Coral Seas

In this magnificent book, the day-to-day life of the world's coral reefs is played out before our eyes in stunning color. Coral Seas is a glowing testimony to the skill and patience of underwater photographer, Roger Steene. Each of the 340 full-color photographs demonstrates Steene's ability to capture the beauty of the world's coral seas, from incredible close-up shots of tiny animals and plants, to dramatic wide-angle photographs that capture the essence of the underwater world. Twenty-five of the organisms featured in the book are new to science, and their photographs are published here for the first time.

Steene's work not only demonstrates his photographic skill, it illustrates his dedication to the world's coral reef environments. He likens these ecosystems to tropical rainforests but with more species of readily visible wildlife, and urges governments to take steps to preserve coral reefs without unnecessarily restricting public access to them. His love of the reefs becomes obvious through his images.

The result of five years of intensive work in oceans around the world, Coral Seas will appeal to anyone with an interest in the environment, marine science, or simply beautiful photography.

Roger Steene, having spent his life in Cairns, Queensland, has always had an affinity with the water and the Great Barrier Reef. Injured in a motorcycle accident in his teens, Steene began scuba diving because it afforded him the mobility he no longer had on land. He now dives at sites around the world for six months of the year. He concentrates on close-up photography, including macro and even super macro, and is the only underwater photographer who does microscopic work. Roger Steene is an Associate of the Australian Museum in Sydney and an Associate of the Western Australian Museum in Perth.