Pacific Seaweeds: A Guide to Common Seaweeds of the West Coast (Updated and Expanded Edition)

This updated and expanded guide thoroughly documents every aspect of seaweed life, from species identification and seaweed biology to the essential--and often surprising--roles seaweed plays in the marine ecosystem and our everyday lives. Seaweeds are used in everything from cosmetics to sustainable biofuels, and some species, like kelp, contribute to the remediation of coastal ecosystems.

Featuring an attractive new full-colour design, the expanded Pacific Seaweeds includes updated species descriptions, dozens of additional colour photos, new species discovered since the original edition, and brand-new sections on common shore plants and the use of DNA techniques to discover, catalog and identify seaweeds. It also features several new recipes and an essay on umami--because in addition to all its other uses, some species of seaweed make delectable food.

Packed with illustrations, vivid colour photographs, comprehensive scientific information and further readings, this easy-to-use guidebook will appeal to marine biologists, amateur beachcombers, gourmet foragers and everyone in between.

Louis Druehl has been a professor of marine botany at Simon Fraser University for thirty years. He has also taught field-oriented seaweed courses at the Friday Harbor Marine Laboratories, the Bamfield Marine Station and the University of Alaska. His research focuses on all aspects of kelp, including its evolution, ecology and physiology. He is the president of Canadian Kelp Resources Ltd., a company that produces sea vegetables (Barkley Sound Kelp) and operates a kelp farm.

Bridgette Clarkston is a seaweed biologist, science educator and avid photographer with over nine years of teaching and outreach experience. She has worked with initiatives such as Let's Talk Science and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, as well as the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia. Clarkston also led a "Seaweeds of the West Coast" field course in Tofino, and has discovered several new species of red seaweed, including one she named Euthora timburtonii.

Review Quote:

"Pacific Seaweeds proves to be an enjoyable, informative guide for everything concerning seaweed, from cataloging new species to making sesame kelp crackers, a handy guide for seasoned marine biologists and amateur beachcombers alike."--Mark C. Anderson "Monterey County Herald"