Here is a fun armchair journey through the rapidly shrinking world of amphibians. Frogs and other amphibians are rapidly going extinct. It is believed that 500 of the 6,000 known species will become extinct within the next 10 years. This book is loaded with original Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoons, and fun to-the-point facts and trivia about amphibians that will both educate and amuse the reader. Created in 2008 to celebrate the Year of the Frog, all proceeds from this book will be going to various world-wide frog foundations for study and research.

This document presents the results of the monitoring of a repaired coral reef injured by the M/V Jacquelyn L vessel grounding incident of July 7, 1991. This grounding occurred in Florida state waters within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida, ("State of Florida" or "state") are the co-trustees for the natural resources within the FKNMS and, thus, are responsible for mediating the restoration of the damaged marine resources and monitoring the outcome of the restoration actions. The monitoring program at the Jacquelyn L site was to have included an assessment of the structural stability of installed restoration modules and biological condition of reattached corals performed on the following schedule: immediately (i.e., baseline), 1, 3, and 6 years after restoration and following a catastrophic event. Restoration of this site was completed on July 20, 2000. Due to unavoidable delays in the settlement of the case, the "baseline" monitoring event for this site occurred in July 2004. The catastrophic monitoring event occurred on August 31, 2004, some 2 1/2 weeks after the passage of Hurricane Charley which passed nearby, almost directly over the Dry Tortugas. In September 2005, the year one monitoring event occurred shortly after the passage of Hurricane Katrina, some 70 km to the NW. This report presents the results of all three monitoring event

This Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) systematically evaluates the short and long-term environmental and socioeconomic effects related to the implementation of seagrass restoration and seagrass injury prevention projects in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). The goal of this PEIS is to describe a range of seagrass restoration techniques, used for both primary and compensatory restoration projects and seagrass injury prevention actions that potentially may be implemented in the FKNMS. The types of seagrass restoration and injury prevention projects proposed in this plan will be implemented with funds collected through natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) settlements for injuries to seagrasses within the FKNMS. The anticipated beneficial and adverse environmental and socioeconomic impacts of each restoration technique are discussed in detail.

This is a reprint of the classic first published in 1957. One of the authors, Raymond Beverton, recently died. His co-author, Sidney Holt, has written a new Foreword to this printing in which he reviews events in fisheries research and management through the past 50 years as these relate to their joint work. On the Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations has become the most widely cited fisheries book ever published and the fact that the bulk of the information contained within its covers is still valid has led to this reprinting. Beverton and Holt's great work created a solid foundation for one of the two major global visions of the science of fisheries. This book was the genesis of the modern age-structured approach to the optimal management of fishery resources. Their approach led directly to a formulation of the fishery catch equation with almost universal applicability. Its advantage was that it produced easily interpreted outputs that could be clearly and directly applied to any fishery. Ultimately, this approach was the forerunner to VPA and allied techniques, the core of modern catch forecasting used in setting quotas and in managing commercial fisheries worldwide. Although the perception of the objectives of fisheries research has changed since the 1950s, and computers now enable calculations, data analysis, and theoretical exploration far beyond their capability at the time, Beverton and Holt will continue to be a source of inspiration and insight for many years to come. Sidney J. Holt was educated at Reading University, England. He has held academic positions at St John's College, Cambridge, England; University of California at Santa Cruz; University of Rhode Island; University of Malta. He is the author of 400 scientific papers, book chapters and popular articles, especially in the fields of fisheries science and management, conservation, protection of marine mammals, especially whales. He served 25 years in the United Nations system of Specialised Agencies (including the FAO in Rome, UNESCO as Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Director of Division of Marine Science; Marine Mammals; Advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme; UN Adviser on Mediterranean Marine Affairs, in which capacity he founded and served as first Director of, the International Ocean Institute, in Malta). Since his formal retirement Dr Holt has served on the delegations of Italy and of the Republic of Seychelles to the International Whaling Commission, and also as adviser to the delegations of France and Chile. Dr Holt has worked extensively with several Non-Governmental Organisations concerned with marine conservation. Apart from continuing to write and campaign Dr Holt advises the Third Millennium Foundation, and serves as Executive Director of the International League for the Protection of Cetaceans, which he founded 18 years ago.

In Remarkable Shrimps, Raymond T. Bauer explores the evolution, natural history, biological diversity, and commercial importance of caridean shrimps--a fascinating and colorful group of aquatic organisms that inhabit freshwater and marine environments from the tropics to the poles.The biological diversity of carideans encompasses a remarkable array of adaptations in body form and function, coloration, breeding biology, and mating behavior. Carideans' important grooming and antifouling adaptations are examined in detail, and Bauer discusses the structural basis of their coloration, the role of color change in concealment, and other forms of camouflage. Reproductive biology and sexual systems, including hermaphroditism and sex change, are reviewed, and Bauer provides evidence for sex pheromones in the attraction of males to females. Seasonal, latitudinal, and depth variation in life history patterns are also analyzed. The symbiotic relationships of shrimps with invertebrates such as corals, sea anemones, and sea urchins and also with fishes are fascinating phenomena of marine ecosystems. Different views on the ancestry and evolutionary history of carideans are evaluated as a stimulus for further work. The status of caridean fisheries and aquaculture is appraised, and shrimp productivity is explained in terms of life history adaptations. Profiling each of the nearly thirty families of caridean shrimps, Bauer writes in an informal style that is nevertheless rich with precise and useful references. Over one hundred figures and 11 plates with 70 color and half-tone photographs accompany the text. Extensive fieldwork is showcased in life history studies on shrimps, employing both behavioral observations using time-lapse video and experimental work to test hypotheses on mating strategies.

In this paper, we evaluate the NMFS conclusion that 'D' is now much higher than previously thought (A-Fish), demonstrate the sensitivity of estimates of 'D' to the numerous assumptions required to make an estimate of 'D', clarify and discuss the evidence for and against various interpretations of these assumptions, and discuss the possibility of improving estimates of 'D' in the future.

This book reviews the current status of, and threats to, shark populations globally with special reference to the basking shark and the great white shark. This book outlines why sharks are a valuable resource, identifies threats to sharks and where they occur and reviews what we need to know about sharks in order to protect them. Fisheries management procedures are investigated to target areas requiring future research and implementation. Conservation initiatives, legislation, and international agreements are reviewed and future measures suggested. Case histories on the basking shark and the great white shark detail threats specific to these species and identify research and management requirements.

In his award-winning book WATER, Marq de Villiers provides an eye-opening account of how we are using, misusing, and abusing our planet's most vital resource. Encompassing ecological, historical, and cultural perspectives, de Villiers reports from hot spots as diverse as China, Las Vegas, and the Middle East, where swelling populations and unchecked development have stressed fresh water supplies nearly beyond remedy. Political struggles for control of water rage around the globe, and rampant pollution daily poses dire ecological theats. With one eye on these looming crises and the other on the history of our dependence on our planet's most precious commodity, de Villiers has crafted a powerful narrative about the lifeblood of civilizations that will be "a wake-up call for concerned citizens, environmentalists, policymakers, and water drinkers everywhere" (Publishers Weekly).

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.

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."

"The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee . . . is indispensable to anyone, anywhere, working on this group. Parmalee and Bogan have written a work that sets the standard for future regional guides."--G. Thomas Watters, Ohio Biological Survey
"The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee documents a tremendously diverse and unique mussel fauna that is rapidly being destroyed by modern development. Parmalee and Bogan set a new standard for state mussel surveys in their authoritative, thorough, and and highly readable account. The book will be of interest to biologists and conservationists worldwide and will appeal to anyone who cares about the preservation of natural resources in the southeastern United States."--Robert E. Warren, Illinois State Museum
With more than 150 species and subspecies recorded in the state, Tennessee has one of the most diverse freshwater mussel faunas in North America. Valuable as indicators of water quality, these mollusks have themselves become threatened as development encroaches on habitat--twenty-three are currently listed as endangered species and at least twelve have become extinct.
This is the first book for Tennessee to deal with this biologically and commercially significant group of mollusks. Its authors have been studying and writing about the mussels of Tennessee for more than twenty years and have undertaken a systematic organization of a large and complex body of information to bring order to a difficult field.
The book traces the long history of human exploitation of mussels, from aboriginal food gathering to the growth of the cultured pearl industry. It provides an interpretive context for its exhaustive species accounts with background material on biology, distribution, economic utilization, taxonomy, and conservation issues. The authors also review the life cycle of the mussel and describe its many remarkable traits, such as its shell formation and the strategies it employs during the larval stage in parasitizing fish.
The species accounts comprise 128 members of Family Unionidae--from pigtoes and pocketbooks to lilliputs and spikes--plus four additional species. The authors cover classification and synonymy, range and distribution, life history and ecology, and survival status. Particular attention is paid to shell description and structure to assist the reader in identification. Each species account includes a distribution map and color photos of two specimens.
The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee is a major reference that encompasses historical and modern mussel collections and draws on conservation studies that span two centuries. It will stand as an authoritative guide to understanding Tennessee mollusks and as a benchmark in the study of these species worldwide.
The Authors: Paul W. Parmalee is professor emeritus of zooarchaeology and director emeritus of the McClung Museum at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Arthur E. Bogan is curator of aquatic invertebrates at the North
Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh.

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

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.

"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.

Northern Fishes was first published in 1974. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. With the greatly increased interest in fishes and fishing since the earlier editions of this work were published, there has been need for a revised version of this indispensable book on the fishes of the Upper Mississippi Valley. This, the third edition, revised, of Northern Fishes by Samuel Eddy and Thaddeus Surber, contains much new material and up-to-date information based on current knowledge about fishes, their environment, and fishing techniques. The book covers more than 160 species with descriptions and line drawings to illustrate almost all of them. The authors discuss recently introduced species and their importance to sportsmen and provide current data on the distribution of northern fishes. There are keys for the identification of the species and information about where they are found and their habits. This edition also contains a number of additions to the species list which result from rather extensive collecting of specimens since the earlier editions were compiled. Before presenting the data on individual species, the authors provide basic information about fishes in general-their structure, classification and origin, their food, and their parasites. The revised, updated section on fishing techniques includes information about spin casting. There are important chapters on lake dynamics, fish population dynamics, management of Minnesota and northern waters for fish production, and improvement of lakes and streams. The detailed information about species is arranged according to families. For further reading or reference there is a bibliography.