The biology of coral reefs /

This work, the latest installment in Oxford's "Biology of Habitats" series, meets the high standards demonstrated by the preceding works in the series. Coral reef ecosystem specialists Sheppard, Davy, and Pilling offer a competent, current, and concise narrative on the ecology and physiology of the primary biological constituents of reefs: corals, sponges, and coralline algae. The material on symbiosis, such an important aspect of reef biology, is most useful. The text mentions but appropriately does not provide extensive details on the secondary reef inhabitants such as invertebrates and fish. Providing information on all reef inhabitants would expand the text to an unwieldy size. Individuals familiar with marine communities and oceanography will benefit most from this book. Coral reef researchers may find the depth of information too superficial in some sections to be useful, but everyone will find something new or better explained here. The closing chapters on anthropogenic impacts on reefs and the consequences of reef reductions on human societies provide good summaries of the relevant issues that should provoke discussion and, ideally, action. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic libraries serving upper-division undergraduates and above. S. R. Fegley University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill