The Biology of Reefs and Reef Organisms - Softcover

"In this excellent synthesis of reefs past and present, Goldberg shows the great diversity of organisms that add structural complexity to the marine environment. . . . This is a great resource, and is fully referenced for those who want to delve further into a particular subject. Highly recommended."--G. C. Jensen, University of Washington "Choice " "In the stunningly short space of half a lifetime the world's coral reefs have melted before our eyes into other things, from multihued to brown, from labyrinthine to flattened, from hard and waxing to brittle and waning, from boom towns glutted by fishes to ghost towns gutted of inhabitants. . . . Now it is our job to train a new generation of coral reef scientists--natural, social, and synthetic--on whose shoulders fall a massive exercise in clinical ecology: the stewarding of our most diverse, productive, and beloved of marine ecosystems into a more certain future in spite of all that we are and all that we have done. . . . As a general text on coral reef biology for college undergraduates, entry-level graduate students, or very advanced high school students, this one as yet has no equal. . . . We are witnessing an event of majesty and horror that is both preventable (though too late for that) and reversible (if we act hard and soon). This book is an essential tool in the campaign to ready our successors for the wonder, the discoveries, and the battles that lie ahead."--Les Kaufman, Boston University Marine Program and Conservation International "Reef Encounter " In this excellent synthesis of reefs past and present, Goldberg shows the great diversity of organisms that add structural complexity to the marine environment. . . . This is a great resource, and is fully referenced for those who want to delve further into a particular subject. Highly recommended. --G. C. Jensen, University of Washington "Choice "" In the stunningly short space of half a lifetime the world s coral reefs have melted before our eyes into other things, from multihued to brown, from labyrinthine to flattened, from hard and waxing to brittle and waning, from boom towns glutted by fishes to ghost towns gutted of inhabitants. . . . Now it is our job to train a new generation of coral reef scientists natural, social, and synthetic on whose shoulders fall a massive exercise in clinical ecology: the stewarding of our most diverse, productive, and beloved of marine ecosystems into a more certain future in spite of all that we are and all that we have done. . . . As a general text on coral reef biology for college undergraduates, entry-level graduate students, or very advanced high school students, this one as yet has no equal. . . . We are witnessing an event of majesty and horror that is both preventable (though too late for that) and reversible (if we act hard and soon). This book is an essential tool in the campaign to ready our successors for the wonder, the discoveries, and the battles that lie ahead. --Les Kaufman, Boston University Marine Program and Conservation International "Reef Encounter "" I especially appreciated the elements of page design that interweave structure, function, and often paleontology to give the reader a more holistic view of organism-to-ecosystem ecology and evolution. . . . The extensive use of photographs taken by experts in the field, combined with diagrams derived from the primary literature, puts this 401-page book in the category of must have on my bookshelf. . . . "The Biology of Reefs and Reef Organisms" is clearly a painstakingly assembled labor of love. --Phillip Dustan, College of Charleston "Ecology "" Reef biology a sizable field of research is becoming more pertinent as anthropogenic factors negatively impact fragile marine ecosystems. Encapsulating and accurately communicating the main aspects of reef biology in a single text is a real challenge, yet "The Biology of Reefs and Reef Organisms" by Walter Goldberg manages to achieve this feat. The text covers a large breadth of content, while still providing in-depth descriptions of the many aspects of reef biology. . . . Its comprehensive nature makes it a major accomplishment for a single author and an extremely useful resource for the field of reef biology. --Jessica Lye, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia "Biological Conservation "" "Reef biology--a sizable field of research--is becoming more pertinent as anthropogenic factors negatively impact fragile marine ecosystems. Encapsulating and accurately communicating the main aspects of reef biology in a single text is a real challenge, yet The Biology of Reefs and Reef Organisms by Walter Goldberg manages to achieve this feat. The text covers a large breadth of content, while still providing in-depth descriptions of the many aspects of reef biology. . . . Its comprehensive nature makes it a major accomplishment for a single author and an extremely useful resource for the field of reef biology."--Jessica Lye, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia "Biological Conservation " "I especially appreciated the elements of page design that interweave structure, function, and often paleontology to give the reader a more holistic view of organism-to-ecosystem ecology and evolution. . . . The extensive use of photographs taken by experts in the field, combined with diagrams derived from the primary literature, puts this 401-page book in the category of 'must have on my bookshelf.' . . . The Biology of Reefs and Reef Organisms is clearly a painstakingly assembled labor of love."--Phillip Dustan, College of Charleston "Ecology "

Walter M. Goldberg is professor emeritus at Florida International University, where he began his career as a marine biologist forty years ago.