Synopses & Reviews
Coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world, host to an extraordinary variety of marine plants and animals. They are also one of the
world's most fragile and endangered ecosystems. The growth of mass tourism, combined with the boom in popularity of scuba diving, has brought these
spectacular ecosystems to public attention across the planet.
Coral reefs provide essential fish habitat, support endangered and threatened species, and harbor protected marine mammals and turtles. They are a significant
source of food, provide income and employment through tourism and marine recreation, and offer countless other benefits to humans, including supplying
compounds for pharmaceuticals. Yet coral reefs around the world are rapidly being degraded by a number of human activities, such as overfishing, coastal
development, and the introduction of sewage, fertilizer, and sediment.
World Atlas of Coral Reefs provides the first detailed and definitive account of the current state of our planet's coral reefs. With its wealth of authoritative and
up-to-date information, the finest maps available, and detailed descriptive texts and images by leading experts, this full-color volume will be a critical resource
for anyone interested in these vital environments.
World Atlas of Coral Reefs contains eighty four full-page newly researched and drawn color maps, together with more than two hundred color photos
illustrating reefs, reef animals, and images taken from space by NASA astronauts during the 2000 and 2001 space shuttle flights. The authors provide a wealth
of information on the geography, biodiversity, and human uses of coral reefs, as well as details about the threats totheir existence.
About the Author
Mark D. Spalding is Senior Programme Officer of UNEP-WCMC's Marine and Coastal Programme. Corinna Ravilious is a geographic information systems technical officer at UNEP-WCMC, and Edmund P. Green is head of UNEP-WCMC's Marine and Coastal Programme.