Marine Biology For The Non-Biologist

by Andrew Caine

The Title says it all.

Anyone from the age of 12 upwards will gain an understanding of the amazing life that exists beneath the oceanic waves. Taking away the often hard to understand scientific terminology, this book was the first to be written in a straightforward way making it easy for anyone to read, understand and enjoy.

The book describes the major groups of animals present in the sea, the soft-bodied animals; the cnidarians (jellyfish anemones, corals etc.), the crustaceans, (shrimps, crabs, lobsters, etc.) the molluscs, (the shellfish and squid etc.), the echinoderms (starfish, urchin etc).

Detailing their life histories, reproductive strategies, adaptations, predator avoidance and how they grab a meal, plus much more. which collectively makes them successful as a species today.

Then we examine coral reef architecture, hydrothermal vent biology, life in the polar sea and marine invertebrate toxins (what's going to kill you in the sea). The book is crammed with amazing facts that make this subject such a wonderful topic to understand.

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to know more about the life under the waves, amateur naturalists, conservationists, divers and snorkelers, and is often used as a steppingstone for those about embark in the next chapter of their life, as a student of marine biology.

THE MARINE LIFE SERIES 2 MORE BOOKS FROM ANDREW CAINE

Incredible Oceans

Amazing facts and explanations from the wonderful worlds

Marine Biology, Marine Ecology and Oceanography

THE OCEAN : Its one body of water and its amazing.
THE PLANKTON : You can’t see most of them, just wait till you hear about them, life giving yet deadly and silent.
LOCOMOTION AND MIGRATIONS : From the slow to the super speed,
FEEDING : Fine dining to fluid only, no table manners here.
REPRODUCTION AND LIFE SPANS : Passing on that DNA or just making a copy, mind blowing activities and strategies.
HOUSING : One of the biggest shortages to hit the ocean life, real estate.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPECIES : Who helps who and why, or parasites to suck you dry.
WHATS GOING TO KILL YOU? You don’t want to meet these, eating one is deadly too!
POLLUTION AND DESTRUCTION : The solution to pollution is dilution, a saying originating from the 1960s. Only now the ocean is full up.

MARINE ECOLOGY FOR THE NON-ECOLOGIST

ECOLOGY – THE BASIC FACTS : The physical and biological environments, food chains, webs and energy flow. Random 1 – The immortal Jellyfish.
THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS THAT SHAPE THE COASTAL ENVIRONMENT : Water movement, waves, tides and currents, temperature, salinity. Random 2 – The Blue Dragon
THE ROCKY SHORE : The physical environment, high and low energy areas, zonation, the algae, the animals, behaviour, mini habitats. Random 3 – Samantha the Serpent Star.
THE MUD AND THE SAND : The shape of the shore, grain size, the sediments, sea grass, the animals. Random 4 – The Empty Sea.
WHERE RIVERS MEET THE Types of estuary, the saltwater - freshwater mix, shapes of estuaries, the animals, algae and plants. Random 5 – SAR 11, the most abundant life form in the sea.
THE SALTMARSH AND MANGROVES : Establishment, zonation, productivity, the animals’ algae and plants. Random 6 – Bernadette the Deadly Yellow Boxfish.
CORAL REEFS : Distribution and limiting factors, the three reefs, formation of a coral reef, zonation, animals, algae. Random 7 – Sid the Sponge

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Biology, School, Nature

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2015

Reviews

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary for people with no knowledge of Marine Biology.
I found some passages confusing and not fluid, but all of the topics are fascinating.
Pictures would be a nice addition

[Tessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice introduction for people interested in marine biology. Some things are that detailed, it could lose people who are not from this field, other times I had wished for more detail. But I enjoyed this book as an in-between read.
I was missing the citations, when certain things were stated I had hoped to find reference on the publications linked to these, but that’s also just me being used to this kind of thing.

[rhys :D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute masterpiece of a book I loved it so much it was so silly. My roommates can attest to how much I have talked about sea slugs since reading this. My one suggestion is please give my queen Rosalind Franklin some credit.

[Lucy Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good overview of marine life, such a useful refresher for people who have forgotten a bit! Easy to read and very interesting.

[Scott Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a basic introduction to the wider field of marine biology. More detailed study would be needed to really learn anything of use about the subject. The best part of the book was the description of the different classes of animals that live in the marine environment, though, again, it is a very brief discussion of each. This was primarily written for divers and its focus is on shallow areas where they would tend to experience. The book would have been more helpful if the author had broadened his target audience a bit.

One criticism is that there were several typographic errors that, although annoying to me, may be confusing to those without a background in the biological sciences. The book would have also benefited from an editor as the author lapsed into conversational writing which, I thought, weakened his scientific theses.

Overall, a decent short book on marine biology but it’s really just an appetizer not a main course.

[Coco Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love marine biology and this book so much. i think that the ocean is so cool and that it should be the next source of human exploration and advancement. i want to study marine biology (as well as quantum physics) in college and this book was the perfect introduction. anyone of any scientific background can easily understand this, i just wish the pictures in the book were attributed to the more unknown species such as the nautilus.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was perfect for what it was. It is a mix of formal information that you need to grasp the subject explained in a way that (as the title suggests) non-biologists can understand. It has personal experiences, humor, commentary and themes throughout the book that make it not only a good source of information on the subject but an overall good book to read as well.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow just wow, I am currently studying my a levels with the prospects of pursuing marine biology and this book was just incredible. It manage to encapsulate the awe, wonder and technicality of marine bio without a maze of scientific jargon to route through. This book was the perfect balance of wit and intelligence an incredible read that i would recommend to anyone interested in the field.

[Chloé Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a disappointing first book (incredible oceans) my expectations for this book were low. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This read more like the “A Very Short Introduction to” series which flows a lot better than the previous style. The order of organisms and the range of them and the information provided is enough to give a good overall detail without being too complex to understand.

[Serena Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve taken Bio I and organismic bio you will most likely find this rather enjoyable. I found it very interesting, though very dense at the beginning it gets way better! I recommend for anyone interested in marine bio or any kind of animal bio.

[Christopher McDade · Rating 2 out of 5]

It doesn’t make much sense to exclude photos of the species mentioned in this book. He’s not a very good writer and, at one point, I realized I was reading paragraphs he had used earlier in the book. It’s worth reading anyway.

[Larry B Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly and Concise

A very good and thorough coverage of this series of marine biology. I found it a very clear presentation and easy to understand. I really like this book and I highly recommend it.

[Nayruna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book without being bombarded by jargon you don't understand. Funny also in parts, good chill out reading about the cool types of animals and things they can do, how coral reefs are formed etc.

[Rhys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute masterpiece of a book I loved it so much it was so silly. My roommates can attest to how much I have talked about sea slugs since reading this. My one suggestion is please give my queen Rosalind Franklin some credit.

[Debora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book mainly that focuses on invertebrates in the ocean. The writing style was somewhat plump and a bit more structure would have helped the book. still a very worthwhile ready for everyone who wants to have a basic understanding of the natural world in our oceans.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of interesting info is packed into this short book, which still remains approachable and readable. Unfortunately, it could really have done with more proofreading; there are a lot of typos and grammatical errors.

[WillMae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reference book for those mildly interested in Marine Bio and/or those who live on the coast.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

That s was a fascinating read. Really enjoyed it and learned so much. Highly recommend to anyone interested in Marine Biology as a hobby.

[Carlo Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read with good information that doesn't go to in depth but covers just enough for any non biologist to feel decently informed on the oceans and it's ecosystems and species.

[Blas de la Jara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.6 ⭐ Great book idea! However, the lack of illustrations made it difficult for me to understand some scientific descriptions.

[Pen Winton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bedtime read

[Jess H K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a well written book that makes it an easy read.

[Elsa Nordkvist · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
I found it hard to catch up on some areas, but others were interestingly neat!

[KQV2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and informative

[Amy (DemonKittie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice and quick general guide to marine biology and it's a great starting out point. Pretty easy to read.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, great intro

Great intro into marine biology for anyone wanting to get their feet wet. Not much on marine mammals but still fascinating!

[Indiana Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems to offer a great all-round introduction to life in the ocean. From the tropics all the way to the poles it explores the development of life in each given biome and how communities are formed around producers and consumers. It's incredibly interesting to learn how these animals and communities function, what makes them thrive and what threats they face.

I will say that some chapters, such as the chapter on geothermal vent formation, could greatly benefit from some visual representations of what is being discussed, as often it can be hard to accurately picture the system or object being described, where a simple diagram would do wonders. It's easy to search this stuff up on your nearest internet-connected device of course, but this can be frustrating as it diverts focus from the book.

I enjoyed how historical context was provided for many topics. When discussing the diversity of life in polar regions, for example, the author mentioned how scientists initially believed polar regions to be diverse ecosystems based on initial expeditions coinciding with mass gatherings of animals in summer - why this occurs is outlined in the book, but we now understand that polar ecosystems are actually a lot less diverse than initially assumed.

[Stephen_Digital · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fishy (not)

For a person only mildly interested in biology I found this an interesting read. The book only has a short section on fish which I found surprising but the section on smaller marine inhabitants were good.

[Emily Carter-Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a really nice read at first, but I got very bored from 40% onwards.