Reviews (16)

Great advice
New hobbyist should read this book for advice, then read it again in 6 months.

Wonderful Stony Coral and Clam Reference
The good?
Perhaps the best book on reef care
An exceptional book on the subject. It is comprehensive but I would not say not complete as no book on this subject could be. Still I believe this book to be the best work compiled in book form. Described by many as "the Bible" on the subject it indeed may be but it is not dogmatic as it offers several options and methods and leaves it for the aquarist to use.
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Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Captive marine aquariums    3. Coral reef animals    4. Fish & Aquariums    5. Identification    6. Invertebrates    7. Marine Fauna    8. Marine Life    9. Marine invertebrates    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Pets    13. Tropics   

Reviews (14)

not a beginner book
This book goes indepth about the anatomy and physiology of mushrooms, soft corals and anemones. Not a great reference guide for choosing specimens for your It tends to generalize by family and/or genus vs species. If you are new to saltwater and are looking for a reference to choose items for your tank this would not be my first choice.

THE reference for that field
Just like the vol. 1, that is a must-have book. Please note that the vol. 3 should be released late Nov. 2005.
One of the best of the best vol.2
This volume of the series covers the soft corals and sea anemones; very important topics indeed for reef aquarium. The two books together are still not complete as� there are many organisms found in a reef aquaria still not covered. In this series. A fine glossary accompanies this book. Much of what I had to gleen by trial and error and by reading arcane publications over the years is covered in this book. Approachable to the beginner yet� a lot of substance for the expert.
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Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Aquariums    3. Captive marine aquariums    4. Coral reef animals    5. Fish & Aquariums    6. Identification    7. Marine Fauna    8. Marine Life    9. Marine invertebrates    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Pets    13. Tropics    14. Fish    15. Tropical Fish   

Reviews (10)

Pocket Guide to Marine Invertebrates 500+ Essential to know
Easy to use and good information.Well explained and Best photos I have seen.

A pocketexpert guide to marine invertebrates: 500+
An excellent reference for looking up invertebrates. Lists feeding, lighting,and compatability traits, good information however does not have the 1-5 ease of keeping scale like the fish book does.

Magnifico
Este libro es simplemente magnifico, completisimo teniendo en cuenta su tama�o y muy facil de entender, la verdad es que es una compra muy pero que muy acertada y recomendada. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fish & Aquariums    2. Pets    3. Reference    4. Fishes & aquaria    5. Sea & seashore life   

Reviews (3)

Difficult to Read
Well there is no doubt that this book contains a large amount of information, it CANNOT be used as an introductory text.It is much to difficult to comprehend, and Wetzel makes absolutely no effort to teach the concepts.Here merely presents a synthesis of limnological research.

Good as a Limnology Primer
This is an excellent general reference text. Can not say enough about the excellent content of this text. But it is need of an edition update with information for lake mapping and restoration.Dr. C.L. Nelson of St. CloudState University, St. Cloud, MN has an excellent small text on physicallimnology for the mapping aspect. This book does do an excellent job on thebiological aspects of limnological work.

My view of the Wetzel's limnology book
The book contains a lot of information related to lakes. It�s a complete work about the conditions on this systems. Include a study about the performance of the ionic particles in this systems. It�s a suitable bookfor students like me, to understand the freshwater ecology. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Lakes & Ponds    2. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    3. Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems    4. Limnology    5. Rivers    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Freshwater biology, limnology    9. Hydrology (freshwater)    10. Technology / Fisheries & Aquaculture   

Reviews (6)

A Good Introductory Textbook
I found Marine Biology by Castro to be a fairly good introductory textbook to marine biology. The reading is not too technically difficult that an average high schooler could comprehend most of what is said without becoming lost in science talk. There are plenty of pictures and diagrams to supplement the reading and make the pages appealing to the eye without boring you to death. However, as most academic textbooks go, reading alone is almost never enough to fully understand the material. I used this book as part of an introduction to marine biology course and found it to be very helpful to read before lectures. It can be a little dry at times and hardly goes into full detail of topics, but being an introductory book, it fully met the needs of my course. Overall, it's a good textbook that I'd recommend to someone taking an introductory course to marine biology.

Marine Biology w/ OLC bind-in card (Hardcover)
This book when purchased NEW is shrinkwrapped and has the ISBN 0-07-293356-9. The shrinkwrapped package contains the Marine Biology textbook (ISBN 0-07-250934-1) which contains "The Premium McGraw-Hill Online Resources" access code (ISBN 0-0-250935-X). If you are buying a used book keep in mind that the online access code may only be used once and is not transferable, so if any of the previous owners have used the code it will not work for you. If your instructor uses Blackboard or WebCT, you may NEED a valid access code. A new access codes may be purchased from the McGraw-Hill "Premium" Site for $12 if you get stuck with a used book without a valid OLC code.
Excellent for newcomers and veterans alike
Anytime you look for a sourcebook on a specialized topic such as Marine Biology, you want to make sure it covers all the groundwork. By that, I mean the full foundation of the field needs to be established. What Castro and Huber might lack in specifics, they make up for by encompassing the true nature of Marine Biology and what it entails.
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Subjects:  1. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Marine biology    5. Science / Marine Biology   

Subjects:  1. Analysis    2. Chemistry - Analytic    3. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Sea Water    7. Seawater    8. Analytical chemistry    9. Marine biology    10. Oceanography (seas)    11. Pollution of rivers & water supplies    12. Science / Chemistry / Analytic   

Subjects:  1. Chemical Oceanography    2. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    3. Environmental Chemistry    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Water chemistry    10. Chemistry    11. Science / Marine Biology   

Reviews (14)

As its name implies, a good field guide
I have owned this book for about 2 years.I must say that I always brought this book with me every time I go diving in the Indo-Pacific region.It has a rather extensive coverage of the species that you may encounter while diving in this region.Nearly all of the photos are of good quality, allowing for easy identification.Of course, there are species that you may not be able to find in the book. Anyway, I don't think that you can find a book covering all species and it's handy enough to allow you to bring with you while you're on a holiday.Don't expect that this book will give you extensive background information on the behaviour, reproduction...As its name imply, it serves as a field guide for identification of the species and only basic but adequate information elucidated.All in all, I would recommend this book if you want an coral reef identifier of the Indo-Pacific region.

A must have for any Indo-Pacific diver
I have been diving all over the indo-pacific from Hawaii to Thailand and have found this book to be indispensible for identifying both Fish and Invertabrates.If you are going to only buy one book for indo-pacific marine life indentification, then this should be the one.Occasionally, I will see something on a dive that I can't find in this book, but its not very often. The books biggest strength is that it contains pictures and information on a wide variety of marine life, not just fish. Its also divided into various chapters with good brief introductions on the general behaviors and characteristics of each phylum/family -- something many other books don't have.

Highly recommended!
Very authoritative covering of the animals of the Indo Pacific area. The photos are stunning, and there are a significant number of species listed. This Coral Reef Guide covers: Fishes, crabs, shrimps, invertebrates, coral and other broad subjects. There are scientific names given for use by the marine biologists. For the amateur, however, Golden Guides would be more useful. Once they progress to this advanced guide, they will seek nothing after it. A very nice home reading book for entertainment or admiration. The species shown are incredible, and compell the reader to explore the ocean. Explore this book first of all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Nature/Ecology    2. Coral reefs    3. Marine biology   

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Mathematical models    3. Measurement    4. Oceanic mixing    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Turbulence    8. Oceanography (seas)    9. Science / Oceanography   

Reviews (1)

Highly recommended!
This is a very nice book when we marine biologists need a refresher, or as a starting guide to those who wish to become one! I'm a big fan of the 'Chapter Overviews' at the end of each section.
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Subjects:  1. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    2. Marine biology    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Biology, Life Sciences   

Reviews (5)

Infectious enthusiasm
Carl Sagan's "The Cosmic Connection" is an enjoyable and easy-to-read survey of science and astronomy, circa 1973.Sagan's passion for his subjects comes through loud and clear in the essays that comprise this book.Reading this book is a little like watching "Cosmos" -- you're struck by the breadth of Sagan's knowledge and charmed by his imagination and wide-eyed enthusiasm for his topics.Sagan has a flair for making science accessible to the masses.He explores topics such as planetary exploration, the origins of life, and, of course, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.Readers who liked "A Brief History of Time" will probably enjoy "The Cosmic Connection."The epilogue, which provides a year 2000 update for many of the chapters, is a valuable addition to this classic book.

Worth reading
Sure this isn't Sagans best book, it was one of his earliest. But its definitely a great read, full of profound thoughts.

Digressions? Yeah!
This book is a mix of thoughts by Carl Sagan, which he mainly dictated while crossing North America in a car. Well, it shows! It jumps from interesting paragraphs to useless personnal experiences, and the final result is a short text that is confusing, and (but that's not his fault) outdated. Read "Cosmos" and "Pale Blue Dot", they are much better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Cosmology    3. Extraterrestrial Biology    4. Life    5. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    6. Life on other planets    7. Origin    8. Planets    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Popular astronomy    12. Popular science    13. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (2)

crayfish?
This is a very beautiful field guide, but where are the crayfish?

A beautiful, helpful gudebook!
This is the 3rd book in the "Audubon Society Nature Guides" series that I've purchased, and they continue to be a pleasure to read and use.For anyone who lives near, will be travelling to, or has a general interest in Wetlands, this book is an essential.Not only is it beautifully illustrated and easy to use, but it's also a great general guide to Wetlands in the US.I am in the Chicagoland region, and almost all of the book applies to our area.Highly reccomeded for anyone from the novice to Wetland professional. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Handbooks, manuals, etc    2. Hydrographic Biology    3. Lakes & Ponds    4. Natural History    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. Reference    9. Wetland ecology    10. Zoology    11. Biology, life sciences    12. Nature / Lakes & Ponds   

Reviews (2)

Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach
Great text. Great price.Book arrived in excellent condition, in a timely manner, and Kevin Serkes, seller, was great with the follow up, and with addressing my concerns about other book orders I had placed.Thank you for a great job!!

A great text
Most marine biology texts on the market are designed to support lower division courses for non-majors.Nybakken's text, however, is designed with the upper division biology major as its primary audience. This bookis, in my opinion, the best book on the market to support an undergraduatecourse in marine biology for majors.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fisheries & Aquaculture    2. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    3. Life Sciences - Ecology    4. Marine Biology    5. Marine Ecology    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology / Fisheries & Aquaculture   

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Fisheries & Aquaculture    3. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    4. Life Sciences - Ecology    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    6. Saltwater Fish Anatomy And Physiology    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Ecology    10. Fishery Science    11. Fishes (ichthyology)    12. Science / Physiology    13. Vertebrate Zoology   

Reviews (5)

A timeless classic
This is an amazing book. It was a landmark in its time, and is still useful today.

A Slightly Defaced Masterpiece
This book, as it was written, is a masterpiece of natural history. It is a contribution to humanistic biology thathas style and description that is uncrippled by the invidious academic flatulence of the professional "scientist". It makes no pretensions. It was written by a man fascinated by the tidal seashore and the animals found therein. Read it and read it well.
Still & always the classic
This is probably THE serious book to have if one is going to immerse oneself in the California intertidal. Originally produced by Ed Ricketts (of Steinbeck/Cannery Row/Log From The Sea Of Cortez fame) the book has been upgraded, revised, re-edited by a plethora of "co-authors" since Ricketts' untimely death. It still retains much of Ricketts' then-revolutionary Habitat focus, which will either work for you (it does for me) or annoy the hard-core systematists out there.This ISN'T a light book to lug into the field or a light book to read -if you are just day-tripping The UC Press has a number of smaller & more accessibly illustrated field guides that I would reccomend, But if you are seriously into mmarine Bio and have some time on your hands along the California Coastline, you owe it to yourself to get this book. Even here on the Coast of Maine and twenty years removed from the West I still fid myself referring to it... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Intertidal ecology    3. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    4. Marine Biology    5. Marine Fauna    6. Marine invertebrates    7. Pacific Coast (U.S.)    8. Science    9. Seashore biology   

Reviews (2)

great up-to-date resource
This book contains articles that are current and relevant to the field of marine mammal medicine and is great for the researcher as well as the student.It's a great compilation of some of the best work in the field.

This is a great book... if it is something you need!
THis is an exceptional book if you are interested in understanding the health and care of marine mammals.If you aren't interested in these areas then it is probably not a good choice of reading material! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Diseases    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Health    4. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    5. Mammals    6. Marine Mammals    7. Medical    8. Medical / Nursing    9. Veterinary Medicine - General    10. Veterinary Medicine Practice For Specific Animals    11. Veterinary medicine    12. Medical / Veterinary Medicine / General    13. Veterinary Science   

Reviews (17)

Journal of travel and research

Non-teleological thinking
This book represents the log of a voyage Steinbeck took with Ed Ricketts collecting biological specimens from the Sea of Cortez during the spring of 1940.The goal of the trip was to document the variety of sea creatures that lived in the tidal pools of the region, as well as to bring back specimens for identification and further study.In total, the voyage lasted about 4 weeks, during which time Ricketts, Steinbeck, and the rest of the crew documented hundreds of species, thousands of specimens, and discovered several new creatures that had not been known before.
Eurudite, at times witty, marine biology
John Steinbeck was not merely a lusty untrained amateur when it came to marine biology - he studied the subject at Stanford although left without graduating. Nevertheless, the Log from the Sea of Cortez, the narrative portion of the account from his 1940 journey round the Gulf of California with his scientist friend Ed Ricketts, is written in the tone of the intellegent novice to the subject.
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Subjects:  1. 1902-1968    2. California, Gulf of    3. California, Gulf of (Mexico)    4. Description and travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. General    7. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Literature: Classics    10. Marine Fauna    11. Marine invertebrates    12. Mexico    13. Science    14. Science/Mathematics    15. Steinbeck, John,    16. Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968    17. Travel    18. Journeys    19. Ricketts, Edward Flanders    20. Steinbeck, John    21. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Drawing By Individual Artists    5. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    6. History - Contemporary (1945- )    7. Marine Biology    8. Marine Life    9. Marine mammals in art    10. Marine resources conservation    11. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    12. Art / Subjects & Themes / Plants & Animals   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful basic guide to study corals and coral reefs
This is a basic and comprehensive book about the processes that affect coral reefs. Exelent edition by Birkeland, includes some of the most restpectable scientists in the field. the book includes plentifulreferences very useful if you need to start a search in any of the topicsincluded in the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Coral reef biology    2. Coral reef ecology    3. Earth Sciences - Geology    4. Life Sciences - Ecology    5. Marine Biology    6. Marine Life    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Applied ecology    12. Biology, Life Sciences    13. Nature / Marine Life    14. Science / Ecology    15. Science-Earth Sciences - Geology    16. Science-Life Sciences - Ecology   

Reviews (5)

THE world reference for a classification of fishes
This is the fourth, long awaited, edition of Fishes of the World.
worst drawings ever
For a book in this price range, we all want more. I have been doing fish illustrations in Environmental Biology of Fishes and some other journals. Dr. Nelson, you should contact me, we need to talk!!

Great book, shame about the price.
Comprehensive coverage makes this a great first reference.Most listings cite further in depth references.Published in 1994 it is probably due to be updated.The worst aspect of this book is the price.Get your library to buy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classification    2. Fish    3. Fishes    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Biology, Life Sciences    7. Nature / Fish