Marine mammals include some of the most fascinating animals on Earth. Large, majestic whales and stunning, playful dolphins have provided mysterious companionship to humans at sea for hundreds of years. These magical creatures, along with the equally fascinating manatees, dugongs, seals, sea lions, and walrusses, have developed a completely different set of adaptations from their terrestrial ancestors and relatives. Volume 4 of the HMW series provides complete accounts of all species and families in these important groups. Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs showing different behaviours of all of them, the text contains the latest up-to-date information on all families of sea mammals.

For decades, Conservation International has devoted itself not only to saving endangered regions on the planet but also to chronicling, in lavish volumes, the biodiversity of these areas. These volumes, according to Choice, are"a superbly produced . . . source of hard-to-find information on biodiversity, biogreography, and conservation."
"Hotspots Revisited" continues this rich tradition, drawing on the organization's continuing work to identify, research, and document biologically diverse yet dangerously threatened regions. The first "Hotspots" volume identified twenty-five endangered regions; "Hotspots Revisited" reveals an astonishing nine additional areas, from Melanesia to northern Mexico, that now meet the same criteria.
"Hotspots Revisited "presents the most up-to-date analyses of the ecology of these endangered areas--including new information on freshwater fish and other animal populations. But the heart of the volume is in the hundreds of vibrant color photographs of the animals and plants under threat. Magnificent in conception and flawless in execution, "Hotspots Revisited" is equally at home on a scientist's shelf or an ecotourist's coffee table.

Conservation International has been instrumental in raising awareness and concern about the most environmentally endangered regions and animals throughout the world with its publication of high-quality volumes that combine breathtaking photography with expert scientific analysis. Continuing in this distinguished tradition, Conservation International offers here a new, lushly illustrated volume that examines transboundary conservation areas--environmentally endangered regions that sprawl across international borders and contain multiple protected areas.
Recent studies estimate that there are now 188 transboundary conservation areas in 112 countries, making up about 17 percent of the designated protected areas around the world. This book specifically examines 28 of these areas, found across all continents, from Asia to Antarctica, and in several oceans. Eminent scientists and conservationists contribute detailed histories of the areas, from the birth of the initial conservation efforts to the latest research that reveals new regions and assesses the success of the programs to protect existing ones. Accompanying the analyses are Conservation International's trademark vibrant full-color photographs that powerfully document these rapidly disappearing treasures.
Following in the footsteps of "Hotspots," "Wilderness," " Wildlife Spectacles," and "Hotspots Revisited," "Transboundary Conservation" is an essential resource for all those concerned about the future of our environment.