Customer Reviews

Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The book is a gem. Aside from appreciating the importance and , especially at this moment in time, the relevancy of it's content, I would like to thank the authors for structuring the chapters in such a way that even a non-scientist like me finds it fascinating to read. The pictures painted in the narrative , the second part of each chapter, provide the perfect gateway to the more scientific body of the chapter.
I recommend this book to all who ,like me, live through their eyes.
Brigitte Sekirka Cooper

For the amateur SCUBA enthusiast the material presented in the narrative is probably a real eye-opener. From low level microbs all the way up the food chain (web)to the sharks, the complex life formations required to keep the coral reef alive are mind boggling.

The book is part college text containing significant amounts of research and part recreational reading sure to keep even a lay diver interested in seeking more information as the story unfolds. A nice job all around. A background in reefs is probably presupposed as the authors jump right into research needs and findings without providing requisit underpinnings. But, then again, it's not going to be bought by a casual reader seeking colorful pictures. There is sufficient information to interest the lay reader as well as technical data to please SCUBA divers seeking to learn more about what they see in coral reef formations. In summary, the book is a good read and deserves a place on bookshelves for current and reference information.

No sharks no coral reefs! This is a one-liner that will live for a long time. The arguments presented in this book allow you to see the big picture. Based on solid biology, that is, including both microbes and larger animals and plants, you are presented with a well documented and logical chain of mechanisms explaining the deteriorating conditions for coral reefs. In addition you are presented with a vivid account of science in real life. This is good fun and serves to build trust vis-à-vis the authors genuine experience. A strong sense of responsibility towards our common ocean and its future shines through the presentation, yet scientific reasoning is the sole guiding principle for the arguments. In view of the global destruction of the fish community it could, for example, be tempting make a comparison between coral reefs and the destruction of the rainforest. Forest Rower and Merry Youle however manage to capture the larger context and importance of the ecosystem structure by being able to make connections through the entire food-web of the coral reef and not by inference to a different system.

Much has been written on coral reef biology, conservation and the biodiversity. The strength of this book lies in its breadth in using a systems approach to studying coral reef health from actual field expeditions. From the number of sharks to the types of bacteria and dissolved organic carbon in the oceans all lead to a symbiotic relationship with coral reefs. The stories that precede each chapter provide a glimpse into the fun, excitement, tedium and hardships of scientific field work.

The chapters are divided into first describing what makes up coral reefs and then describing associated diseases and stressors of corals and ending finally with conservation practices that may save coral reefs for future generations. The authors use a number of field expeditions to places such as the Line Islands to illustrate the challenges in pinpointing causes to the decline of coral reefs. Taking a close look at bacteriophages and the microbial health of corals is an often overlooked when examining corals. This view also impacts what can be done for the overall conservation of coral reefs and their associated fisheries. The chemistry and metabolism that produce an interplay of feedback machanisms is greatly appreciated in this small and enjoyable book.

This book is fantastic and necessary for anybody who is interested in either microbial ecology or coral reefs. It has an attractive approach using anecdotes that allow readers to relate to the sophisticated scientific concepts. Moreover, the chapters are organized to cover the subject from different angles so one enjoys reading the book, in the meantime grasp a good understanding of the relation between microbes and coral reefs.
I recommend this book to marine biologists, microbiologists and everybody who is interested in understanding the problems that face the beautiful coral reefs all over the world.

This book addresses the critical issue of coral reef decline from a unique perspective - one that includes the numerically dominant microbes! By interweaving hilarious anecdotes of life on a research cruise with cutting-edge coral reef science, this book is both engaging and presents a new paradigm to explain what is killing the coral reefs. It's not all gloom and doom... at the end, the author suggests many strategies that should be pursued if we want to save our precious reefs. Overall, an easy and enjoyable read that will change the way you think about coral reefs!

I saw Rohwer speak at a Microbiology educators conference last year, and he was the most interesting and engaging of speakers - I had to get his book when it came out. The book is a fabulous read - it combines some fun story-telling from research expeditions with real research based science about coral reef biology. I'm absolutely considering using it as a supplemental reading in a biology course, because it combines genetics with ecology with microbiology - all bundled in this fascinating mystery of the dying reefs. Students will love it. To use it for an upper level course, I'll include a lot of primary literature articles (most referenced throughout Rohwer's book and in his "further reading" section), but he sets the stage beautifully and really illuminates the issue in a comprehensive way that is remarkably easy to understand and entertaining. Bravo to Rohwer for this beautiful and fun resource that spotlights the investigations into an ecological tragedy while still offering hope that the adaptive reefs can persevere with some changes in human practice.

Forest Rohwer and Merry Youle have written a spectacular and accessible account of coral reefs and the impact that overfishing, climate change, and human waste are having on them. Each chapter begins with an often hilarious anecdote from Forest's recent expedition to the Northern Line Islands - I especially enjoyed the story of the 'Goddess' and the 'Microbe'. These stories emphasize the personal nature of these studies which also shines through in the writing throughout each chapter, even as the story becomes progressively more complicated, as we begin to appreciate the coral reef ecosystem at multiple levels, from sharks to grazers to the vast diversity of microbial life.

I'd recommend this book for anyone interested in microbiology or just science in general. Later on in the book, we become more aware of the impact humans are having on the reefs, often with tragic results. These sections have some similarities to "An Inconvenient Truth", "Fast Food Nation", and "An Omnivore's Dilemma", in that the authors clearly describe a global problem and present some easy solutions that allow each reader to personally make a difference.

Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas is a fabulous book. It is not only very informative [I see it as providing guidance to Humankind that goes far beyond the health of reefs to the health of our species], but also makes for amusing and easy reading. Anyone who has participated in "Field Trials" can identify with what it is like to collect data, away from our home laboratory, and the descriptions of the scientists and their episodes have a genuineness that I appreciate [although the depth of sympathy for any hardships they encountered while SCUBA diving in spectacular waters may be a bit limited . . .].
I liked reading each of the chapters, and the logical progression of chapters that leads to the DDAM model is totally convincing. Very well done.
I, like other reviewers, am pleased that Prof. Rohwer and Merry Youle have presented an Action Plan that can, possibly, reverse the devastating destruction of such an important part of our Ecosystem, but I generalize their guidance to be towards Sustainable Agriculture, both on our Lands and in our Seas.
The Global Community, indeed!

My signed copy of this book might indicate my bias but I've known Merry Youle for a number of years. I rejoice that she has been such an integral part of this fine effort at trying to describe an ecosystem in danger to those of us who have never actually experienced a coral reef. Good luck with getting the word out!