Corals of Hawaii - Second Edition Book

This is the second edition of Corals of Hawai'i by Douglas Fenner.

Hawai'i's corals represent a dazzling array of colors and species and are home to a unique and wonderous underwater ecosystem.  Presenting eighty-seven hard coral species and twenty-four of their relatives, Corals of Hawai'i is a comprehensive guide to virtually all currently known species of Hawaiian corals.  From reef-building corals, such as hard or stony corals, to black corals and soft corals, each is illustrated in glowing color, some for the first time.  This field guidebook was designed with the novice and the scientist in mind with several aids to discover and learn how to identify the many species.

This second edition presents additional species not presented in the first edition and has major new sections providing much more information.  There are new sections for identifying coral diseases and explaining the formations and variations of Hawaiian reefs.  The largest addition is a new section called "Introduction to Coral Reef Ecology" which provides information about coral reefs and their formation, coral biology, and coral reef ecology.  This section is essentially a coral reef textbook and introduces the reader to many fascinating aspects of coral reefs, both in Hawai'i and worldwide.  It introduces the reader to the many different groups of organisms on coral reefs, from algae to invertebrates to fish.  The many different organisms on coral reefs live together in many different ways which are discussed here.

In some parts of the world, coral reefs have declined sharply, but not in other parts, and some reefs have recovered from major damage and others not.  The current state of the world's reefs is reviewed along with the natural events and many things humans do that damage reefs.  Some major disturbances on reefs include hurricanes, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, mass coral bleaching, coral diseases, overfishing, sedimentation, and nutrient runoff-all of which are reviewed along with more minor threats.  And finally, the ultimate causes of reef decline are presented: overpopulation, overconsumption, and the effects of technological advances.  We CAN save coral reefs, but WILL we?