Appeared in DIVER March 2006
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SOFT SPECIES, HARD DATA
Seasearch Guide to Sea Anemones and Corals of Britain and Ireland,Book by Chris Wood
Back from a diving trip, and with my photographs processed, the next stage is the hard work of sorting and cataloguing them all.
For UK diving, the first reference books I reach for to help me are the Marine Conservation Society/ SeaSearch guides.
Someone in the MCS must have sat down one day and thought out in detail just what the average diver wanted to glean from guide books about marine life in our home waters.
These principles have been refined with each new book. Clear organisation,
so that a book can be read or referenced. Common, as well as scientific, names. A bit of science, but without bogging you down in jargon. Sex (and lots of it). Where to find them. Good-quality colour reproduction. Attractive layout.
Photographs that illustrate the species but, in many cases, are good underwater pictures in their own right.
Sea Anemones and Corals of Britain and Ireland is a worthy addition to the MCS portfolio. It includes about 70 species of anemones and corals, all of which can be seen by divers.
Next time a non-UK diver or non-diving friend questions what there is to see beneath our home seas, you can show them the evidence.
With this book on numerous divers' bookshelves, I'll have to work harder to make sure I get my anemones right, but at least I'll have the right book to help me.
John Liddiard
# Seasearch Guide to Sea Anemones and Corals of Britain and Ireland by Chris Wood (SeaSearch, ISBN 0948150416). Softback, 128pp,£10.95 |
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