A field guide to Long Island Sound : coastal habitats, plant life, fish, seabirds, marine mammals, & other wildlife /

Early in the book, the author writes, "This huge regional watershed is inhabited by more than 8 million people...." So that is why this book exists! Long Island Sound is not a distinct ecological zone, and this book is not particularly comprehensive or insightful. It must have been written to give as a gift to boaters, vacationers, and dilettante naturalists; it does not stand up to close inspection. The 700 or so illustrations are often beautiful but too chaotically laid out and haphazardly selected. For example, consider this snippet on the burrowing mantis shrimp that "hunts at night with a pair of large, jackknife-like claws...." It would be nice to see that shrimp, but alas, one will not find a picture here. The text is chopped up to accommodate maps (there are 36) and photographs of species (often shown with just a name). If the work had been more lovingly laid out, there would be fewer odd breaks (one sentence extends over six intervening pages) and orphans. The book's strength is its description of the habitats, history, and human impact on Long Island Sound. The main weakness is that the work is not really a guide that can be used outdoors. Summing Up: Not recommended. --George C. Stevens, University of New Mexico