Transform your seaside walk into a practice in mindfulness. In a take-anywhere package, this darling pocket guide is the perfect companion for your next beachcombing adventure. Discover surprising facts about shoreline treasures-including abalone, sand dollars, sea stars, and wrack-as well as simple ways to center yourself in a place of stillness. With calming meditations that connect you to the sounds, smells, and textures of the coast, Beachcombing makes it easy to enjoy quiet, contemplative moments by the ocean. Coastal dwellers, ocean-lovers, environmentalists, and mindfulness practitioners will adore this delightful book, which makes a lovely gift alongside binoculars, a beach towel, or a sun hat.

How to recognize and avoid running afoul of the creatures that bite or sting, are poisonous when eaten, or are otherwise potentially harmful. A handy reference for swimmers, boaters, divers, anglers, and water-lovers.

Manta and devil rays are some of the most intriguing creatures in the ocean. Driven forward by powerful beats of wing-like pectoral fins, these filter feeders search the waters for prey, their horn-like head fins giving rise to ancient mariners' tales of fearsome devilfish dragging boats into the ocean depths. Beloved by scuba divers and marine biologists alike, these impressive animals have never had a comprehensive field guide dedicated to them-until now. Guide to the Manta and Devil Rays of the World includes detailed information on the identification, characteristics, threats, and distribution for each species in this family. Illustrated with more than 200 color photos, drawings, and plates, this guide also contains an expansive introduction to the general taxonomy, biology, and behavior of these iconic animals. This book will be an essential resource for fisheries management and international trade enforcement, and for anyone involved in ongoing manta and devil ray research and conservation. The first dedicated field guide for manta and devil rays Exhaustive treatment of every aspect related to their identification and biology Filled with 200+ color drawings, photos, and diagrams

'Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus does for the creature what Helen Macdonald's H Is for Hawk did for raptors' New Statesman 'Charming and moving...with extraordinary scientific research' Guardian 'An engaging work of natural science... There is clearly something about the octopus's weird beauty that fires the imaginations of explorers, scientists, writers' Daily Mail In 2011 Sy Montgomery wrote a feature for Orion magazine entitled 'Deep Intellect' about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death. It went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then, Sy has practised true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters. Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. But with a beak like a parrot, venom like a snake, and a tongue covered with teeth, how can such a being know anything? And what sort of thoughts could it think? The intelligence of dogs, birds and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who now are establishing the intelligence of the octopus, watching them solve problems and deciphering the meaning of their colour-changing camouflage techniques. Montgomery chronicles this growing appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about consciousness and the meeting of two very different minds.

Watching and recording the gradual dismantling of life, beauty and diversity in our oceans is a tortuous experience for scientists. Our oceans function as earth's organs and our survival depends on their health. Yet in the last fifty years half of coral reefs have disappeared, only 10% of large fish remain and many species are at the brink of collapse. Unsustainable fishing practices, pollution - including 20 million tonnes of plastic entering the oceans yearly - and rising temperatures are continued threats. Even as the sense of urgency to save our oceans continues to grow, at the time we publish this book, an estimate of only 2% of all global philanthropic and charitable donations go to protecting the environment. Of this, only a tiny fraction go toward supporting and safeguarding our oceans. Brimming with spectacular, full-page photography of underwater scenes from the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans and many seas, Call of the Blue tells the stories of positive, focused people who are working to save our oceans. The first book of its kind, Call of the Blue unites more than 100 modern-day explorers, sailors, free divers, film-makers, lawmakers and conservationists who talk about their lives, passions and exploits on, in or under the water. Call of the Blue demonstrates how the efforts of individuals and communities can inspire and drive change. Notable contributors include United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse; explorer and BBC presenter Paul Rose; Danish environmentalist and Director General of the IUCN Inger Andersen; French photojournalist and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Yann Arthus-Bertrand; and American marine biologist Edith Widder (to name only a few). Contributors include hardworking men and women from around the world including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, India, Mozambique, Mauritius, Ecuador and more. Alongside these passionate and necessary voices, Philip Hamilton's mesmerising images - of reefs, blue whales, salt water crocodiles, manatees, sea lions, sailfish, penguin, mantas, jellyfish, turtles, sharks, pygmy sea horses and more - provide readers a glimpse of some of the world's most stunning underwater locations, bringing into sharp focus all we are at risk to lose.

Wyl Menmuir's The Draw of the Sea is a beautifully written and deeply moving portrait of the Cornish Coast and the people who make their livings there, examining the ephemeral but universal pull the sea holds over the human imagination. 'A beautiful portrait of lives shaped by the swell of ocean and tide - a powerful salt-thread of connection' - Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path Since the earliest stages of human development, the sea has fascinated and entranced us. It feeds us, sustaining communities and providing livelihoods, but it also holds immense destructive power which can take all those away in an instant. It connects us to far away places, offering the promise of new lands and voyages of discovery, but also shapes our borders, carving divisions between landmasses and eroding the very ground beneath our feet. In this beautifully-written meditation on what it is that draws us to the waters' edge, author Wyl Menmuir tells the stories of the people whose lives revolve around the sea in the Cornish community where he lives. In twelve interlinked chapters, Menmuir explores the lives of local fishermen steeped in the rich traditions of a fishing community, the beachcombers who wander the shores in search of the varied objects which wash ashore and the stories they tell, and all number of others who have made their lives on the beautiful Cornwall coast. In the specifics of these livelihoods and their rich histories and traditions, Wyl Menmuir captures the universal human connection to the sea. Into this seductive tapestry, Wyl weaves the story of how the sea has beckoned, consoled and restored him. This book is a meaningful and moving work into how we interact with the environment around us, and how it comes to shape the course of our lives. As unmissable as it is compelling, as profound as it is personal, this must-read book will delight anyone familiar with the intimate and powerful pull which the sea holds over us.

A marine biologist vividly brings alive the extraordinary ecosystem of the deep ocean--a realm about which we know less than we do about the Moon--and shows how protecting rather than exploiting it will benefit mankind. "The oceans have always shaped human lives," writes marine biologist Helen Scales in her vibrant new book The Brilliant Abyss, but the surface and the very edges have so far mattered the most. "However, one way or another, the future ocean is the deep ocean." A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway. Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible. In the process, the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet, with a topography even more varied and extreme than its Earthbound counterpart. Teeming with unsuspected life, an extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a huge effect on our daily lives, influencing climate and weather systems, with the potential for much more--good or bad depending on how it is exploited. Currently the fantastic creatures that live in the deep--many of them incandescent in a world without light--and its formations capture and trap vast quantities of carbon that would otherwise poison our atmosphere; and novel bacteria as yet undiscovered hold the promise of potent new medicines. Yet the deep also holds huge mineral riches lusted after by many nations and corporations; mining them could ultimately devastate the planet, compounded by the deepening impacts of ubiquitous pollutants and rampant overfishing. Eloquently and passionately, Helen Scales brings to life the majesty and mystery of an alien realm that nonetheless sustains us, while urgently making clear the price we could pay if it is further disrupted. The Brilliant Abyss is at once a revelation and a clarion call to preserve this vast unseen world.

Although the United States and other affluent nations havemore than an adequate food supply, other nations daily facethe specter of starvation. The world now has a critical population/food dilemma of potentially major proportions. Production fromthe sea and the land is not keeping pace with a world populationthat is doubling every thirty-five years. Unless this age-oldMalthusian problem is solved, millions face starvation and ultimatelydeath.The situation has stimulated substantial international interestin the sea as a source of food and raw materials. The potentialof the sea-not as a panacea, but as an important source of proteinto augment the world's food supplies and thereby as a meansof mitigating the crises we face-is a continuing theme throughoutthis book. At present, fish provide approximately 9 percentof the world's protein. Fish are sought not only for food butalso for recreation and pleasure. What forces determine the presentsupply and demand for fishery products? More important,what steps are needed to utilize the full potential of the sea asa source of food and recreation? This book explores these forcesand thus provides an insight into food potential from the sea.

Sometimes called the most colourful creatures on earth,
nudibranchs are a type of shell-less marine snail that capture the attention of scuba divers, snorkelers and tidepool-gazers with their bizarre, ornate body forms and incandescent colouration.
There are over 3,000 species worldwide and some of the most spectacular specimens are native to the temperate waters of the Pacific Northwest. A diver of many years' experience, Rick Harbo presents a brilliant guide to the most notable specimens found in local waters. This durable, water-resistant 8-fold pamphlet identifies more than 50 of the most common species from California to Alaska and is an ideal companion on visits to the sea as well as a beautiful addition to the home library.

Beaches, marshes, mangroves; cliffs, deserts, forests; bays, deltas, estuaries - coastlines take many different forms and are put to very different uses. From deserted beaches to busy ports, from pretty fishing villages to a surfers' paradise, a salt marsh to a ship-breakers' yard, Coasts celebrates where the land meets the sea. From beautiful coastal paths to the shipwrecks left high and dry in the Aral Sea, from world famous locations such as Copacabana Beach in Brazil and Big Sur in California to the little explored coastlines of Yemen and Oman, from Algeria to Antarctica, the Amalfi Coast to the Dead Sea, the book celebrates a huge range in coastlines from all around the world. Including nature reserves and tourist resorts, rugged landscapes and desert island tranquility, fjords and fossils, eroding cliffs to whole towns lost to the waters, the book explores coastlines in all climates and conditions around the globe. Presented in a landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Coasts is a stunning collection of images and stories.

From the playful sea otter to the gargantuan elephant seals, the California coastline encompasses a variety of diverse habitats that are home to thousands of species of plants and animals. This updated, beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species of birds, marine mammals, nearshore fishes, seashore creatures, seashells and plants -- now all laid out on waterproof paper for those trips to the seashore. An area map is included for quick reference making it the ideal guide for field use for visitors and state residents alike.

'Thrilling' Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 'Authoritative and furious, urgent and persuasive' Sunday Times 'Compelling ... Roberts is that precious pearl: a practising scientist who not only knows his field inside out, but also understands how to write' Guardian Oceans are the most mysterious places on earth. Their depths remain largely unexplored, yet ninety-five percent of the planet's habitable space lies within them. And now the life they support is in the balance. Callum Roberts uses his lifetime's experience working with the oceans to take us on a panoramic tour beneath the seas, exploring the richness of life in the deep and how it has altered over the centuries. He shows the catastrophic impact of humanity on the oceans, but also how we can restore them to life. 'For anyone who loves the sea, Ocean of Life is a wake-up call, an urgent alert' Daily Mail 'At the heart of this book is a deep love of the ocean and a profound concern for its viability as a resource for us all' Nature 'An impressive history ... one of this book's strengths is the many solutions Roberts outlines' Financial Times

Marine algae are the supreme eco-engineers of life: they oxygenate the waters, create habitat for countless other organisms, and form the base of a food chain that keeps our planet unique in the universe as we know it. In this beautiful volume Josie Iselin explores both the artistic and the biological presence of sixteen seaweeds and kelps that live in the thin region where the Pacific Ocean converges with the North American continent-a place of incomparable richness. Each species receives a detailed description of its structure, ecological importance, and humans' scientific inquiry into it, told in scientifically illuminating yet deeply reverent and inspired prose. Throughout the writings are historical botanical illustrations and Iselin's signature, Marimekko-like portraits of each specimen that reveal their vibrant colors-whether rosy, "olivaceous," or grass-green-and whimsical shapes. Iselin posits that we can learn not only about the seaweeds but also from them: their resilience, their resourcefulness, their poetry and magic.

Lynne Cox has set open water swimming records across the world, and now she has focused her decades-long experience and expertise into this definitive guide to swimming. Cox methodically addresses what is needed to succeed at and enjoy open water swimming, including choosing the right bathing suit and sunscreen; surviving in dangerous weather conditions, currents, and waves; confronting various marine organisms; treating ailments, such as being stung or bitten, and much more. Cox calls upon Navy SEAL training materials and instructors' knowledge of open water swimming and safety procedures to guide her research. In addition, first-hand anecdotes from SEAL specialists and stories of Cox's own experiences serve as both warnings and proper practices to adopt.
"Open Water Swimming Manual" provides a wealth of knowledge for all swimmers, from seasoned triathletes and expert swimmers to beginners exploring open water swimming for the first time. It is, as well, the first manual of its kind to make use of oceanography, marine biology, and to weave in stories about the successes and failures of other athletes, giving us a deeper, broader understanding of this exhilarating and fast growing sport.

This practical pocket guide, published in association with the Wildlife Trusts, includes nearly 180 species that live in the area between land and sea called the intertidal, or littoral, zone. The seashore is home to plants and animals that are usually very different in form from their land-based relatives. This guide includes all the most common shells, molluscs, crustaceans, seaweeds, fishes, spiny creatures such as starfishes and sea urchins, mammals and many other species found on the seashore. Each species account includes accurate artworks and a concise written account that covers essential details such as size, general description, habitat, ecology, and distribution in Britain and the near Continent. The easy-to-follow layouts and illustrations aid quick and precise identification, making this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet packed with essential information for nature enthusiasts.

Sea stars are amongst the most common and conspicuous invertebrates that thrive in the rich waters of the Pacific Northwest, from northern California to southeast Alaska. Worldwide there are more than 2,000 different species, but no other temperate region has a greater variety and abundance of these colourful and often very large echinoderms, which are closely related to sea urchins, sea cucumbers, brittle stars and feather stars. An underwater photographer, journalist and naturalist with over 40 years of diving experience, Neil McDaniel provides many original field observations to accompany his remarkable images of these fascinating animals.
This durable, water-resistant 8-fold field guide describes how to identify more than 30 species likely to be encountered by beach walkers and scuba enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest. It also provides intriguing details about their behaviour, including how they move about, hunt for prey, reproduce and avoid predators. It is an ideal companion for family explorations to the sea shore, an invaluable reference in any scuba diver's kit bag and a useful addition to the home library.

Get ready for an epic mission INSIDE a water dragon in Alex Neptune's third fast and funny adventure - perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and Dragon Realm! The sea creatures near Haven Bay are acting very strangely, attacking boats, and Alex senses some dark power is controlling them. When he tracks down his friend the water dragon, he finds it's been infected too. If he can't find a way to stop it, the deadly parasite it's carrying could spread throughout the seas. After battling storms, electric eels and an army of angry crabs, Alex realises that the only way he and his team can save the dragon and all their ocean friends is by going inside the dragon...gulp!

How often have you visited the seashore and wished you knew more about the diverse and alien wildlife found on the UK's coastline? There are incredible stories to discover about our coastal species so if the tantalising glimpses you've caught of this semi-aquatic environment between the tides has left you curious to learn more, the RSPB Handbook of the Seashore is for you. It will help you to easily identify and learn about the life cycles and anatomy of the species you discover, and features useful sections on the tidal cycle, how to read tide tables, where to look, conservation and climate change concerns, and who to call should you come across something unexpected on your next beach visit. Featuring over 200 species accounts - each with a photo, full description, and details of distribution and zonation - this brand new guide is written throughout in engaging text suitable for families, students and anyone who loves to visit the seashore.

Spun from the author's first-hand experience as an underwater cameraman and filmmaker, from memory, natural history and the culture of Ireland's coastal communities, Stories from the Deep is a profound and lyrical exploration of Ireland's ocean waters through narrative and poetry. From encounters with its rarest and most striking fauna, like the blue whale and basking shark, to the broader considerations of its impact on language, on history, and our shared sense of place, this genre-defying work is an eloquent and urgent tribute to the enduring beauty of our natural heritage. "Daring and bold, and with a sixth sense for wild spectacular beauty, Ken O'Sullivan has captured images and scenes which have in turn captivated audiences in homes throughout Ireland and much further afield." Paddy Kehoe, RTE

This introduction to the world of marine seashells emphasizes the most attractive and best-known species. This guide will help students to identify, classify, and understand the beautiful shells seen around the world.

Using clear text and detailed illustrations, Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press present accurate information in a handy format for the beginner to the expert. These guides focus on what your students are really going to see. They are easy to use: detailed, full-color illustrations, text, and maps are all in one place. They are easy to understand: accurate, accessible information is simplified without being misrepresented. They are authoritative, containing up-to-date information written experts and checked by specialists. And they are portable: handy and lightweight, designed to fit in a pocket and be carried anywhere.

Located between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and between the Asian and Australian continents, the seas of the Indonesian Archipelago have a significant role in global weather patterns and oceanic circulation. The dynamic interplay between geological, physical, chemical, and biological processes, past and present, has given rise to one of the most diverse marine regions on the planet. The exceptional marine and coastal ecosystem diversity of the Indonesian archipelago provides hundreds of habitats that support thousands of species. This treasure-trove of marine biodiversity has sustained the people of the archipelago for thousands of years. Population growth and socio-economic development place many of these resources at increasing risk of overexploitation. Using maps and numerous illustrations, The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas describes the complex and ecologically vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems of the region in rich detail. Discussion of development, resource use and ecologically sustainable management plans is also incorporated. The first step towards sustainable use of marine and coastal resources, this book will be a valuable tool for ecologists, marine biologists, resource managers, government planners, and all those with an interest in the ecology of the region. Bound in two parts, of which this is the second, The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas is part of The Ecology of Indonesia Series.

Located between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and between the Asian and Australian continents, the seas of the Indonesian Archipelago have a significant role in global weather patterns and oceanic circulation. The dynamic interplay between geological, physical, chemical, and biological processes, past and present, has given rise to one of the most diverse marine regions on the planet. The exceptional marine and coastal ecosystem diversity of the Indonesian archipelago provides hundreds of habitats that support thousands of species. This treasure trove of marine biodiversity has sustained the people of the archipelago for thousands of years. Population growth and socio-economic development place many of these resources at increasing risk of overexploitation. Using maps and numerous illustrations, The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas describes the complex and ecologically vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems of the region in rich detail. Discussion of development, resource use and ecologically sustainable management plans is also incorporated. The first step towards sustainable use of marine and coastal resources, this book will be a valuable tool for ecologists, marine biologists, resource managers, government planners, and all those with an interest in the ecology of the region. Bound in two parts, of which this is the first, this book is part of The Ecology of Indonesia series.