Naturalist's Guide to the Atlantic Seashore

Shumway, Scott W. The naturalist's guide to the Atlantic seashore: beach ecology from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras. Falcon Guides, 2008. 232p bibl index; ISBN 9780762742370 pbk, $24.95. Reviewed in 2008dec CHOICE. Most field guides are designed to simplify the identification of plants or animals. Shumway (Wheaton College) takes a different tack, forgoing any exhaustive or systematic list of organisms and instead presenting an overall view of all the elements and processes that shape and define the many ecosystems found along the Atlantic coast. The book is organized and color coded by habitat types (e.g., rocky shores, salt marshes, tidal flats, sand dunes), allowing discussion of a wide range of topics that include geologic history, introduced species, past and present human impacts, and the adaptations of the myriad species occurring in these areas. Numerous sidebars provide additional detail, and the book is liberally illustrated with color photographs. Shumway has done an excellent job of seamlessly integrating these subjects, making this both an enjoyable read and an essential companion for exploring the seashore. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General, undergraduate, and graduate collections. -G. C. Jensen, University of Washington "This book is a naturalist's guide to the diverse beach ecosystems stretching from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. The author states that the book's goal is to provide an introduction to the natural histories of the major habitat types found along the east coast and give an overview of the species and natural processes ''you can actually observe when you go to the beach.'' After the introduction the book is split into sections by the major habitats ranging from ''Rocky shores'' to ''Seagrass meadows,'' each full of color photographs and engaging text." -Ecology "This guide to coastal ecosystems of the Atlantic Coast is different from many other publications called "guides..." [I]t provides much useful information about the overall ecology of the different coastal environments and on the ecology, reproduction, and behavior of the organisms. The primary goal of the book, as explained by the author, is to describe how coastal environments function and to discuss the roles played by various species in these environments. And this he does very well." -Quarterly Review of Biology.