Photographic Guide to Sea and Shore Life of Britain and North-west Europe (Oxford Natural History) |
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Author:
Ray Gibson, Ben Hextall, Alex Rogers
By OUP Oxford
Average Customer Rating: 
List Price: £16.99
Our Price: £9.14
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Product Description
This photographic guide to sea shore animals and plants represents a completely new approach to field guides. It is aimed at those who wish to find and identify organisms encountered on the sea shore or immediately offshore quickly and easily while promoting their conservation. Uniquely, each species is illustrated by a photograph and, in most cases, accompanied by a line drawing that emphasises the critical features for identification and a map to show the distribution of the species in North-West Europe. The text itself deliberately focuses on features that complement the photographs and facilitate identification non-destructively - where, for example, burrowing worms can only be identified by digging them up and therefore killing them, only the cast, the part usually seen, is shown. Stress is laid on the importance of exploiting all available information for locating and identifying each species - if two species have identical appearance they are described separately and behavioural, geographical, or seasonal features that distinguish them are described in the text. There is no other guide to sea shore organisms like this one; those available are either less comprehensive or less well illustrated. It will appeal to beachcombers of all levels, from families to students and professionals, as well to divers and those visiting the proliferating numbers of commercially run marine aquaria that are open to the public.
Synopsis
This photographic guide to sea shore animals and plants represents a completely new approach to field guides. It is aimed at those who wish to find and identify organisms encountered on the sea shore or immediately offshore quickly and easily while promoting their conservation. Uniquely, each species is illustrated by a photograph and, in most cases, accompanied by a line drawing that emphasises the critical features for identification and a map to show the distribution of the species in North-West Europe. The text itself deliberately focuses on features that complement the photographs and facilitate identification non-destructively - where, for example, burrowing worms can only be identified by digging them up and therefore killing them, only the cast, the part usually seen, is shown. Stress is laid on the importance of exploiting all available information for locating and identifying each species - if two species have identical appearance they are described separately and behavioural, geographical, or seasonal features that distinguish them are described in the text.There is no other guide to sea shore organisms like this one; those available are either less comprehensive or less well illustrated. It will appeal to beachcombers of all levels, from families to students and professionals, as well to divers and those visiting the proliferating numbers of commercially run marine aquaria that are open to the public.
About the Author
Ray Gibson has spent his career as Professor of Marine Biology at the John Moores University, Liverpool, teaching marine biology in the field and the classroom. Alex Rogers is a marine biologist at Southampton University Ben Hextall is a freelance marine photographer and web designer for marine activities
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 Basic but well written and Illustrated, 2003-07-04
A beautifully illustrated book with many of the common intertidal and sublittoral species represented. This book gives a little information about the biology and distributions of covered organisms. However identification mainly relies on photographs, without the use of keys. A good book for anyone interested in the organisms of the seashore, but for detailed and certain identification the keen biologist may require a more in depth approach.
 Nice layout, but poor identification accuracy, 2001-10-28
I have identified and recorded marine molluscs for 20+ years, mainly as an amateur, so I was pleased to see a new photo marine ID book. The layout is good; but that is the only positive aspect of the book. I list points concerning the mollusc section.1. The book says species are mostly illustrated in their natural habitat - at least 15 species are in the wrong habitat eg p. 279 Lasaea 'rubra', and others are misleading. 2. The nomenclature is out of date - the Species Directory (published 1997 by Ulster Museum/Marine Conservation Society) is the accepted version by most professionals. 3. Some of the distribution maps are wrong eg p.237 Osilinus lineatus (which is a widely known species). 4.The drawings are cursory and add little eg p. 237 Gibbula umbilicalis. 5. The text is inaccurate in places eg under Barleeia unifasciata - Assiminea grayana occurs in Ireland; under Hydrobia ulvae - ventrosa and neglecta CANNOT be separated by shell characters 6. The quality of the photos is very poor in places eg p. 243 Rissoa parva 7. The worst aspect of the book is the high level of inaccuracy in the identifications. 18 of the mollusc photos are incorrectly identified (nearly 15%) eg. all photos on pages 249 and 267 are wrong! Experts in other groups have also found inaccuracies of identification. This book is supposed be a identification guide. It is therefore unacceptable, and a considerable disappointment, to have such a high level of inaccuracy.
The book is generally very useful. Images are excellent., 2001-11-16
In general I find the book sufficiently useful to carry it on the seashore to remind me of the names that I have forgotten over the course of my career in marine science. I can see some problems with the occasional identification but there are considerably more that are right than those that are wrong. For the non-professional its an excellent guide. For the marine biologist who needs to identify everything accurately there are professional taxonomic works: Let's not confuse the two... We need public enthisiasm to conserve UK marine life. The illustrations and layout of this book will generate that enthusiasm.
 Easy identification,good for amateurs like me., 2001-10-26
I am interested in sea and shore life but I need a book which is easy to use, one that I can understand and which actually does help me identify what I see. We keep a copy on our boat and thanks to the photographs I have "discovered" new jellyfish and crabs.This book made me want to learn more about the wealth under our keel and on the shore when we reach harbour. Congratulations to the trio responsible for this quality guide.
Mary Reed
Great for scuba divers in the UK, 2002-02-03
Whilst I may not be able to substantiate the biological accuracy of this book I found it hugely enjoyable to use.
I dive frequently in the waters around the UK, this book has shown me much of the wealth and diversity of our local sealife. Many people imagine that our compared to the great barrier reef there is relativly nothing to see. The format was clear and easy to use. Photatgraphs were wonderful, too many times have I had identification books with little line drawing that were just dull to look at. In my opinion this book may be lacking in some areas but for a non biologist it provides a great entry into the underwater world of life.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 578.76990941
EAN: 9780198507093
ISBN: 0198507097
Label: OUP Oxford
Manufacturer: OUP Oxford
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 456
Publication Date: 2001-06-07
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Studio: OUP Oxford |
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