Publications
ACRS publications
The Great Barrier Reef: Biology, Environment and Management
Winner of a 2009 Whitley Certificate of Commendation
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is 344 400 square kilometres in size and is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This comprehensive guide describes the organisms and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the biological, chemical and physical processes that influence them. Contemporary pressing issues such as climate change, coral bleaching, coral disease and the challenges of coral reef fisheries are also discussed.
In addition, the book includes a field guide that will help people to identify the common animals and plants on the reef, then to delve into the book to learn more about the roles the biota play.
Beautifully illustrated and with contributions from 33 international experts, The Great Barrier Reef is a must-read for the interested reef tourist, student, researcher and environmental manager. While it has an Australian focus, it can equally be used as a baseline text for most Indo-Pacific coral reefs.
Supplementary references
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Blue Highway
The "Blue Highway" graphic is available free of charge to non-profit organisations and by arrangement to media or "for-profit" groups (click here for a low resolution image). Apply to the ACRS President for permission and fee structure. A high resolution version (16 MB TIF) will be supplied.
Publications supported by ACRS
Indo Pacific Coral Finder
Get your copy of the ACRS supported Indo Pacific Coral Finder - the world's first underwater guide to coral identification and intended for use by divers, students, scientists and resource managers.
Other relevant publications
Coral Reefs and Climate Change
CoralWatch has published “Coral Reefs and Climate Change: The guide for education and awareness”. This book explains the effects of climate change by using coral reefs as an example. Its aim is to inform, educate and enable people to begin to question the future that we are creating right now. It combines some of the latest scientific research with informative imagery to cover topics such as oceanography, coral reef biology, the issues of climate change and suggestions for ways forward. The book is not aimed at scientists but at educators, students, reef enthusiasts, professionals and interested people.
Our Dying Planet: An Ecologist's View of the Crisis We Face
Author: Peter F. Sale
Coral reefs are on track to become the first ecosystem actually eliminated from the planet. So says leading ecologist Peter F. Sale in this crash course on the state of the planet today. Sale draws from his own extensive work on coral reefs, and from recent research by other ecologists, to explore the many ways we are changing the earth and to explain why it matters. Weaving his own firsthand field experiences around the world into the narrative, Sale brings ecology alive while giving a solid understanding of the science at work behind today’s pressing environmental issues. He delves into topics including overfishing, deforestation, biodiversity loss, use of fossil fuels, population growth, and climate change while discussing the real consequences of our growing ecological footprint. Most importantly, this passionately written book emphasizes that a gloom and doom scenario is not inevitable, and as Sale explores alternative paths, he considers the ways in which science can help us realize a better future.
