Reef [Hardcover]

Scubazoo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 2007

Coral reefs are often called "the rainforests of the sea" because of the quantity and diversity of life they support, and because they are highly sensitive and threatened ecosystems. Building on the success of DK's Rainforest, this unique pictorial celebration of the worlds reefs progresses through an ecological chain that goes from algae, sponges, and mollusks to the thousands of fishes that make their homes there. This vivid collection of photographs, from underwater photography collective Scubazoo, reveals reefs as they've never been seen before.

• Features reefs worldwide, from Southeast Asia to the Red Sea and Hawaii
• Captions identify plant and animal life and quotes give additional background information
• Photographic narratives demonstrate how reefs live/die, and how creatures depend on them
• Published in cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History

Sales of this book support the Coral Reef Alliance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This brilliant photographic compilation by small Malaysian-based diving collective ScubaZoo introduces the ecology of oceanic reefs, both temperate and tropical. Though technological advances and the devastation of global reefs have spurred many experienced diver-photographers to publish photo collections, the dazzling photography in this one stands out dramatically, as does its inclusion of images made simultaneously by still and video photographers (the book includes a DVD.) The photographs allow close study of coral, fish, crustaceans and many other enchanting creatures, while the video shows the vivid activity of the reef habitat. The helpful text provides a solid introduction to reef ecology, divided into reef landscapes, their inhabitants' survival behaviors, conservation issues and a broader look at reefs worldwide. The sole problem with the book is the lack of scale indications: it's hard to tell if a given animal is minute or enormous. But this is a small quibble: the book provides an excellent introduction to fragile reef ecosystems. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Color bursts forth like confetti from each page of this stunning visual adventure...highly recommended." -- The Alternative Consumer

"This beautiful book is filed with gorgeous photographs...Scubazoo...has done a magnificent job of portraying the reef community." -- Library Journal

"[A] brilliant photographic compilation...dazzling." -- Publishers Weekly (STARRED review)

"[A] unique pictorial celebration." -- Advanced Diver magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: DK Publishing; Har/DVD edition (August 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075663122X
• ISBN-13: 978-0756631222
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Beautiful, bonus DVD is also worthwhile November 28, 2007

By Dr. Kenneth T. Bastin MD

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book for my own birthday, and had the pleasure of showing the pictures to my family who do not SCUBA dive like myself. I must say these photos are first rate, draw attention to the underwater world and make for a frequent return to the bookshelf. The freeby DVD is surprisely good, with music, pics, and video. The DVD alone would sell for $15 or $20 in some SCUBA resort areas. If you are looking for a good present for an underwater life admirer, buy it ASAP. Tell them some ardent and hard-core underwater naturalist recommended it!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars DK's photo quality is in a league of its own... September 6, 2007

By R Schmidt VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Take DK's legendary photo quality. Add a great topic: life in the shallow oceans. Finally, mix these with a few gung ho underwater photographers with superb equipment, and you have 360 pages of a visual fiesta: Reef.

This oversized book is a photography frenzy: crystal sharp focus, vibrant colors, and close-ups that surpass the ability of the human eye to see this level of detail unaided.

It's like the ocean is an alien world. Do you think those sea creatures have the same feeling about us?

Highlights: close-up of a tiger shark's face. All those pigmy seahorses. The little things made big. THE COLORS!

The book comes with an additional disk of photographs. Even the book jacket is beautiful (it has a three dimensional look and feel).

Enjoy, and protect the ocean.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The next best thing to being there! September 7, 2007

By Joni Lawrence

Format:Hardcover

I recently received Reef. Before even spending 5 minutes with the book, all I could say was - WOW! The photography is nothing short of amazing. I cuold spend hours flipping through the pages of this book. It's almost painful because it's giving me the scuba diving "bug" and I don't have a trip planned in the near future.

I'm so inspired by these photos and I'm also impressed by the identification, common and scientific names, of all of the creatures featured. The site where each photograph was taken is also listed, along with information on the behavior or other characteristics displayed in the photos. I would have loved to have this book available last year when diving in Indonesia. We had some ID books, but nothing compared to this. Unfortunately it would be a bit cumbersome to carry along on a dive trip as it's more suitable for a coffee table, but I look forward to using this resource for identifying marine life photographed upon my return from upcoming dive trips. The DVD that comes with it is also an excellent bonus!