The book guides the exploring naturalist to water's edge destinations
throughout North America including Canada and Alaska.
Main sections of the book cover three ocean coastlines--Atlantic, Gulf
of Mexico, and Pacific; estuaries and wetlands; lakes, including the
Great Lakes; and rivers, from the great Mississippi and Columbia to
backyard streams. Identification guides and interesting information on
plants, animals, shells, and other curiosities to be found along each
water's edge accompany photographs and illustrations. Useful and
inviting sidebars enhance every page:
- Shore Science--Quick hits and fascinating facts of science along the
water's edge
- Stay Safe--Alerts about shoreline dangers and how to avoid or respond
to them
- Beachcomber's Guide--Illustrated key to objects found in each beach
and shoreline region
- Save the Shore--Notes on how humans can hurt--and help--shoreline
ecology
- Best Water's Edge--Throughout, "Dr. Beach" recommends the top beach or
shoreline destinations
The book is profusely illustrated with photographs, maps, and
explanatory diagrams. An introductory section provides a thorough
overview of the basic science of shorelines: How water interacts with
land to form beaches; how various kinds of shorelines formed; why large
waves are needed to form beaches; how floods and fast-moving water
alters river shorelines; how the gravitational pull of the moon and sun
cause the tides; why the oceans have tides but the Great Lakes don't;
how tides affect rivers far inland; the effects of latitude and climate
on the formation of shorelines, including variations in plants and
animals. This opening sets up all the science necessary to understand
and use the rest of the book.
