cover image Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation

Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation

James R. Spotila. Johns Hopkins University Press, $28.95 (227pp) ISBN 978-0-8018-8007-0

With its conversational writing style and exciting first-hand stories about researching giant sea turtles on rain-soaked tropical beaches, this beautiful illustrated reference should appeal to both students of marine biology and those with a causal interest in the sciences. Each of the seven kinds of sea turtle--from the 80-pound Kemp's Ridleys to the 2000-pound Leatherback--receives its own chapter, and sidebars highlight the contributions of individual scientists. Other chapters are devoted to the sea turtle's biology, history, life cycle and conservation. Photos range from magnificent underwater tableaus and stunning close-ups of cute, inquisitive young hatchlings to stark but accurate reflections of the dangerous world these underwater reptiles inhabit. Spotila, a professor of environmental science at Drexel University and founder of the International Sea Turtle Society, makes useful connections throughout to help readers better understand the sea turtle's biology, contrasting them with humans, dinosaurs and other animals (""Green turtles literally fly through the water using their front flippers to provide both lift and thrust just like the wing of a bird""). But the book's primary emphasis is on conservation. As Spotila writes, ""these beautiful swimmers have survived for 110 million years and yet are threatened with extinction after only a few centuries of exposure to humans."" Informative and entertaining, this guide will raise readers' awareness of the plight of these extraordinary animals and may even motivate some to take part in Spotila's conservation efforts.