A Life Underwater by Charlie Veron

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Wear to book corners and edges. Previous owner has signed inside page.

A Life Underwater is the extraordinary memoir of marine biologist Charlie Veron, a maverick Australian who transformed our understanding of coral reefs.

Hailed by David Attenborough, proclaimed a second Charles Darwin, John 'Charlie' Veron almost didn't become a scientist. Disheartened at school, by chance, he won a scholarship to a university where he could indulge his passion for the natural world. Scuba diving returned him to his childhood love of marine life and led to a career as a self-taught coral specialist, a field he revolutionised.

His discoveries include an original concept of a species and the mechanism that drives evolution—matters that lie at the heart of conservation. He has named more coral species than anyone in history, becoming widely known as the Godfather of Coral. Charlie has dived most of the world's coral reefs, revelling in their beauty.

He explains what they say about our planet's past and future and why they must be protected. It's also critical that scholarly independence be safeguarded for Charlie's freedom as a young scientist - to be wayward and take risks - that allowed his astonishing breakthroughs. (back cover)