Echinoderms, the star fish skeletons that beachcombers collect, are brilliantly colored and intricately ornamented creatures in their natural habitat. This reference features over 130 color photographs of five classes of echinoderms (sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, feather stars, and sea cucu

Defines echinoderms, such as sand dollars and crown-of-thorns sea stars, and describes their physical characteristics, life cycles, habitats, sense, food, and means of self-defense.

Defines echinoderms, such as sand dollars and crown-of-thorns sea stars, and describes their physical characteristics, life cycles, habitats, sense, food, and means of self-defense.

Introduces the physical characteristics, habitat, and types of echinoderms, including starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.

A comprehensive guide to the identification and natural history of the five classes of echinoderms of the Florida Keys, Bahama Islands, and Caribbean, containing over 130 color photographs.

Text and photographs present amazing facts about sea stars.

"This is the book I have been waiting for! Written by experts in each field, this Encyclopedia provides a wealth of information not only about the tidepool and shore life but also the oceanography associated with these habitats. This will be a major reference guide for years to come."--Dr. Nigella Hillgarth, Executive Director, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Scripps Institution of Oceanography "The "Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores" covers much more than one might guess. It ranges from oceanography, to physiology, biomechanics, and conservation science, along with the expected treatment of the diverse groups of organisms that live in those habitats. The coverage of each topic is kept short and comprehensible to almost everyone, from high schools to colleges, and certainly to the general public interested in learning more about this fascinating part of our natural world. Best of all, the editors have managed to get some of the best scientists in the world, the absolute experts in their fields, to write the articles. The relatively short length of each entry also makes this book an ideal source for assigned readings to accompany marine biology, ecology, or oceanography classes, laboratories and field trips. It will be much appreciated by teachers and students."--Ken Sebens, Director of the Friday Harbor Marine Laboratories, University of Washington "The place where vast oceans meet the land is wondrous, complex and fascinating. Visitors from research scientists to toddlers have explored these ecosystems--one of nature's most popular theme parks. Anyone who has spent time amongst the sea stars, crabs and kelp departs full of unanswered questions. Now these questions can beanswered by dipping into the "Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores," The editors and contributors to this reference have created a new standard that will be an immediate classic."--Leon Panetta, Director, The Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy "This volume is a wonderful introduction to the hidden and fascinating world of rocky tidepools. Grab a copy and head out with your kids or students for an outdoor experience that's sure to get them hooked. From remarkable adaptations of marine algae to weird animal life histories, tidepools hold amazing stories to tell. They deserve our interest--and our care--as part of earth's natural systems that sustain us all."--Julie Packard, Executive Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium "Tide pool lovers the world around will satisfy their curiosity, uncover new gems of insight and renew their wonder of nature at lands' end in this authoritative, fascinating and insightful compilation. Revealed within are the secrets of rocky shores and tide pools--that most dynamic of interfaces between the land and the sea, that treasure chest of rich biodiversity and keen insight, that world where science, literature, beauty and stewardship combine to form the now that integrates the past and tempts the future."--Jane Lubchenco, Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology, Oregon State University