1st Edition
Mollusks and Marine Environments of the Ten Thousand Islands
Mollusks and Marine Environments of the Ten Thousand Islands provides the first comprehensive overview of the shells and habitats that are present in the last unexplored coastal area of southwestern Florida. The mysterious and primordial Ten Thousand Islands, where the rivers and marshlands of the Everglades empty into the Gulf of Mexico, house a number of remarkable marine ecosystems, many shown here in detail for the first time. Primary among these are unique worm shell “reef systems,” composed entirely of immense masses of vermetid gastropod mollusks. These previously unexplored and unstudied gastropod reefs, which are often many acres in size, are shown here to mimic coral reefs in their growth structure and represent the only large-scale molluscan reefs found anywhere on Earth. Living in association with the zonated gastropod reefs are a number of rare and unusual mollusks, some of which represent endemic species that are unique to the Ten Thousand Islands. These and many other southwestern Florida shells are illustrated throughout this book, along with detailed illustrations and descriptions of the marine and estuarine environments that dominate the archipelago and its adjacent lagoon systems.
The Vermetoherms of the Ten Thousand Islands. The Ten Thousand Islands Sand and Mud Flats. The Ten Thousand Islands Sea Grass Beds. The Deep Channels and Offshore Areas. Systematic List of the Mollusks of the Ten Thousand Islands. References. Index. About the Authors. Appendix 1. Map of the Ten Thousand Islands; Northern Section. Appendix 2. Map of the Ten Thousand Islands; Southern Section (upper). Appendix 3. Map of the Ten Thousand Islands; Southern Section (lower)
Biography
Edward J. Petuch
There is nothing like this book, and there is a tremendous need for more documentation of the ecology of the Ten Thousand Islands, both for its own sake as part of the environmental record, but also due to looming effects of sea level rise. The entire region is extremely vulnerable to ecological change due to climate change and many of the areas, environments, and species Petuch and Berschauer document will likely be impacted in the next 20 years. The photographs are incredible, and provide a very useful reference for shell identification. This book will be an essential reference for a wide range of scholars and advocational malacologists, including archaeologists.
-- Traci Ardren, Professor of Anthropology and Interim Chair, University of Miami, USA
This book is written in the traditions and standards of the popular nature guides, and it exceeds these standards! It covers everything from mollusks to birds and raccoons, so should be of interest not only to biologists, ecologists, and shell collectors, but also to the general public. It describes everything well without being overwhelmingly technical, appealing to many readers, of all ages, interested in nature and coastal environments. The large number of color photographs and plates provide a great visual guide to the contents of the book, and the iconography parts will be very useful for identification of mollusks.
-- Anton Oleinik, Department of Geosciences, Florida Atlantic University
I am a social scientist, and I rely on books such as these for the broader context of the questions that I explore regarding the nature of human use of these aquatic environments and the species that dwell within them. Oftentimes, relevant species and habitat specific information is difficult to find and oftentimes it is out of date. Therefore, having a resource such as this is invaluable to someone like me, as well as being a key source for those in the life sciences!
-- Victor D. Thompson, Professor & Director, University of Georgia, USA
