This easy to follow, full-colour guide introduces the more than 250 species of mollusks found along the beaches and shallow waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Next to collecting colourful pebbles, there are few more enjoyable ways to spend a relaxing afternoon than at the seashore collecting ornate seashells. But there is no need to fly away to some exotic tropical locale to begin the fun. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, you will find local beaches as rich in fascinating treasures as any place on earth--or at least you will once you have this handy eight-fold guide to show you where to look and how to identify what you find. Those whose interest in shellfish is mainly gastronomic will also find this waterproof guide an essential tool. The most common clams, oysters and mussels are well-known, but which are safe to eat? Is there any truth in the old saying about months with the letter "R" in them? How long should a harvester wait after a bout of red tide? How do you tell a Manila clam from a butter clam? Where does the fabled geoduck lurk? Is there any foolproof method for catching the elusive razor clam? And what about the multitude of other shell-dwellers that populate our beaches--do they all have names? "A Field Guide to Seashells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest" answers all these questions and more. Here for the first time is a pocket-sized, user-friendly guide to the most popular of all beach creatures, written and photographed by one of the region's most outstanding marine life experts.
The culmination of a ten-year study, Bivalve Seashells of Western North America treats all bivalve mollusks living from northern Baja California, Mexico to Arctic Alaska. A total of 472 species are described and illustrated with detailed photographs and drawings. All habitats in the region are included from the intertidal splash zone to the abyssal depths of the ocean basins. The book has over 4,800 complete bibliographic references to the bivalves, including citations on the biology, physiology, ecology, and taxonomy of this commercially and biologically important group. Character tables and dichotomous keys assist the reader in identification. Also included in the 764 page book is an illustrated key to the superfamiles of the region, and a complete glossary.
This newly revised and expanded edition contains more than 500 of the most common marine species, fascinating local sponges, jellyfish, crabs, shrimp, barnacles, clams, snails, seals, fish, whales, marine algae and hundreds of other living things that can be observed and identified without being disturbed, conveniently colour-coded for quick reference with a glossary and full index. With comprehensive but concise information on the size, range, habitat and behaviour of each species and full-colour photographs showing marine life as it appears in the wild, this is the perfect guide for everyone, from the novice beachcomber, student or weekend naturalist to the expert biologist.
This is a field guide to marine mollusks. Thisbook was created to fill, what is perceived to be, a void in the popular literature, namely an affordable reference guide to the sea shells found in the CalifornianMarine Molluscan Province. It is not intended as a comprehensive compendium ofthe shelled marine mollusks in the province, but rather is limited to those taxalikely to be encountered between the intertidal zone and depths ordinarilyaccessible by scuba diving. Some deeper water taxa are included because they areparticularly beautiful, well known or popular. Specifically excluded are thosespecies which we deemed to be micro shells, namely species where the average sizeis 7 mm or less; this necessarily excludes a great many families of marine mollusks.
The Pacific Northwest coast is home to one of the most diverse displays of intertidal marine life in the world, including sponges, clams, snails, crabs, sea stars, sea anemones, jellies, fishes, seaweeds and more. The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest is a portable and easy-to-use reference for searching out and identifying the hundreds of species of seashore life found on the beaches of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Northern California and Southeast Alaska. Covering the Pacific Northwest’s most common shoreline-dwelling flora and fauna, the guide gives in each entry a detailed description of appearance and habitat accompanied by colour photos for easy identification of any creature you might encounter as you explore your local beach. Simple but essential information on tides and the various habitats within the intertidal zones is also provided to assist beachcombers in exploring safely with minimal ecological impact. The New Beachcomber’s Guide even contains up-to-date descriptions of the best beachcombing sites and when to visit them—you may even find your new favourite exploration grounds! Thoroughly revised and packed with handy and accessible information, this guide belongs in the beach bag or backpack of any avid naturalist, amateur beachcomber or adventurous family.
A Science Friday Best Science Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Year A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year A Tampa Bay Times Best Book of the Year A stunning history of seashells and the animals that make them that "will have you marveling at nature…Barnett’s account remarkably spirals out, appropriately, to become a much larger story about the sea, about global history and about environmental crises and preservation" (John Williams, New York Times Book Review). Seashells have been the most coveted and collected of nature’s creations since the dawn of humanity. They were money before coins, jewelry before gems, art before canvas. In The Sound of the Sea, acclaimed environmental author Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our long love affair with seashells and the hidden lives of the mollusks that make them. Spiraling out from the great cities of shell that once rose in North America to the warming waters of the Maldives and the slave castles of Ghana, Barnett has created an unforgettable history of our world through an examination of the unassuming seashell. She begins with their childhood wonder, unwinds surprising histories like the origin of Shell Oil as a family business importing exotic shells, and charts what shells and the soft animals that build them are telling scientists about our warming, acidifying seas. From the eerie calls of early shell trumpets to the evolutionary miracle of spines and spires and the modern science of carbon capture inspired by shell, Barnett circles to her central point of listening to nature’s wisdom—and acting on what seashells have to say about taking care of each other and our world.
This eBook is best viewed on a color device. Scoop up plentiful Cockles on Eastern beaches. Spy a fabulous Emperor Helmet in Southern Florida. Find a Red Chiton on the Pacific shore. The coasts of North America yield a wondrous variety of shells, from the majestic Conch to tiny Bittium. This beautifully illustrated guide, Seashells of North America by R. Tucker Abbott, helps both the novice and experienced shell hunter distinguish between similar varieties and find the glorious specimens that become a collection's prize. -Native varieties and important introduced species -Expert tips on cleaning and preservation -Common and scientific names -Convenient measuring rules...and more!!