Next to collecting colourful pebbles, there are few more enjoyable ways to spend a relaxing afternoon than at the seashore collecting ornate seashells. But there is no need to fly away to some exotic tropical locale to begin the fun. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, you will find local beaches as rich in fascinating treasures as any place on earth--or at least you will once you have this handy eight-fold guide to show you where to look and how to identify what you find. Those whose interest in shellfish is mainly gastronomic will also find this waterproof guide an essential tool. The most common clams, oysters and mussels are well-known, but which are safe to eat? Is there any truth in the old saying about months with the letter "R" in them? How long should a harvester wait after a bout of red tide? How do you tell a Manila clam from a butter clam? Where does the fabled geoduck lurk? Is there any foolproof method for catching the elusive razor clam? And what about the multitude of other shell-dwellers that populate our beaches--do they all have names? "A Field Guide to Seashells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest" answers all these questions and more. Here for the first time is a pocket-sized, user-friendly guide to the most popular of all beach creatures, written and photographed by one of the region's most outstanding marine life experts.

This easy to follow, full-colour guide introduces the more than 250 species of mollusks found along the beaches and shallow waters of the Pacific Northwest.

The BC publishing event of the decade! 30,000 copies in print!

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Califorina's coasts each year and most explore the tide pools and the delightful, accurate illustrations lend distinctive character to this compact guide

"In The Oyster Companion renowned expert Patrick McMurray takes readers down the path to oyster expertise and injury-free enjoyment. Patrick knows oysters. For him it was love at first taste as a sixteen-year-old busboy in Toronto and he's never looked back, going so far that he launched three restaurants where oysters take pride of place, and he holds two Guinness World Records for oyster shucking -- 38 in a minute, and 8,800 in an hour in a team of 10. In fact, he designed a bestselling oyster knife, the pistol grip Paddyshucker. Rich in history and lore, The Oyster Companion weaves together anecdotes from the author's experience as a restaurateur and competitive shucker with practical information on everything from opening oysters with finesse to ordering hard-to-get bivalves online."--

Invertebrates exhibit a wide range of diversity in body plan, physiology, behaviour, adaptation and preferences for habitat and food. Their relationship with the environment is unique and multidimensional. This book is organized into two sections containing chapters on the frontier areas of research in ecophysiology and management-related problems of various invertebrates. Topics covered include hibernation physiology; the amelioration potential of drug and parasitic host response of molluscs; the genetics and biology of hydrocorals; and current trends of management, aquaculture, and harvesting of ecologically and economically important molluscs and sponges. This book is an enriched edition of invertebrate zoology and is a useful source of information for researchers and students in various disciplines. In recent years, a paradigm shift in research on invertebrates has occurred under the backdrop of climate change and environmental contamination. This important shift in the research is well reflected in this book.