Introducing Caribbean Reef Life - a Field Guide for Divers

It's finally ready!

HOORAY! (It's about time.)

 It's been a long time coming,  but I'm happy to announce that the latest expanded edition of Caribbean Reef Life is finally complete and eBook versions are already available on the new website! Softcover copies are at the printers right now and should be available just in time for Christmas presents, I'll be keeping you posted about when to get them, hot off the press.
With a whole new book, new eBooks and a new website, I thought it would be a good time start to start a new Blog as well. Caribbean Reef Life's followers may have been wondering why I stopped posting my new underwater photos every day. I've been saving them up!

 There are almost 250 new species in this edition, which brings the total to over 1500 reef inhabitants, including color varieties, growth patterns and different life stages for many of the species. The new book is now  up to 416 pages including all of the different indexes.
 It has been a fantastic few years of diving since the last edition, and the reef has continued to surprise me with how much there is still left to discover! Many of the new finds in this edition are either deeper or shallower species (I'm learning to appreciate the lagoons and reef crests much more) or species from further afield than my home island of Roatan. Plus a few that I've been after for years! I've kept to the same popular layout but have added new ways to search the book and more cross-references for readers to navigate around and get the most out of using it after their dives.
 I've added many more sections on reef behavior and also new sections on some of the dangers Caribbean reefs are facing from increased pollution, rising sea temperatures, coral diseases, coral bleaching and overfishing. Unfortunately, any modern book on Caribbean reefs would be incomplete without this.

 There were plenty of suprises while checking the identifications: things seem to be changing so rapidly in marine taxonomy. For example all the species here are actually now just one, Cyphoma gibbosum, the common little snail we all call the Flamingo Tongue. (Geeks can read the paper here: "Coat of Many Colors...") Over two dozen experts in taxonomy helped with the ID's over the last few years, and for this edition I have included species from over a dozen guest photographers, giving the third edition a broader range and more usefulness throughout the greater Caribbean.

All the same species!

 Follow this Blog to learn more about the reef, or start a discussion in the Comments section. Every week I'll be posting about new finds, news about Caribbean reefs and reef health, photos and info on reef inhabitants, their relationships and behaviors and more. Feel free to suggest any future Blog topics you'd like to read about.
 Visit the rest of the website to preview Caribbean Reef Life or grab yourself one of the new eBooks, and don't forget to use the discount code Christmas2017 for 20% off.
ENJOY!
Mickey Charteris