SeaLife: A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment

Library Journal

Edited by a research fellow at the University of London, this comprehensive treatise on marine biology is written for the nonscientist with a serious interest in the subject and could also serve as a college text. Introductory sections summarize oceanographic voyages and explorations, the origin of life in the sea, the physical and chemical nature of the oceans, and water movement and ocean circulation. A description of marine ecological zones and animal distribution among them precedes detailed chapters on marine vertebrates and invertebrates, marine reptiles, seabirds, cetaceans, and polar bears. While line drawings and color plates (not seen) are profuse, there is much more text in relation to illustrative material than in Boyce Thorne Miller's Living Ocean (LJ 2/15/91). A reference section gives directions on observing, recording, and sampling. Maps show the geographical distribution of selected marine organisms, and a list of roots, prefixes, and suffixes encountered in biological terms is a unique feature.) A useful reference source for academic and public libraries. (Index not seen.)Judith Barnett, Pell Marine Science Lib., Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston