Books
Allen, Dr. Gerald R. and Steene, Roger. Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide. Tropical Reef Research, Singapore, 1994. An excellent introduction to over 1,800 marine plants, invertebrates, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals of the Central and Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. A brief description of the members and their life history introduces each group of animals. Although just a bit heavy, this book could be your travel companion.

Greenberg, Idaz and Jerry. Guide to Corals and Fishes. Seahawk Press, 1986. Waterproof. In pictures and text, it catalogues and describes over 250 species of corals and fishes.

Hobson, Edmund S. Hawaiian Reef Animals. (Revised edition). University of Hawaii Press, 1990. Recommended for divers and snorkelers, this book serves as an accurate introduction to common reef fish and invertebrates of Hawaii. Some of these animals will be seen in the South Pacific as well. The text includes information on habitat, life history, and even Hawaiian legends for representative fish and invertebrate species.

Humann, Paul. DeLoach, Ned. Editor. The Reef Set. New World Publications, 3rd edition, 1996. This is the premier guide to the underwater world of the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida Coast. Containing excellent photographs and identifying characteristics, these 3 volumes are the bible for underwater travelers in these warm waters.

Humann, Paul. DeLoach, Ned. Editor. Snorkeling Guide to Marine Life: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas, New World Publications, Inc. 1995. Practical guide to identify fish, creatures, plants and coral.

Spalding, M.D., Ravilous C. and Green, E.P., 2001. World Atlas of Coral Reefs. Prepared at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Universitiy of California Press, Berkeley, USA. This book is one of the most recent and complete works on coral reef ecology and conservation. The book is divided in four major parts. Part 1 covers the biology of corals and marine life associated with coral reefs, threats to reefs and methods used to describe coral reef health and density. The other three parts give a detailed description of reefs in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean, complete with maps, aerial pictures and statistics for each destination. Over 400 pages and illustrated with hundreds of images, this impressive volume should be in every marine biologists library.

Steen, Roger. Coral Seas. Firefly Books, 1998. A unique compilation of many years of observations by this seasoned underwater photographer. Especially the photos of well camouflaged creatures can help fine tune your own powers of observation.
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