Twenty-three separate papers, each describing a single species.

Here, entirely updated, is the latest edition of the most complete, authoritative cruising guide to the northeastern coast.

The North Atlantic coast of North America—commonly known as the Atlantic Coast—extends from Newfoundland and Labrador through the Maritime Provinces and the Northeastern United States south to Cape Hatteras. This North Atlantic region belongs to the sea. The maritime influence on climate, flora, and fauna is dominant — even far inland. Both on land and at sea, this region is where north meets south, where the great northern boreal forests intermingle with the southern coniferous-hardwood forests, and where the icy Labrador Current and the tropical Gulf Stream vie for supremacy and eventually mix. The Atlantic Coast draws upon the best and most up-to-date science on the ecology of the region as well as the author’s lifetime experience as a resident, biologist, and naturalist. The book explores the geological origins of the region, the two major forest realms, and the main freshwater and marine ecosystems, and describes the flora and fauna that characterize each habitat. It ends with a look at what has been lost and how the remaining natural heritage of the region might be conserved for the future.

The field guide is designed to assist the layman in identifying the whales, dolphins, and porpoises he sees in the eastern North Pacific, including all the area north of the equator and east of 180 degrees W longitude. The animals described are grouped not by scientific relationships but by simularities in appearance in the field. Photographs of the animals in their natural environment are the main aids to identification. (Author).