This book is aimed at walkers, wild swimmers, kayakers, divers, in fact anyone exploring the coastline whether along the shore,on, or under the water. No doubt it will give equal pleasure to the armchair explorer. Lou's entertaining and clear writing showcases the life stories of a wide selection of coastal inhabitants; from barnacles and jellyfish, to seals and lichens and is brought to life by full colour, professional quality images from her own collection.

The Marine World is a book for everyone with an interest in the ocean, from the marine biologist or student wanting expert knowledge of a particular group to the naturalist or diver exploring the seashore and beyond. With colour illustrations, line drawings, more than 1,500 colour photographs, and with clear accessible text, this book encompasses all those organisms that live in, on and around the ocean, bringing together in a single text everything from the minuscule to the immense. It includes sections on all but the most obscure marine groups, covering invertebrate phyla from sponges to sea squirts, as well as plants, fungi, bacteria, fish, reptiles, mammals and birds. It incorporates information on identification, distribution, structure, biology, ecology, classification and conservation of each group, addressing the questions of 'what?', 'where?' and 'how?' Today global warming, overfishing, ocean acidification and pollution are just a few of the ever increasing number of threats and challenges faced by ocean life. Without knowledge of the animals, plants and other organisms that live in the marine world, we cannot hope to support or implement successful conservation and management measures, nor truly appreciate the incredible wealth and variety of marine life.The Marine World is the product of a lifetime spent by Frances Dipper happily observing and studying marine organisms the world over. It has been brought to colourful life by a myriad of enthusiastic underwater photographers and by Marc Dando, the renowned natural history illustrator.Foreword by Mark Carwardine

A captivating historical look at the cultural and artistic significance of shells in early modern Europe Among nature's most artful creations, shells have long inspired the curiosity and passion of artisans, artists, collectors, and thinkers. Conchophilia delves into the intimate relationship between shells and people, offering an unprecedented account of the early modern era, when the influx of exotic shells to Europe fueled their study and representation as never before. From elaborate nautilus cups and shell-encrusted grottoes to delicate miniatures, this richly illustrated book reveals how the love of shells intersected not only with the rise of natural history and global trade but also with philosophical inquiry, issues of race and gender, and the ascent of art-historical connoisseurship. Shells circulated at the nexus of commerce and intellectual pursuit, suggesting new ways of thinking about relationships between Europe and the rest of the world. The authors focus on northern Europe, where the interest and trade in shells had its greatest impact on the visual arts. They consider how shells were perceived as exotic objects, the role of shells in courtly collections, their place in still-life tableaus, and the connections between their forms and those of the human body. They examine how artists gilded, carved, etched, and inked shells to evoke the permeable boundary between art and nature. These interactions with shells shaped the ways that early modern individuals perceived their relation to the natural world, and their endeavors in art and the acquisition of knowledge. Spanning painting and print to architecture and the decorative arts, Conchophilia uncovers the fascinating ways that shells were circulated, depicted, collected, and valued during a time of remarkable global change.

A comprehensive guide to the freshwater fishes of the Okavango Delta and Chobe River, this book offers background information on the diverse aquatic habitats of the region and on fish feeding, breeding and survival strategies. It also provides useful hints for anglers. The species entries describe each fish in detail, with key ID points and information on habits and occurrence. Each account is accompanied by a colour illustration or photograph. The book concludes with information on how best to utilise and conserve the fishes of the delta system and Chobe River.

This is the only such guide to fishes of the region and will be invaluable to local and visiting fishermen, naturalists, conservationists, as well as the many tourists who visit this spectacular African paradise.

Lakes are changing rapidly, not because we are separate from nature but because we are so much a part of it. While many of our effects on the natural world today are new, from climate change to nuclear fallout, our connections to it are ancient, as core samples from lake beds reveal. In Still Waters, Curt Stager introduces us to the worlds hidden beneath the surfaces of our most remarkable lakes, leading us on a journey from the wilds of Siberia to the Sea of Galilee. Through decades of first-hand investigations, Stager examines the significance of our impact on some of the world's most iconic inland waters. Along the way he discovers the stories these lakes contain about us. For him, lakes are not only mirrors reflecting our place in the natural world but also windows into our history, culture and the primal connections we share with all life.

If you want to do your bit to support local biodiversity, start your own wildlife pond in your back garden. Whether you are looking to do something to help the environment, building a feature pond as a family landscaping project, or attracting local wildlife to your garden; a wildlife pond is a perfect addition to your gardening efforts. Learn everything there is to know about wildlife ponds with: - Photographic and illustrative step-by-step guides on planning, creating, and maintaining your pond - A variety of pond types covered, including natural-style ponds, container ponds, and more traditional, formal-style ponds that still attract wildlife - What to expect throughout the seasons, the creatures that will visit, and the aquatic plants that will thrive - Tips on what to look out for in your pond, encouraging a natural eco-system, and how to maintain your newly built pond throughout the year Find out everything you'll need to know to create a natural sanctuary in your garden! This book shows you how to create a backyard pond without filters, pipes, and chemicals, and how to attract and support local species. RHS How to Create a Wildlife Pond provides easy-to-follow steps on how to dig your own pond line, advice on which pond plants to choose from, and how to make sure local wildlife can enjoy your pond safely. This book will also give you advice on how to take care of your newly built water feature so that you're able to enjoy the local animals, insects and birds for years to come. You can expect to see blackbirds bathing in your pond, hedgehogs using it as a water source, and bats flying over at night to catch insects. This wonderful book is filled with photographs and illustrations that will make planning and creating your own pond a therapeutic and fulfilling experience! Complete the Series: There are so many ways for you to enjoy your garden! If you're looking for tips on environmental changes and landscaping ideas, DK books have even more gardening guides and projects for you to explore. Discover RHS How to Garden the Low Carbon Way, or bring even more feathered friends to your garden with How to Attract Birds to Your Garden.

Beginning life in the Sargasso Sea, the eel travels across the ocean, lives for twenty or so years, and then is driven by some instinct back across the ocean to spawn and die. And the next generation starts the story again. No one knows why the eels return, or how the orphaned elvers learn their way back. One man discovered, after many adventures, the breeding ground of all eels ? and he is the hero of this book.

Eels were being caught and consumed 5000 years before the birth of Christ ? Aristotle and Pliny wrote about them; Romans regarded them as a peerless delicacy; Egyptians accorded them semi-sacred status; English kings died of overeating them. There are many strange practices among eel fishers all over the world, and many great fortunes based upon the eel harvest.

The Book of Eels, a combination of social comment, biography and natural history, is also a fascinating and witty account of Tom Fort?s obsession with the eel, his journeying to discover the eel in all its habitats, and the people he meets in his pursuit.

For sixty million years, the Gila River, longer than the Hudson and the Delaware combined, has shaped the ecology of the Southwest from its source in New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River in Arizona. Today, for at least half its length, the Gila is dead, like so many of the West's great rivers, owing to overgrazing, damming, and other practices. This richly documented cautionary tale narrates the Gila's natural and human history. Now updated, McNamee's study traces recent efforts to resuscitate portions of this important riparian corridor.

Ponds and small lakes support an extremely rich biodiversity of fascinating organisms. Many people have tried pond-dipping and encountered a few unfamiliar creatures, such as dragonfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae. However, there is a far richer world of microscopic organisms, such as diatoms, desmids and rotifers, which is revealed in this book. Anyone with access to a microscope can open up this hidden dimension. Identification keys are provided so that readers can identify, explore and study this microscopic world. There are also many suggestions of ways in which readers can then make original contributions to our knowledge and understanding of pond ecology. The book not only explores the fascinating world of the creatures within ponds and their interactions, but also explains the many ways in which ponds are important in human affairs. Ponds are being lost around the world, but they are a key part of a system that maintains our climate. In the face of climate change, it has never been more important to understand the ecology of ponds. Includes keys to: A - Traditional key to kingdoms of organisms; B - Contemporary key to kingdoms of organisms; C - Pragmatic key to groups of microorganisms; D - Algae visible, at least en masse, to the naked eye; E - Periphyton, both attached to surfaces and free living; F - Protozoa; G- Freshwater invertebrates and; H - Common phytoplankton genera in ponds.

Sandscapes: Writing the British Seaside reflects on the unique topography of sand, sandscapes, and the seaside in British culture and beyond. This book brings together creative and critical writings that explore the ways sand speaks to us of holidays and respite, but also of time and mortality, of plenitude and eternity. Drawing together writers from a range of backgrounds, the volume explores the environmental, social, personal, cultural, and political significance of sand and the seaside towns that have built up around it. The contributions take a variety of forms including fiction and nonfiction and cover topics ranging from sand dunes to sand mining, from seaside stories to shoreline architecture, from sand grains to global sand movements, from narratives of the setting up of bed and breakfasts to stories of seaside decline. Often a symbol of aridity, sand is revealed in this book to be an astonishingly fertile site for cultural meaning.

'Wild and wonderful ... I doubt anyone will ever match Strandings for its sheer bravura, its wry insight, and its absolute, engulfing, and brilliantly enlivening whaleheadedness' PHILIP HOARE, ALBERT AND THE WHALE 'Addictive and scandalously fascinating' Caught by the River When Peter Riley was thirteen, a woman with blue hair and a comet tattoo asked him to help load the jaw of a sperm whale into the back of a Volvo 245. The encounter set Riley on a decades-long quest to make sense of what had happened. Enter the secretive world of whale scavengers. When a whale washes up on one of Britain's coasts, a fugitive community descends to claim trophies from the carcass. Some are driven by magical beliefs. Some are motivated by profit: there is a black market for everything from ambergris to whaletooth sex toys. But for others, the need goes much deeper. Join Riley on a tour of a stranded kingdom's weird outer reaches, where nothing is as it seems. Meet witches, pedlars, fetishists, conspiracy theorists and fallen aristocrats. And prepare for a final revelation, as the mystery of the comet woman tangles with the enigmatic symbol of Leviathan itself, beached on Britain's fatal shore.

Humans and dolphins have a unique bond. We know that dolphins are highly intelligent, intensely sociable beings who recognize their own reflections, introduce themselves by name, form close friendships, communicate constantly, feel despondent, rescue one another (and humans), deduce, infer, throw tantrums, gossip, joke, and scheme. Many who have swum with them describe the experience as life-changing. They are heralded as magical creatures, and yet we force them into starring roles at theme parks, trade them on the black market and put them to slaughter. Voices in the Ocean is at once a celebration of these beloved animals and a devastating chronicle of the damage wrought when human and dolphin worlds meet. Through Casey's illuminating portrayal of these beguiling creatures we encounter the best and worst of ourselves.

This is a guide book for those totally new to the art of tying flies. Until now, learning flytying from a book has not only been challenging, but often the cause of great frustration, with photographs or diagrams making even the elementary techniques difficult to grasp. Step-by-step images help a reasonably proficient flytyer understand the stages in making a fly, but for the new beginner, there will always be a gap between each step-by-step image, which can be bewildering. Seeing the manual maneuvers that take place in these pages can make the different between success and failure for a beginner. The techniques you will learn in this book are the building blocks for which all successful fishing flies, even the most complex ones, are based.

The waters around Britain and Ireland contain a huge variety of marine life and some of the brightest and most attractive are the sea anemones and corals, the Anthozoa. Anemones and corals can be found from rockpools to the deepest depths and in all habitats from rocky reefs to soft mud.A comprehensive guide to all known sea anemones and corals found in British and Irish inshore waters. It is an essential companion for divers, snorkelers, rockpoolers and students who want to identify and know more about the sea anemones and corals they find.This second edition has been extensively updated and is illustrated with over 200 in situ underwater colour photographs and illustrations. Each species account contains information on habitat, distribution, depth, size, rarity and conservation status where known.Sea Anemones and Corals of Britain and Ireland has been produced as a part of the Seasearch project, which offers training in the identification of marine life and habitats and encourages recording by volunteers.

The fifth New Zealand title in this internationally acclaimed series of compact, easy-to-use guides which is the ideal car glovebox, pocket or backpack reference for anyone with an interest in natural history. A Photographic Guide to New Zealand Seashells covers 165 common and a few rarer species of molluscs one is most likely to encounter on New Zealand seashores. Each is treated with colour photographs - sometimes including the live creature - plus descriptive information including reproduction, habitat notes and distribution maps. A comprehensive introduction gives an overview of the range of molluses and their distribution and identification.

The definitive guide to the underwater life of the Red Sea region, home to the richest and most varied dive sites in the world.

Visited by over a quarter of a million divers a year the Red Sea is home to many of the world's most popular dive sites.

Covering jellyfish, corals, nudibranchs, starfish, sea urchins, fishes and turtles, Coral Reef Guide Red Sea covers all common species of underwater life of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, you are likely to see while diving or snorkelling.

Each species is illustrated with a full-colour photograph and the text gives details of range and characteristic behaviour. Different species groups are represented by icons for easy reference and an illustration of the juvenile may also be included.

A map of good dive sites appears on the inside front cover, while the inside back cover features illustrations of a number of common species for quick and easy identification.

The fishes of New Zealand are part of the Indo-Pacific fish fauna, by far the richest in the world. This guide covers many bony (or teleostean) reef fishes belonging to the super class PISCES, class OSTEICHTHYES, and discusses their habits by day and night, their modes of life, diet and relation to their surroundings. Each fish is illustrated with at least one full colour photograph. There is also an authoritative section on fish design, as well as classification.

“Anyone fascinated by the underwater world will be riveted by the photos in this richly illustrated guide... Readers can lose themselves in the magnificent environment beneath the sea....” —Publishers Weekly on the first edition of Reef Life. From tide pools to coral reefs and the open ocean beyond lies a world abounding with colourful and fascinating creatures. The lure of the life that inhabits the ocean’s reefs and open waters is no secret to scuba enthusiasts and snorkellers who enjoy gazing upon this wonderful world through their dive masks. A practical and comprehensive guidebook for divers, naturalists and ocean lovers, Reef Life identifies the most commonly encountered animals in the tropical marine environment. This marvellous book features more than 1,000 beautiful colour photographs that provide a window into this magnificent world. A gallery of over 425 ray-finned fish species, as well as elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates), invertebrates, marine reptiles and marine mammals, offers readers an extensive identification guide to the most commonly seen marine species, with detailed descriptions of size, habitat, range and behaviour. The book also includes: A guide to tropical marine ecosystems; Surveys of global coral reef communities, from the Caribbean to the Red Sea; And a discussion about the factors that are threatening marine ecosystems today. This updated edition features new photographs, 33 new species profiles and an extended chapter about the state of the ocean and reefs on our rapidly changing planet. Reef Life is a handy, portable and comprehensive reference in a time when understanding and appreciating the diversity of our tropical oceans is at a critical point.

Practical and portable, this is the ultimate field guide to the world's cetaceans. This outstanding new field guide to whales, dolphins and porpoises is the most comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date guide to these popular mammals. With more than 500 accurate illustrations - complete with detailed annotations pointing out the most significant field marks - Field Guide to Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises covers all 93 species and every subspecies in the world. Many of the world's most respected whale biologists have collaborated on the concise text, which is packed with helpful identification tips from cetacean expert, Mark Carwardine. Mark's informative text is accompanied by up-to-date distribution maps for each species. Beautifully designed, to ensure critical information is quickly accessible, this is an indispensable resource that every whale-watcher will want to carry out to sea.