This is the text assigned by Dr. Bibit Traut and Dr. Dean Lauritzen for the Fall 2008 Bio 32: Marine Biology, the class I took during my sabbatical. These two instructors team-taught the course, and they are lively, worthy lecturers.
I own the first edition of Marine Biology, and I can attest that this 7th edition is a wonderful improvement over a solid original text. Castro and Huber write clearly, and their textbook offers appropriate illustrations and organization. As a student somewhat familiar with the subject, but still new to many aspects of this complex field of exploration and discovery, I was very pleased by this text.
Charlton, Barbara, and John Tietjen. The Facts on File Dictionary of Marine Science. New York: Facts on File, 1988.
When I wanted to check specific terms of marine science and I didn't have access to the internet, this is the book that I turned to. Often, I have needed fuller explanations, but to get the basics quickly, this has been a handy reference. I was glad I had the book, though I don't know whether I would recommend it.
Chase, Owen. Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex. New York: Lyons, 1999.
A classic presentation, especially for anyone interested in whales, whaling, or Melville's Moby Dick. I picked up this book on all three accounts, but also because the 19th century is yet another fascinating century for study. (Aren't they all?) Yes, here we have evidence that a whale really did sink a whaleship. Chase's account, written in 1821, is readable and gripping, a nice antidote to the poisonous claim that everything written in previous centuries is unnecessarily long-winded and lacking grip.
