At one time or another, we have all been drawn by the fascination of the seashore. For the holiday maker, the relaxing day by the sea often turns out to be a most rewarding foray among rock pools and dense canopies of seaweed; for naturalists and students, the shore is one of the most challenging habitats. Whatever our interests and expertise, one of our first objectives when faced with the diversity of plant and animal life on the shore is to name the individual specimens and we quickly learn that this can be a difficult, though rewarding, occupation. Once an organism has been identified, a number of questions naturally follow. What is its life-cycle? How does it feed and reproduce? How long does it live? The answers to such questions give an insight into the lives of the plants and animals of the shore and are one of the first steps in an understand­ ing of the complexity of the shore environment. However, the information required to answer such questions is not always easily accessible and even when it is known it is often scattered in various books and research journals making it difficult and time consuming to find. Although a variety of identification keys and guides is available, some designed for the specialist, others for the amateur, such texts generally give little, if any, information on the biology of the organisms.

About this title

Review

'This is an information-packed volume for the serious student of the seashore ... The great merit of this book is that it goes into considerable detail about the individual species including aspects of their behaviour, longevity and distribution around the British coast ... illustrated with excellent line drawings of every species featured ... The book seems better the more I look at it.' Glaucus

'... a unique, concise illustrated guide to both the biology and identification of over 600 common and widespread shore animals and plants ... this book will be the premier biological text and identification guide for students at school and university, teachers and all those interested in the seashore for many years to come.' Piet Lansbergen, Coast

'... should rapidly become accepted as a standard identification text for shore organisms.' Hugh Jones, Bulletin of the Malacological Society of London

'... a welcome addition to the library of any prospective, or practising, marine biologist in the UK.' P. G. Moore, Journal of Natural History

'... a valuable guide for the student. Very good.' Aquarist and Pondkeeper

'... very good value for any student of marine biology at any level. It is a fund of information presented in a clear and user-friendly way.' N. V. Jones, ECSA Bulletin

'... a useful text for the more serious student ... Sixth-form libraries and university students will want this.' Simon Millett, SSR

'... as an introductory guide this one has much to recommend it.' TEG News

'I would envisage this remaining a standard work for many years to come.' Bryan Sage, Country-Side

'... an excellent piece of work ... I would recommend it to anyone involved in tutoring marine field courses and to general marine ecologists. At £19.95 for the paperback version it represents good value for money.' Ian Killeen, Porcupine Newsletter

Book Description

Unlike other handbooks, A Student's Guide to the Seashore is a concise illustrated guide to both the biology and identification of over 600 common seashore plants and animals. Beautifully illustrated with line drawings, the keys and biological summaries make this unbeatable for all students and naturalists on the shore.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0045740445
• ISBN 13: 9780045740444
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 490