Customer Reviews (7)

Recommend
A dr. friend loaned me this book - but I liked it so much I am buying a copy for future reference.I found the reference material presented in an unusual but interesting way. Complex concepts on coral life cycles were simplified (and nicely illustrated) so that laymen could understand the topic without insulting the minds of the more advanced / trained biologist.
It may not be perfect in every way - but I liked it, I learned from itand I am buying a personal copy even after reading a loaned one.It has a wealth of information that taught me things that over 20 years of scuba diving, spending over 2 weeks of my life underwater and many years of being a scuba instructor have not.Testimony enough?

Coral Reef Review
This book's format does not fit in any "box", hence the wide range of reviews.

Though an unorthodox presentation in a paperback comic book style, it's a well thought out and clear presentation.

The author has distilled much into an easily comprehended book, suitable for adults to teens.

I am a diver and have a zoology degree, and view this from a different and more favorable light than perhaps another. It makes it easy to get one "up to speed" on a watery world.

I shall be getting another copy as a gift for a new diver..asa shortcut to explaining the unique creatures of the sea, and how they interact.

jam-packed with knowledge hard to find elsewhere
This is an unusual work because of its partly textbook, partly "comic book" format, but don't let that fool you. The author presents a wealth of information on the extremely complex, multi-faceted animal and plant interrelationships of Hawaii's coral reef ecosystem. He has pulled together an enormous amount of data from the scientific journal literature (where it is widely scattered and basically unavailable to lay readers) and has organized and presented this knowledge in his own unique, original and easy-to-assimilate style. From some of the comments below, it is clear that some people don't take to his style, but I found it refreshing, amusing at times, and certainly easier to read than a standard textbook. He has simplified, but not dumbed down the information, and illustrated it with numerous photographs and drawings. This book is really jam packed with illustrative material. (If you are looking for a lot of gorgeous underwater photographs, however, this book will disappoint. These are working photos, not pretty pictures for the most part.) For solid information on how a reef ecosystem works this is as good an introduction as you are likely to get. In fact, it's pretty much unique. I know of nothing else like it and I learned a tremendous amount by reading it. I should mention that, as the title indicates, the book is limited pretty much to Hawaiian reefs, which have fewer species and are probably less complex than reefs in the Caribbean or western Pacific. But the basic relationships and ideas hold true for all coral reefs. Yes, perhaps the author could be seen as a bit preachy, but he is devoted to protecting Hawaii's reefs and shouldn't be faulted for that. I give this book high marks for its originality and for the sheer amount of complex information the author has managed to present. If you are deeply interested in the subject of coral reef ecology, definitely get this book. If you are only marginally interested in coral reefs, well--you may find the book only marginally interesting. That's my take.

Pretty good.
I am in love with tropical marine life, but this is the first book about reef ecology I've read so I'm not exactly sure how to judge it. I've read the whole book, cover to cover, in about two weeks for offhand studies, maybe 10-15 pages a day, on average, all week.The first part of the book is a little interesting, talking about the structure of jellyfish, or more correctly 'sea jellies', but not much for me to give the book rapt attention. Some parts are just plain boring to be honest.The pictures are good, but not a lot of text, most of the time just a third or a half of the page is text.
I think the most interesting part is the last half where it talks about coral reef predators and the impact of human life on the Hawaiian reefs.It's not exactly a book that you can't put down, but it has some fascinating information that I think any marine life lover should know, so all in all I think it's a pretty good book.

Not a good buy
I don't think this book is quite as bad as the one star the first reviewer gave it, but the second reviewer must be kidding. Five stars?! Terrific graphic design?! Fun to read?! I give it two stars, and that's being on the generous side. I would not recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description

This book provides a unique perspective on the destruction - both natural and human-caused - of coral reef ecosystems. Reconstructing the ecological history of coral reefs, the authors evaluate whether recent dramatic changes are novel events or part of a long-term trend or cycle. The text combines principles of geophysics, paleontology, and marine sciences with real-time observation, examining the interacting causes of change: hurricane damage, predators, disease, rising sea-level, nutrient loading, global warming and ocean acidification. Predictions about the future of coral reefs inspire strategies for restoration and management of ecosystems. Useful for students and professionals in ecology and marine biology, including environmental managers.

Product Description
Coral reef communities are among the most complex, mature and productive ecosystems on earth. Their activity resulted in the creation of vast lime constructions. Being extremely productive and having the function of a powerful biofilter, coral reefs play an important role in global biogeochemical processes and in the reproduction of food resources in tropical marine regions. All aspects of coral reef science are covered systematically and on the basis of a holistic ecosystem approach. The geological history of coral reefs, their geomorphology as well as biology including community structure of reef biota, their functional characteristics, physiological aspects, biogeochemical metabolism, energy balance, environmental problems and management of resources are treated in detail. ... Read more

Product Description
Title: The Ecology of Coral Reefs : Results of a Workshop on Coral Reef Ecology Held by the American Society of Zoologists, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 1983Publisher: Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Office of Undersea ResearchPublication date: 1985Subjects: Reaka-Kudla, Marjorie LAmerican Society of ZoologistsCoral reef ecologyNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Title: The Ecology of Deep and Shallow Coral Reefs : Results of a Workshop on Coral Reef Ecology Held by the American Society of Zoologists, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 1983Publisher: Rockville, MD. : U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Office of Undersea ResearchPublication date: 1983Subjects: Coral reef ecologyNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the ecology of coral reef fishes presented by top researchers from North America and Australia. Immense strides have been made over the past twenty years in our understanding of ecological systems in general and of reef fish ecology in particular. Many of the methodologies that reef fish ecologists use in their studies will be useful to a wider audience of ecologists for the design of their ecological studies. Significant among the impacts of the research on reef fish ecology are the development of nonequilibrium models of community organization, more emphasis on the role of recruitment variability in structuring local assemblages, the development and testing of evolutionary models of social organization and reproductive biology, and new insights into predator-prey and plant-herbivore interactions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent overview
I needed to quickly learn more about coral reef fish ecology and behavior and this book has been a great help. It covers the basics, trophic ecology, larval and juvenile ecology, reproductive and life history patterns, community organization, and fisheries and management. I can only recommend it! ... Read more

Product Description
Accessible and complex, coral reefs are ideal natural laboratories for studying a wide range of ecological and biological questions. This collection focuses on the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, which contain some of the most spectacular reefs found anywhere and which are relatively little studied. It will appeal to a broad range of researchers in ecology and will be an essential resource for anyone studying reefs. ... Read more