Reef Corals of the World [antikvár]

PrefaceThe invention of SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) and advances in the development of more sophisticated and readily available gear are encouraging increasing numbers of people to learn about underwater life in situ. It is hardly surprising that coral reefs attract the attention of both amateurs and professionals alike. A visit to this most complex of marine ecosystems cannot fail to generate delight, excitement and interest.Corals evolved and coral reefs flourished long before man appeared on earth. Coral types have appeared and disappeared, their structure and distribution modified by climatic and geological events. The evolutionary history of corals is relatively well known because the living animal produces such a well defined and characteristic skeleton. Paleontological studies have produced a solid foundation upon which the taxonomy of modern types is based. Conversely, there is much to be learned from the study of present-day corals, especially as regards their extraordinary plasticity in the face of different environmental conditions.Work on this book began out of frustration at the lack of accurate yet comprehensible and informative texts on identification of corals in the field. It is not the purpose of this book to fulfill the needs of the specialist in coral taxonomy; there are other far more detailed papers and monographs to cater to these interests. It is instead intended primarily for professional marine scientists and reef workers, students of tropical, marine biology, naturalists, amateur divers and underwater photographers.It is a pleasure to acknowledge the various people and institutions that have helped me during my work on this book. My sincerest thanks go to Professor John Wells of Cornell University for all hisassistance. Not only has he identified coral specimens and given freely of his long-standing knowledge of coral taxonomy, but he has also patiently read through the manuscript and made many useful comments. I am also indebted to Dr. John Veron of the Austrahan Institute of Marine Sciences for his invaluable and generous help. Dr. Paul Cornelius of the British Museum (Natural History) kindly assisted me by arranging access to the Museum's collection of corals and making working space available. I should also like to thank Gordon Paterson for his help. Bian Siew Tan collaborated in some of the work on Malaysian corals, and this led to useful discussions on taxonomic problems.Christopher Wood has been a constant and patient diving companion and has given encouragement and help in many other ways. I am also grateful to the following for providing field assistance: David Jenkins, Frances Liew and other personnel of Sabah National Parks, Malaysia; Alan Robinson and the staff of Direktorat Perlin-dungan dan Pelastarian Alam (PPA), Bali, Indonesia; Professor A. Alcala and personnel of the Marine Station of Silliman University, Philippines; the staff of the Aquarium de Noumea, New Caledonia; and Dr. Jeremy Woodley and personnel of the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, University of the West Indies.Photographs of the skeleton of Goreaugyra were kindly supplied by Dr. F. Bayer and those of Clavahna,, Catalaphyllia and Moseleya by Dr. J. Veron. M. Melzak and Dr. C. Sheppard also generously responded to my requests for photographs for use in this book. These and other sources are acknowledged where appropriate.