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Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology245 (2000) 293–299
www.elsevier.nl / locate / jembe
Book reviews
An Introduction to Marine Ecology
3rd edition, by R.S.K. Barnes and R.N. Hughes, with contributions from John Field, Dan Baird and Michael Kaiser; Blackwell Science, Osney Mead, Oxford; 1999; 286 pp.; GBP 22.50 (paperback); ISBN 0-86542-834-4 (paperback)
As a university teacher, I am often asked to recommend a single marine ecology and / or biology text to students. The problem is that, in most cases, no one book covers the great variety of topics, which together make up your specific undergraduate course in marine ecology and / or biology. When recommending textbooks, there is often a compromise decision to make between the depth and breadth of the coverage. Since it was first published in 1982, however, I have had no hesitation of recommending ‘An Introduction
to Marine Ecology’ as a foundation text for marine biology students. It is an
authoritative introduction to the marine environment, written by two eminent marine ecologists with great ability to distil the often complex results presented in scientific papers into a lively and readily understood undergraduate text. The coverage of topics, and the geographical range of examples, is comprehensive and impressive. The majority of subjects that form the core of most courses in marine ecology are covered, certainly in sufficient detail to stimulate interest and further reading. As a result of its early success, it was revised in 1988 and is now a well-established undergraduate textbook. It is very pleasing to see that the authors have not rested on their laurels in this 1999 ‘revision’ but have aimed to produce a new book ‘inheriting parental characteristics while offering the freshness of a new generation’. To achieve this end, the two original authors have enlisted the help of three specialists to enhance the coverage of fisheries (John Field), ecosystem functioning (Dan Baird), and human interference and conservation (Michael Kaiser). A new size and format (double-column text) have improved greatly the use of space, making this edition much more attractive than the earlier editions. The inclusion of several new figures (and the removal of some poor line drawings from the earlier editions), improvement of the quality and number of half-tone photographs and the use of colour plates, for the first time, further enhance this new edition. Indeed, all the drawings, with one or two rare exceptions, have been redrawn to a much higher standard than in the earlier editions. This is also more effective use of the half-tone photographs in this new text which, together with a better quality of paper, gives much improved definition to these photographs. The general structure of the book remains the same with identical chapter headings as found in the other editions. The material however has been updated and enhanced by the three new contributors. Thus, the following topics are included: The nature and global distribution of marine organims, habitats and
294 Book reviews / J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 245 (2000) 293 –299
ty (Chapter 1); The planktonic system of surface waters (Chapter 2); The benthos of continental shelf and littoral sediments (Chapter 3); Salt-marshes, mangrove-swamps and sea-grass meadows (Chapter 4); Rocky shores and kelp forests (Chapter 5); Coral reefs (Chapter 6); Pelagic and benthic systems of the deep sea (Chapter 7); Fish and other nektron (Chapter 8); Ecology of life histories (Chapter 9); Speciation and biogeography (Chapter 10); The marine ecosystem as a functional whole (Chapter 11); and Human interference and conservation (Chapter 12). Each chapter is supported by useful publications cited in the text, but you have to turn to the end of the book to find the full references. As an undergraduate text, it would have been better, perhaps, to have some suggestions for further reading at the end of the chapter. Similarly, I would like to see some stimulus questions, to test the student’s ability to synthesise and understand the topics covered, at the end of each chapter. Apart from this, the authors are to be congratulated on this new edition. It is an essential text for all marine ecologists and / or biologists and I shall recommend this new edition with great enthusiasm.
Malcolm B. Jones
Department of Biological Sciences,
University of Plymouth, Drake Circus,
Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
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Phycology
3rd edition, by Robert Edward Lee; Cambridge University Press. Cambridge UK; 1999; x1614 pp.; GBP 24.95, US$ 44.95 (paperback), GBP 60.00, US$ 100.00 (hardback); ISBN 0-521-63883-6 (paperback), ISBN 0-521-63090-8 (hardback).
The third edition of this well-known text enters an increasingly crowded marketplace of books which provide a more or less detailed account of the algae from a primarily taxonomic and morphological perspective. Thus, in addition to the second edition of Bold and Wynne (1985), there is the more recent very detailed account of van den Hoek et al. (1995) from the same publisher as the present volume.
