With its spectacular beaches and charming towns, Cape Cod is known around the world as a vacation spot and a summer retreat for the well-to-do. But there is another Cape Cod, a hidden, hardscrabble, year-round world whose hunter-gatherer economy dates back to the Bay Colony. The world of the independent fisherman is one of constant peril, of arcane folkways and expert knowledge, of calculated risk and self-reliance -- and of freedom won daily through backbreaking, solitary work. It is a way of life deep in the American grain. Haunted by the numbers of family fishermen who have recently been forced to abandon the profession, Richard Adams Carey spent a year among a handful of men who stubbornly refuse to do so. Reminiscent of the work of William Warner and Joseph Mitchell, AGAINST THE TIDE is a masterly profile of four New England fishermen in which every page opens onto something more profound: maritime history, maritime ecology, and the poetic celebration of a special American place.

"Wild Seas, Secret Shores of Africa" is an underwater journey around the African coast, richly portrayed in more than 145 photographs that draw the reader into a breathtakingly beautiful and sometimes strange underwater world. Offering a worthy and exciting alternative to the continent's more familiar terrestrial landscapes and wildlife, this photographic essay not only covers all major marine habitats, from kelp forests to coral reefs, but also features a wide range of marine species in action, from iconic apex predators such as great white and tiger sharks, whales and dolphins, to many of the lesser known but equally fascinating creatures such as jellyfish and starfish.The images in this book were chosen out of tens of thousands, for their ability to transport the viewer right into the heart of the ocean. Each photograph tells a story, unearths a bizarre marine creature or provides a detailed and fresh look at a familiar subject; together they make a resounding statement for marine conservation.

The most mysterious and elusive of all sea creatures, the giant squid--at least sixty feet long and weighing nearly a ton--is also one of the largest. Yet for all its magnificent size and threatening undersea presence, Architeuthis has remained a mystery. Until now. In this marvelous and beautifully illustrated book, marine biologist, explorer, and artist Richard Ellis presents all that is known about the giant squid. Delving into myth, literature, popular culture, and science, he brings readers face to face with this remarkable creature. He also provides a thorough, compelling study of what is known and what is still to be discovered about this exotic animal that has never been studied alive. Interweaving his engrossing narrative with a wealth of fascinating illustrations and photographs, Ellis gives us the first comprehensive history of the only living creature that can truly be called a "sea monster."

"An illustrated look at the weird and wonderful creatures that live in the very deepest parts of the sea."

Humans have always wondered, with a mixture of fear and fascination, what lurks beneath the surface in the depths of the ocean. In this book, Erich Hoyt introduces 50 of the oddest creatures you will ever meet in the sea. From the carnivorous comb jelly to the lantern-carrying deep-sea dragonfish, from a vampire squid with giant eyes to dancing jellyfish, Hoyt explores these peculiar conditions and their equally peculiar environment.

These creatures have adapted to lack of light and, using sound pulses (echolocation) or light-producing organs and pigment cells (emitting light via bioluminescence), they are able to communicate without giving their location away to predators.

These stunning, captivating photographs weren't taken from the portholes of submarines. Photographers David Shale, Solvin Zanki and Jeff Rotman worked with oceanography institutes, museums and the BBC Natural History Unit, taking long cruises across the ocean to record and try to understand these little-studied residents of the deep sea. To capture the creatures for observation, a net was lowered far beneath the surface. As soon as the trawl was hauled aboard, the photographers would race to transfer the most unusual animals to fresh seawater aquariums in a chilled laboratory on board.

These pages let readers gaze into strange, wild eyes and study faces with toothless or crooked smiles that witness the fruits of deep-sea evolution. Informative captions explain what the patterns of lights on their bodies are "saying" to others in their absolutely dark world. The wonder and extraordinary weirdness of what lives in the deep seas, so far away from us and yet so close, will become more familiar with this book.

A reprinted edition of a work on the sea fishes of Southern Africa, containing new species descriptions and additions and corrections to the text.

"It is said that the seafloor is a desert, a vast and uniform wasteland, all but devoid of life. Textbooks on the shelf in my laboratory say so. But I know that is not true", writes scientist and submersible pilot Cindy Lee Van Dover in the Introduction to Deep-Ocean Journeys. Van Dover has ventured miles below surface waves to the bottom of the sea, driven by her desire to understand the complex and thriving ecosystems recently discovered near volcanic vents. These ecosystems are models for sites where life might have originated on this planet and where extraterrestrial life is speculated to exist on Mars and Europa. In this remarkable book, Van Dover gives lyrical voice to the scientific passion that motivates her, taking us along with her as she reveals the wonders of the ocean floor.

A guide to the freshwater fish of the Southern African subregion. Species descriptions include: a colour painting; a distribution map; symbols indicating uses and conservation status as well as a detailed description of the fish, its habits and habitat. Keys to families, genera and species aid identification. Introductory chapters deal with biology, ecology, conservation, aquaculture and classification.

This colourful guide contains concise information on 234 reef fish and 36 coral species found along the KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique coasts, with matching high quality photographs to aid quick identification. The book is aimed at the fast-growing community of sport scuba divers, snorkellers and rock pool enthusiasts, but its simple and easy-to-use format and attractive high quality underwater photographs will appeal also to the fisherman and anyone who loves the sea.

This elegantly written and compelling work portrays the way the Japanese demand for giant bluefin tuna has altered the lives of Cape Cod fishermen. In telling the story of one man’s passionate hunt for giant bluefin, Douglas Whynott details the competition and camaraderie in the bluefin fishery, the pressures of a conservationist movement seeking to limit the bluefin harvest, and the struggle of the fisherman himself against “the wild horses of [the] fish species.”

For many years, brief encounters between sharks and humans could leave the latter with a vivid memory of the much-maligned fish but no convenient means of identifying it more specifically. With the publication of The Sharks of North American Waters in 1983, everyone from the experienced ichthyologist to the weekend angler had access to concise descriptions and accurate, detailed drawings in this handy field guide to more than one hundred species. All species that have been reported within five hundred nautical miles of U.S. and Canadian shores (plus a few deep-water species from adjacent areas) are illustrated, with summaries of diagnostic characteristics, similar species, geographic range, biology, reproduction, utility, and fishing methods. An illustrated key to the families of sharks, family descriptions, and species characteristics makes field identification simple. Also included is a general account of the evolution of sharks, their anatomy, reproduction, and distribution.

Encompassing habitats as diverse as alpine forests and subtropical swamps, the Mid-Atlantic region has a richly diverse fish fauna. Outside of the important sport and commercial species, however, few are known to the average person. This book provides information on how to identify some 260 species of freshwater fish, from the largemouth bass to the rosyside dace.

Illustrated with more than 200 color photographs, most by James Parnell, this guide provides a detailed description of each species as well as notes on its distribution and abundance, habitat, and natural history (diet, spawning habits, growth, and so forth). Range maps show the distribution of each species. Of particular interest in this time of heightened awareness of environmental degradation are the many references to threatened and endangered species and the effects of deteriorating water quality on their survival.

Of all the mammals on earth, none has inspired our affection as much as the dolphin. Fascinated by these creatures of myth, magic, and history, we have longed to penetrate the mystery that surrounds them and thrilled to the possibility of communicating with a species other than our own. In 1988 a group of researchers began a revolutionary experiment: they "borrowed" a pair of wild dolphins from the sea, studied them in captivity, and then set them free to continue studying the animals in their home waters. This is the extraordinary story of that project, an ongoing adventure shared by a daring team of humans and two very special dolphins that has built a bridge between disparate worlds and very different creatures. Now, Carol J. Howard, a researcher and primary member of the team invites you along on the coast-to-coast odyssey that began when two Atlantic bottlenose dolphins were captured in Tampa Bay, Florida, and transported to Long Marine Laboratory in Santa Cruz, California. Touching, enlightening, and ultimately inspiring, it's a story filled with drama, humor, and heartbreak - one that offers breathtaking possibilities and poses crucial questions for anyone who cares about the future of the dolphins ... and of the planet itself.

The first-ever book published on the shells of the Sydney metropolitan area, this book covers 484 species which were collected during a period of four years. For each species, there is at least one detailed black-and-white line drawing, a description which covers features of the shell, the distribution and the habitat. Also included are a glossary of terms and an extensive list of references.

"This story about touching whalesNand whales touching usNtouches a cultural nerve. An important, informed, and insightful book. Powerful." NLee Sterrenberg, Indiana University "The first time I saw a whale, I looked into its eye and saw myself reflected." For Michelle Gilders, this moment was a revelation and becomes for us the start of a marvelous journey into the realm of the great whales. Gilders weaves a spellbinding account of her voyages through the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean in search of whales. Along the way, she takes us to the desert of Baja California to witness its diverse and remarkable wildlife. She recounts the whaling history of the area and the pressures brought to bear on this region and its wildlife. In the rough beauty of Baja, Gilders ponders ecological complexity, environmental issues, and ethical concerns, while immersing the reader in the sights and sounds of a desert awash in the whale-haunted seas. Gilders's encounters with whales occasion reflections on such matters as speciation and evolution, the diversity of life, the role of politics and science in the treatment of animal populations, and the ethical and moral dilemmas that face us as we contemplate the possible sentience of non-human animals. Written for a general readership, the book is an enthralling, deeply reflective, and scientifically accurate portrait of the great whales and our long and often troubled encounter with them. A bit from the book if you'd like to use it: "Whale-watching is a very personal experience. There is so much time for reflection that you get to know yourself better than you ever thought possible. Out on the ocean, with no distractions, you are forced to think for yourself and consider your own life and the lives of those around you. There are no guarantees that you will see whales at all. But no one can look at a whale without hope for the future, for them and for us. The landmarks that we judge our lives by, the bearings we use to pass through our terrestrial world, have no meaning here. This is a separate planet; this is Ocean."

In a Panamanian pond, male tungara frogs (Physalaemus pustulosus) gather in choruses, giving their "advertisement" call to the females that move among them. If a female chooses to make physical contact with a male, he will clasp her and eventually fertilize her eggs. But in vying for the females, the males whose calls are most attractive may also attract the interest of another creature: the fringe-lipped bat, a frog eater. In the Tungara Frog, the most detailed and informative single study available of frogs and their reproductive behavior, Michael J. Ryan demonstrates the interplay of sexual and natural selection. Using techniques from ethology, behavioral ecology, sensory physiology, physiological ecology, and theoretical population genetics in his research, Ryan shows that large males with low-frequency calls mate most successfully. He examines in detail a number of explanations for the females' preferences, and he considers possible evolutionary forces leading to the males' success. Though certain vocalizations allow males to obtain mates and thus should be favored by sexual selection, this study highlights two important costs of such sexual displays: the frogs expand considerable energy in their mating calls, and they advertise their whereabouts to predators. Ryan considers in detail how predators, especially the frige-lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosus), affect the evolution of the tungara frog's calls.

Polar Oceanography is an integrated synthesis of the biological, physical, geological, and chemical processes that occur in the polar oceans. The book represents the first modern interdisciplinary synthesis of this field.

First published in 1992, this guide has been significantly expanded in a new 3rd edition. The popular, user-friendly field guide, covering all major groups of marine invertebrates encountered by divers on coral reefs and adjacent habitats, has grown to include 900 species beautifully documented with more than 1200 underwater photographs -- nearly doubling the total in the previous editions. Les Wilk has joined Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach authoring the comprehensive new edition.

Jellyfish are, like the mythical Medusa, both beautiful and potentially dangerous. Found from pole to tropic, these mesmeric creatures form an important part of the sea's plankton and vary in size from the gigantic to the minute. Perceived as alien creatures and seen as best avoided, jellyfish nevertheless have the power to fascinate: with the sheer beauty of their translucent bells and long, trailing tentacles; with a mouth that doubles as an anus; and without a head or brain. Drawing upon myth and historical sources as well as modern scientific advances, this book examines our ambiguous relationship with these ancient and yet ill-understood animals, describing their surprisingly complex anatomy, weaponry and habits, and their vital contribution to the ocean's ecosystem.