Splendors of the Seas: The Photographs of Norbert Wu
Primarily a collection of strikingly beautiful photographs of marine plants and animals that inhabit the world's oceans, this volume also includes text describing the author's diving adventures, background information on the subjects of the photos, and technical information on photographic equipment. Wu, a professional underwater photographer and diver who has done graduate work in marine biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, views the ocean as the last true wilderness. He has arranged the photos by habitat: open ocean, coral reef, sand community, kelp forest, and deep sea. Boyce Thorne-Miller's Ocean: Photographs from the World's Greatest Underwater Photographers (LJ 12/93) is similar in format but has more substantial text than Wu's volume. However, Wu's photos of pink jewel anemones, a school of amethyst anthias, and strawberry anemones are dazzling accomplishments. While not an essential purchase, this volume would be of great interest to many recreational divers, photographers, and young people contemplating a career in marine biology.Judith B. Barnett, Pell Marine Science Lib., Univ. of Rhode Island, KingstonCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.