Review -- Australian Marine Life by Graham Edgar
The Plants and Animals of Australia’s Temperate Waters
Jan 12, 2009
As author Graham J. Edgar comments in his preface, most Australians are aware of the diversity of the marine plant and animal communities of Australia’s tropical waters, such as those found in the Great Barrier Reef.
In the new edition of his classic marine text Australian Marine Life(2nd ed.) (New Holland, 2008), Edgar highlights a startlingly large range of plants and animals that can be found in the temperate waters below the Tropic of Capricorn, encompassing the coasts of southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and southern Western Australia.
Australian Marine Life
Originally published in 1997 by Reed Books and revised in 2000, Dr Graham Edgar has completely updated his comprehensive text of marine flora and fauna of Australia’s temperate waters to reflect current distributions and scientific naming conventions.
The second edition contains information on an additional 200 species and photographs, with totals now exceeding 1400 species of flora and fauna and 1500 colour photographs. Each entry includes a colour photograph, a brief summary of habitat, distribution and maximum size and a paragraph of general information. An introduction page for each kingdom and phylum contains general information for that section.
The colourful range of algae, anemones, sponges, seaweeds and seagrasses may surprise some readers, who might perhaps not expect to find such variations in southern waters. Fauna includes a startlingly diverse range of creatures including fish, molluscs, squid, sea spiders, sea urchins, sea slugs, sand dollars, sharks, rays, eels and seasquirts.
In the final pages there is a summary of reptiles, birds and mammals common to the temperate waters including turtles, sea lions, whales and penguins. A glossary includes both scientific terms used in the text and words that might have a more specific definition when used in the context of the book than in general use.
Corrections and additional species are updated periodically at the Reef Life Survey website.
Dr Graham J. Edgar
Dr. Graham J. Edgar brings more than 30 years experience studying marine life in Australia, Japan, South Africa, the United States and the Galapagos Islands to this fascinating text on Australia’s temperate waters.
Dr Edgar’s passion for and extensive knowledge of marine life enjoy outlets in many areas, not the least of which is this very accessible and interesting text. In addition to his academic career as an associate professor at the University of Tasmania, Dr Edgar is involved as the director of the environmental assessment company Aquenal Pty Ltd and is involved with marine protection efforts through Reef Life Survey and Conservation International
An Expert Guide to Australian Marine Life
As Dr Edgar explains in his introduction, the distribution of marine life in temperate waters is often very limited, in contrast to the more extensive distribution of tropical species. Many of the species are located in a very specific area and most are not found outside of Australian waters. As such, they are particularly vulnerable to localised environmental damage or impact.
Australian Marine Life is a timely reminder that southern Australian waters contain a varied and dynamic marine community that is as deserving of attention, wonder and protection as its more publicised tropical counterpart.
Dr Edgar’s extensive knowledge and experience in the field of marine biology and the photographs providing clear images of the various plants and animals under discussion combine to provide a useful resource for students and teachers of marine biology, divers and others working in the marine environment.
In addition, Australian Marine Life will appeal to anyone with an interest in marine life and is sure to offer some surprises to those who believe that the focus of Australia’s marine biodiversity is confined to tropical waters.
Related Review: Fishes of Australia’s Southern Coast
Australian Marine Life (2nd Ed.) (ISBN: 9781877069482, 624 pages)
