Feed your fascination with sharks! This complete resource enlightens readers on the biology, ecology, and behavior of sharks with approachable explanations and more than 250 stunning color illustrations.
Studies of shark biology have flourished over the last several decades. An explosion of new research methods is leading to a fascinating era of oceanic discovery. Shark Biology and Conservation is an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of the diversity, evolution, ecology, behavior, physiology, anatomy, and conservation of sharks. Written in a style that is detailed but not intimidating by world-renowned shark specialists Dan Abel and Dean Grubbs, it relays numerous stories and insights from their exciting experiences in the field. While explaining scientific concepts in terms that non-specialists and students can understand, Abel and Grubbs reveal secrets that will illuminate even the experts. The text provides readers with a robust and wide range of essential knowledge as it
• introduces emerging as well as traditional techniques for classifying sharks, understanding their behavior, and unraveling the mysteries of their evolution;
• draws on both established shark science and the latest breakthroughs in the field, from molecular approaches to tracking technologies;
• highlights the often-neglected yet fascinating subject of shark physiology, including heart function, sensory biology, digestion, metabolic performance, and reproduction;
• addresses big picture ecological questions like "Which habitats do sharks prefer?" and "Where do sharks migrate and for what purpose?";
• describes the astonishing diversity of sharks' adaptations to their environment;
• discusses which shark conservation techniques do and don't work; and
• comments on the use and misuse of science in the study of sharks.
Enhanced by hundreds of original color photographs and beautifully detailed line drawings, Shark Biology and Conservation will appeal to anyone who is spellbound by this wondrous, ecologically important, and threatened group, including marine biologists, wildlife educators, students, and shark enthusiasts.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. Overview
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Evolution of Sharks
Chapter 3. Diversity of Sharks
Part II. Adaptational Biology: How Sharks Work
Chapter 4. Functional Anatomy of Sharks
Chapter 5. Sensory Biology
Chapter 6. Reproduction
Chapter 7. Circulation, Respiration, and Metabolism
Chapter 8. Thermal Physiology, Osmoregulation, and Digestion
Part III. Ecology and Behavior
Chapter 9. Ecology
Chapter 10. Behavior and Cognition
Part IV. Human Impacts
Chapter 11. Fisheries
Chapter 12. Climate Change and Other Human Impacts
Appendix Conservation: Efforts to Protect Sharks and Rays
Index
About the Author :
Daniel C. Abel is a professor of marine science and Distinguished Honors Faculty Fellow at Coastal Carolina University. He is the coauthor of Environmental Oceanography: Topics and Analysis, Environmental Issues: Looking Towards a Sustainable Future, and Environmental Geology Today. R. Dean Grubbs is the associate director of research and a full research faculty member at the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory. Elise Pullen is a marine biologist and freelance scientific illustrator. Marc Dando is a freelance scientific illustrator who specializes in marine life. He is the illustrator of the field guide Sharks of the World.
Review :
This is not a book that relishes in the gore of shark attack tales, or one that recycles psychological fears of monsters in the brine; instead, as its subtitle suggests, it offers an educational overview . . . The book's ultimate goal, which it succeeds at, is to illustrate how integral to the ecosystem sharks are, how intertwined our lives are, and how the human threat has pushed sharks into perilous straits.
—Jason Motz, The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals
The more awareness surrounding sharks and their ecological importance the better. What Daniel Abel and Dean Grubbs have managed to do, is present big picture questions while introducing you to shark species in an exacting and undaunting way.
—Dean Honey, Save Our Seas Foundation
This book represents a comprehensive in-depth reference for the world of Sharks.
—Michael Scholl Blog
This new book is indeed what I refer to as a Goldilocks book – not too hard, not too soft, but just right . . . There is one thing, however, I feel compelled to warn my readers about this book: once you open its cover and begin reading, it is very, very difficult to stop reading and set it down – so plan accordingly.
—Johannes Riutta, The Well-Read Naturalist
If you are at all interested in sharks, skates, and rays and would enjoy a primer on their biology, this is must read for you.
—American Currents
Shark Biology and Conservation fills the "sweet spot" between a coffee-table book . . . a field guide . . . and a technical book . . . This lavishly illustrated book can provide a basic knowledge of shark biology for anyone.
—Environmental Biology of Fishes
This is a solid volume on the current knowledge on sharks that many people will find interesting, from the general reader to the scientist.
—Lisa Natanson, Nautilus
