Product Description
This is the first book to provide an intimate portrait of the activity and change that a coral reef and the life it supports go through in a 24-hour period. Rick Sammon takes the reader on an undersea adventure around the world.

At dawn, Sammon dives into the Red Sea off the Sinai Desert to visit Anemone City and witness the underwater world as it awakens to feed. At noon, he explores Truk Lagoon in Micronesia, site of a climactic naval battle of World War II where sunken ships, airplanes, and tanks have formed an artificial reef teeming with life.At dusk, Sammon goes underwater off Cocos Island, Costa Rica, to watch the changing of the guard as the diurnal fish rest and the nocturnal world awakens. At midnight, he dives off Bonaire in the Caribbean to view the mysterious world of nocturnal starfish, sea urchins, seahorses, and more.

Introductory chapters on coral reefs and their conservation transport the reader from the Indian Ocean to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with images of sea lions and sharks in the Galápagos Islands, octopi in Tahiti, manta rays in the Fiji Islands, and barracuda and sharks in the Bahamas. "Secrets of the Coral Reefs" is an intriguing and unique glimpse into the world of the coral reef that will awe readers curious about life beneath the seas. ... Read more

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Describes what coral reefs are, how and where they are formed, and what sorts of life-forms inhabit them. ... Read more

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The purpose of this book is to provide an organized compilation of information and techniques for all aspects of the biology and management of the Acanthaster planci species. This extraordinary coral predator has greater effects on coral reef communities than any other animal species. It can cause mortality of hard corals over large areas and have indirect effects that extend through the trophic levels of the reef community. This volume features A plancias an animal with a unique combination of morphological, physiological, and life history characteristics that contribute to its potential for major ecological impacts. It provides detailed techniques for disparate aspects of research and management (e.g., raising the animal through all life history stages, calculating growth curves, and treating victims of spinings). Chapters cover methods for surveys, tagging, and control of A. planci, in addition to an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The extensive subject index includes more than 1,000 references to A. planci and a BASIC program for estimating coral recovery after predation by the starfish. Acanthaster planci: Major Management Problem of Coral Reefs is an essential reference for all coral reef managers and researchers. ... Read more

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Text and photographs reveal the busy undersea life of a Caribbean Sea coral reef. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book about coral reefs
This is a wonderful book full of photographs and drawings and good explanations.I read it to my 7 year old son tonight and we both learned something about coral animals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book
My daughter loves fish and the water. This is actually my second one of these books. She wore the first one out. The pages actually began to seperate due to too much use. She loves the interactive pull out panels and all the colorful graphics. I recommend this book!

Grandma Perry
This book has fantastic colors and a fun verse.Kids will enjoy finding the hiding sea animals.Each picture offers many ways to discuss the animals.For instance, there are purple/yellow fish that appear on most of the pages that could be used as an "I spy" game.It's a great book to share with a little one. ... Read more

Product Description
The exotic underwater world has cast its spell on humans since the beginning of time. This universe of incredible splendor and diversity, and the galaxy of fishes that live there, unfold before our eyes in spectacular watercolor illustrations-as artist and author Helen Buttfield takes us on a voyage to coral reefs around the world, from the Caribbean to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, from the Galapagos to the Hawaiian Islands.

In alphabetical order, from Angelfish to Zebrafish, the book introduces more than 250 fishes, enchants us with their intriguing behavior, and reveals secrets about their mating and feeding habits and interactions with one another. A one-of-a-kind resource as scientifically accurate as it is beautiful, The Secret Life of Fishes will lure readers of all ages to the world of the coral reef.

62 illustrations in full color, 9 1/4 x 8"

HELEN BUTTFIELD, well-known illustrator, photographer, book designer, and stampmaker, has published several volumes of photography and has designed and illustrated many books. Her work has appeared in numerous exhibitions. She teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.Amazon.com Review
Lying in a globe-encompassing belt between the tropics ofCancer and Capricorn, on the edges of continents and in the farthestreaches of the ocean alike, coral reefs harbor an astonishingdiversity of life forms. The lives of these creatures, writes artistHelen Buttfield in this beautifully illustrated survey, speak toDarwinian principles: to an incessant fight for survival, food, andspace. But they also speak to "surprising forms of cooperation," tomutually beneficial patterns of interaction among fish andinvertebrates, habits that tinge the Hobbesian view of the reef with arefreshing dose of altruism.

Buttfield's thoughtful bestiary, which will appeal to collectors oftropical fish as much as to naturalists, treats some 250 varieties ofreef fishes. Buttfield is particularly good at describing what atfirst glance might seem curious behaviors--the courting dance, as itwere, of the Japanese pygmy angelfish, for instance--and adaptations,such as the subtly effective pixy hawkfish's strategy of luringunsuspecting feeders into its mouth by fanning its dorsal fins tomimic the swaying motion of coral polyps. From anthias to mandarinfishto zooxanthellae (the yellow-brown algae that live within the tissuesof those polyps), Buttfield has something interesting to say--and herpaintings are nothing short of remarkable. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful illustrations - and a fun read
The watercolor illustrations in this short book are magnificent. Kids love this book and it is engaging enough to satisfy most adults. I really enjoyed it and actually use it now in a color theory class I teach to demonstrate many of the principles of color usage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

perfect book for an short overview
The book is really good if you need a short overview of the fishes in the great barrier reef and coral sea. Every group is explained by a short text and most of the fishes are shown by picture. So it's perfect if you want to dive in the region and identify the fishes you'll see.

Great Fish ID book for all
This is one of the best fish ID books for Pacific fishes. Wonderful pictures and information about families as well as species.

A definitive reference book
Many years ago I bought the first edition of this book for the Australian National University Scuba Club.It has survived many, many trips to the Great Barrier Reef on club trips, where it has served as our primary reference for fish identification. The photographs are excellent, and the inclusion of the juvenile forms of many fish is a great asset. Now rebound after years of exacting use by hundreds of keen divers, stormy trips on the high seas, and trans-shipment in small boats to our destination island, the club is still taking its copy of this book along on its annual two week long GBR trips. So, with a history of use such as that, I was excited to find that there was a new edition with additional material! I had to get this for myself, and quite simply - it's got everything that made it such a great book before, plus now there is more.Well done! I recommend this book (and edition) highly to all of my scuba students, and can also do so here.

The book did not arrived but the money payed back
Unfortunately the pending book did not arrived,
When I complained after the promised lead time the Amazonoffered me that they send me the book again - it is missed somewhere - without shipping cost, it was correct,
But after a few days I changed my idea - the reason of the long lead time - and I cancelled my order, and the Amazon payed me back the full price of the book!
This is a correct company but the process is not working well!
You could try , you do not have any risk !!!

Review of Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef, by Randall et al
This book is great for identifying just about every fish you will find in the Pacific, from Australia to the US, and all the Pacific Islands in between.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the coral reef biology and ecology in a full-color identification guide to the better-known corals of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic.

Corals have for too long been regarded as interesting natural mementos, usually put on display on a shelf or in a glass cabinet, rather than as living animals, part of a captivating and delicately balanced ecological system. Today, scuba diving has provided a way for naturalists to study coral reefs as living ecological communities and for the sport diver to recognise many corals that were only known as dead display specimens.

True reef-building corals are limited in geographical distribution to the clear, warm sunlit waters of the tropical oceans. There are countless reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the largest, and most spectacular, coral reef province in the world. About 2000 kilometres long and located on Queensland’s continental shelf, it is made up of over 2900 individual coral reefs composed mainly of consolidated limestone debris formed from calcium carbonate with living corals on its surface. They vary in size, form and type, and the coral reef could be considered as the marine counterpart of a tropical rain forest.

Other barrier reefs are located in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, but most of these are much smaller.

Coral Reefs – Nature’s Wonders provides an introduction to the coral reef biology and ecology in a full-colour identification guide to the better-known coral genera of this region. It will take you into the tranquil underwater world of subdued sunlight, living coral colonies, brilliantly coloured fishes, sponges, algae, cowries and giant clams. It is this combination of marine life that gives the coral reefs their mystique.

This book brings home to us the fragility of the whole coral community in its exposure to danger, not only from adverse sea and weather conditions, but also from other inhabitants of the marine environment. Hopefully it will help us appreciate the need to conserve and protect the world’s coral reefs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Useful reference book for the snorkeller/diver in Bermuda.
I have been using this book as a pre-snorkel class teaching tool for 15years - in its waterproof plastic version. (I am not sure that paperbackversion will last that long!).It has 98% of the fish snorkellers inBermuda will see, with clear illustrations and brief but informativedescriptive paragraphs on the opposite page. Fish colour is sometimes a tadoff, but not enough to matter.It's only drawback is lack of inclusion oflobster, anemones, sea cucumbers, and that sort of thing. ... Read more

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‘Coral Reef Explorer’ will give you the answers to these and many other questions: What is coral? How does it grow? Where can it be found?

... Read more

Product Description
Home to a staggering variety of marine life, from the charismatic clownfish to the terrifying tiger shark, coral reefs are the largest living structures on Earth. Visible even from space, these rich and diverse ecosystems possess unparalleled beauty and secrets that we are just starting to unravel.Back in action in Let’s Explore Coral Reefs, Charlie visits these cities under the sea and explains their importance to humanity. His words and message, coupled with stunning images, will whet the appetite of youngsters and stimulate them to continue learning and caring about the oceans and Earth they will inherit as adults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic undersea adventures, perfect for kids!
Michael Patrick O'Neill's books provide an exciting and entertaining visual journey through the undersea world. Kids are given the chance to get to know both friendly and perhaps not so friendly ocean animals through the intimate photography that the author so expertly performs. Michael Patrick O'Neill is also an excellent speaker who always provides a memorable experience at school book fairs. Don't miss the chance to enjoy his work! ... Read more

Product Description
Welcome to a Caribbean coral reef! As you snorkel just offshore, you see brilliant fish, waving sea anemones, diving turtles - maybe even a prowling barracuda! The coral reef is full of life - from coral polyps snagging plankton to a moray eel gobbling up a goby fish. Day and night on the coral reef, the hunt is on to find food - and to avoid becoming someone else's next meal. All living things are connected to one another in a food chain, from animal to animal, animal to plant, and plant to animal. What path will you take to follow the food chain through the coral reef? Will you . . . Tail a tiger shark as it sniffs out its next victim? Check out a stingray crushing clams? Watch a feathery fan worm trap bits of leftovers? Follow all three chains and many more on this who-eats-what adventure! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Get ready for a fantastic underwater voyage beneath the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea!
Have you ever thought you like to get into one of those cute little submarines and roam the bottom of the Caribbean Sea in search of marine life?You need look no further because this book is going to take you on a whirlwind tour of who-eats-what under the sea as soon as you pick a tertiary consumer.A tertiary consumer is one who really has "few natural enemies" and eats other animals.Tertiary consumers in the Caribbean include the barracuda, the spotted moray eel, the smalltooth sawfish and the tiger shark.Once you pick your favorite you can turn to another page to read all about it.For example, if you pick the barracuda, you will read interesting facts like he "burst towards his victim" and "hits it at 36 miles (58 kilometers) per hour."WOW!After reading about him you get to choose something he may have stalked the night before and you'll turn to yet another page to read about that animal and find out who he chomps down on.

The coral reef is nestled off the coast of Caribbean islands. In these hustling, bustling reefs, which constitute only 1 percent of the ocean's surface, a whopping 25 percent of the ocean's life teems and thrives there.If you ever really get a chance to go down in one of those submarines you will see, deep down under the surface, a place alive with color and activity.In addition to the predatory, tertiary consumer you will encounter the secondary consumers who hunt "plant-eating animals," primary consumers (plant eaters), the producers (plants) and lastly the decomposers or "living things, such as insects or bacteria, that feed on dead plants and animals."Get ready for an interesting trip, because this is one of the best!

I've now read three of these "Follow That Food Chain" books and I must admit I love the adventure. The reader can essentially choose his or her own path through the book and no two readers will go through the book exactly the same way.This is a great way to absorb a lot of knowledge about a subject with very little effort.There are twelve exciting books in this marvelous series and I think it would be safe to say they are all winners.The book is peppered with vibrant photographs and on this undersea voyage is a wealth of information to be absorbed.In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a selected bibliography and additional recommended book and website resources.If you're not going on that submarine ride any time soon, get on board with A Coral Reef Food Chain and get ready for a fantastic ride! ... Read more

Product Description
Amazing stereo (3-D) and conventional (2-D) photographs bring young explorers eye to eye with fascinating creatures normally too quick, too shy, or too dangerous to approach!An easy-to-use viewer is bound into the front of each book, along with 24 collectible 3-D cards!Look eye to eye at creatures as colorful as a clown fish or as menacing as a shark!Coral Reef brings readers 3-D wonders of the sea, with fun and fascinating facts about coral reef inhabitants, eating habits, food chains, and survival instincts. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents information about the various sea creatures that feed on coral polyps and algae of the coral reef, including fish, snails, slugs, and starfish. ... Read more