Charles Sheppard is professor emeritus of life sciences at the University of Warwick. His books include The Biology of Coral Reefs and Coral Reefs: A Very Short Introduction. Consultant editor Russell Kelley is the author of the Indo Pacific Coral Finder and the Reef Finder. He is program director of the Coral Identification Capacity Building Program, which provides training in coral identification around the world.

"What Charles Sheppard has achieved in this volume is nothing short of magic."---Gareth Dowle, Marine Biological Association --- "[Though] it is full of accurate facts, it is also simply interesting to read! Each page gives equal space to descriptive prose and beautiful photos, so the reader doesn’t get overwhelmed with either."---Karla S. Fuller, The American Biology Teacher --- "The beauty of this type of book is it can be dipped into at any stage because of the nature of the mini chapters. This book will obviously appeal to marine biologists and divers but as a general guide to coral reefs biology, flora and fauna and how the crucial impact of climate change will impact on them, then it will also appeal to all readers with an interest in general natural history. Highly recommended."---Roy Stewart, British Naturalists Association --- "This excellent book, by Charles Sheppard, a foremost author of academic, popular and educational books on coral reefs, reflects a lifetime studying and enjoying these ecosystems. . . . I recommend that, in addition, to getting your own copy, you give the book to budding (and experienced) marine biologists."---Mike Elliott, The Marine Biologist --- "The book covers the huge list of dangers that reefs face today and how people are working to protect them. It looks at artificial reef structures and the marine life that lives on them. There are chapters on reef fish and sharks and how the diverse species living on the reefs interact. . . . I will never look at a coral reef in the same way again and will marvel even more at their beauty and complexity."---Caroline Robertson-Brown, Scubaverse --- "

Stunningly beautiful . . . . I will never look at a coral reef in the same way again and will marvel
even more at their beauty and complexity.

"---Daria Blackwell, Flying Fish --- "In his gorgeous book, Life Sciences, professor Charles Sheppard celebrates the beauty of coral reefs and their dependants – ‘a wriggling tapestry of colour’ – while also warning of the threat to the reefs’ existence from ocean warming, pollution and soaring populations." --- "Charles Sheppard’s Coral Reefs: A Natural History not only explains what corals are and how they live, but reveals through exquisite photography the glories of the reef at all scales."---Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books