Marine Biology: An Introduction To Ocean Ecosystems (Marine Biology Ser)

I have been honored to use this book for the past year in my high-school Marine Biology class. It has a satisfying blend of science and art rarely seen in a textbook. There are incredibly beautiful pictures that become resource tools of their own, and exerpts and poems from selected works of literature introducing each chapter, allowing the student to contemplate Mother Ocean with new parts of her brain. In retrospect, I would wish for more in-depth analysis of various aspects of the ocean and marine life. But the book is supplemented with factual questions throughout all chapters, asking the student to integrate his knowledge from various places, such as "How does a Beluga survive in frigid temperatures?" or "Explain how symbiosis and aggresive mimicry relate in cleaner wrasse." These questions require closely reading the text but also looking for answers outside the text that a student has learned in personal research or within the classroom. Again, it would be helpful to have an answer key for the teacher here, as Hill assumes a vast intimate knowledge of *all* aspects of marine life. I also appreciated a heavy environmental theme, on what is going wrong with the oceans and how to preserve them. There are thought provoking questions, such as "Do you think whaling should begin again? Defend your answer." or "Do you agree with the decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Accords?" These questions can easily lead to great class discussions and short essay assignments. A good all-around supplementary resource to the high-school Marine Biology classroom.