Alaska Sea Grant has released another great guidebook for identifying Alaskan wildlife. Their new text Field Guide to Common Marine Fishes and Invertebrates of Alaska provides readers with an excellent guide to identifying some 400 different species of marine wildlife.
A Guidebook Focused on Alaskan Marine Fishes and Invertebrates
Following the tradition of quality found in other Alaska Sea Grant field guides, this latest guidebook is printed with color photographs on waterproof paper. It is a book meant to taken outdoors and used. With its geographic range that extends from Southeast to the Aleutians to the Bering Sea, the field guide will benefit school students, wildlife enthusiasts and researchers alike. Research biologists Susan Byerdorfer and Leslie Watson of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Kodiak have put together a guide that reflects their professional knowledge of this topic.
Doug Woodby, Chief Fisheries Scientist of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game says, "This valuable field guide offers a wealth of photographs and concise text to assist in the identification of many of the species of fish and invertebrates likely to be encountered in waters off Alaska. It will prove to be a treasured source to marine scientists, fishery observers, teachers, and anyone interested in the fabulous diversity of marine life found in our waters."
Using the Marine Fish and Invertebrate Guide
Byerdorfer and Watson provide the reader with a stepwise matrix in the introduction of the book that will help an observer identify a marine animal:
- Consult the picture index first to group the animal
- Using the page number provided by the index, turn to the referenced page and look for a photograph that matches the animal being observed
- Read the descriptive text that corresponds to the photo and verify that they match If the animal does not match the photo and written description, re-examine the animal again and try the matrix again
- If accurate identification isn’t possible, consider freezing and sending the animal to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for further review
Marine Species Identified by the Guide Book
The number and variety of marine fish and invertebrate species identified by the guide is surprising. Sharks, salmon, herring, rockfishes, sponges, corals, snails, clams, crabs, and sea stars comprise just a few of the animal groups described in the text. Just the index of common and scientific names fills nine pages of the guide. There are also a glossary of terms and a phylogenic species index found in the appendixes.
Field Guide to Common Marine Fishes and Invertebrates of Alaska (ISBN: 978-1-56612-149-1) is a 360 paperback that is available from the Alaska Sea Grant Program for $35. The Alaska Sea Grant Bookstore has this book, along with many other exceptional books, available for sale online.
Alan Sorum - Alan Sorum is the Maritime Operations Project Manager for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC). Alan is ...
