Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras (Peterson Field Guide Series) (Paperback)

~ Kenneth L. Gosner (Author) "THE PREDOMINANT vegetation on land consists of seed plants or spermatophytes..." (more)
Key Phrases: tubed weeds, common fouling species, tentacular cirri, Cape Cod, Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

More than 1,000 illustrations, arranged according to visual similarities, show plant and animal species of the Atlantic Coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras. This guide includes information on how to locate each species by geographic range, tidal range, tidal level, season, topography, and climate. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Kenneth L. Gosner participated in numerous research expeditions to Centran and South America, the Caribbean, and along the Atlantic Coast as a field artist and specialist in marine ecology. In 1971 Mr. Gosner published a technical volume for the identification of marine and estuarine invertebrates that has been widely used as a text and reference work. He was also the author of a great many articles for scientific journals and illustrated nearly twenty books.

Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world"s greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation, as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars, and the Peterson Field Guides® are credited with helping to set the stage for the environmental movement. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (P) (March 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395318289
• ISBN-13: 978-0395318287
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #992,172 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great guide, but not what many expect, September 19, 2000

By	Alan R. Holyoak (Idaho) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore: From the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras (Peterson Field Guide Series) (Paperback)

This book, "A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore" is a great field guide. It presents an excellent overview of the life one commonly finds along the Atlantic coast of the USA. The book is arranged taxonomically, and each entry contains a description of characters useful in determining what you are looking at. As a professional biologist, I find this book to be superior in many ways to the Audubon Guides. For example, this Peterson guide includes both common AND scientific names by each entry, the book is arranged taxonomically rather than by other less important characters like color, etc.

This book is not, however, what many casual naturalists are looking for in a field guide. They often look for a book filled by page after page of photographs or illustrations. This book is filled by page after page of information more useful to the more advanced amateur or to the professional. There are several illustrations, many are simple line drawings that show details of important characteristics used to tell one kind of organism from another.

All in all a great field guide for the advanced amateur and professional. This is not, however, a book that is as likely to be embraced by the casual observer.

5 stars for the more professional audience, but 4 stars for the casual observer.

You might be happiest doing what another reviewer suggested... to use this book along with a photo field guide such as an Audubon Field guide to the region.

Happy splashing!

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College, IN

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For all lovers of the Atlantic coast, June 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore: From the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras (Peterson Field Guide Series) (Paperback)

[e-mail]. The Peterson field identification guide to the Atlantic Seashore by Kenneth L. Gosner is a useful tool in fieldwork. Seaweeds and animals are arranged taxonomically and described in detail regarding their distinguishing characteristics. All weeds and animals are called by both their scientific and common name and are described in an easily understood manner. The plates with drawings of creatures found along the Atlantic seashore are helpful to establish visual identification of seaweeds and animals. It is useful that the book explains different marine habitats that you may encounter as well as going into detail on important physical marine features such as water currents, salinity, tides etc. The details on how to maintain and preserve animals are an additional plus of this book. The Peterson field guide is a good tool for the use in class as well as for you personal exploration of the seashore. I would recommend its use in combination with the Audubon Guide to Shore Animals of North America. These books would complement each other since the Audubon Guide displays a similar identification system but enhances it with pictures of animals rather than drawings. The combined use of these books would increase the accuracy of your identification.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good General Seashore Information, May 20, 2009

By	Janneke Bogyo "janb" (Lady Lake, Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore: From the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras (Peterson Field Guide Series) (Paperback)

I was looking for a book that would help me learn about living things all along the Eastern seacoast. I had learned quite a bit about coastal areas in Florida but needed a more general book that would cover areas I would explore with my grandchildren and friends. This book covers a great deal of area and, while that's good in many ways, I miss the seashore book I have about Florida alone which makes things so much easier to find. I would love to see seashore books about specific areas (e.g. Maine, Cape Cod etc.) so that referencing would be much easier, especially for younger children. However, that said, it IS a good book to take along in the backpack while exploring all kinds of coastal areas and I DO eventually find what I'm looking for in it.