A Practical Guide to the Marine Animals of Northeastern North America features Leland Pollock's innovative, user-friendly keys that circumvent many of the difficulties of traditional identification systems. Pollock's keys offer choices among distinctive attributes of the specimen. Results are compared to all variations found in the region's fauna, using a neatly displayed tabular form accompanied by many line drawings.

The introduction describes marine habitats, tips for conducting fieldwork, and outlines groups of organisms found in northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia to North Carolina. Although designed for the nonexpert, the manual provides coverage sufficient to meet the more demanding needs of those conducting biotic surveys and advanced studies in the region.
-- User-friendly keys for common marine animals, North Carolina to Nova Scotia, from splash zone to the edge of the continental shelf.
-- Ample illustrations aid identification.