The editors suggest that tide pools are for many people their first experience of the biology of the sea. It was for me, and so I am pleased to have this volume for review. With an intentional pun I have been dipping into this book for a couple weeks reading some of the shorter entries, particularly those about animals. I have also read some of the longer articles, a mixture of some chosen at random and some that were of interest.
The scope of this volume is wide, but always focused. The correlation of species diversity and latitude is illustrated by groups of molluscs, but can be equally well illustrated by species of tree. The discussion of the cause of this presented here would be of relevance to the discussion of tree species. Closing in on the coast are articles on storms, waves climate change and general liquid physics like evaporation and surface tension. There are entries for particular groups of animals, algae and one on sea grasses. The article on sea grasses is the one where I wanted more information – we are told that they are not Graminae but we are not told exactly which family they are in. However, one of the further reading suggestions is a world survey of the group which I am sure will more than meet my interest. As well as articles on specific groups there are also articles on ecological factors like predation and camouflage. The book is packed with interesting facts. It had not occurred to me that there are marine lichens, and I found the sexual physiology of octopuses fascinating. Human use of the resources of rocky shores, research, conservation and cultural use of the rocky coast are all covered. Tide pools are a particularly variable habitat as they are enriched and sometimes depleted of organisms, and especially the larval stages of many species that form the zoo plankton, at each high tide. They are also subject to changes of salinity – increased by evaporation and lowered by rain and land run off.
Each entry in this volume has references and further reading. There is a useful glossary and a good index at the end. This book is the first in a new series Encyclopedias of the Natural World and if subsequent volumes live up to the standard of this one it will prove a useful addition to the reference literature. This volume is well produced, the pictures are clear and the diagrams and graphs are readable, it is easy to use and can be held in one hand for quick reference work. It is also very reasonably priced which will mean that can be bought by public libraries and schools that are near rocky coasts used by people for education or recreation. Some of the more theoretical entries (the ones with equations in) may not interest most readers in such libraries, but the vast majority are easy to read and packed with information. For research and resource management organizations concerned with rocky shores this book is highly recommended.
