"Rosaleen Love's portrait of Australia's Great Barrier Reef guides us through the tranquil but mysterious terrain of a lush underwater world. ". "Looking beyond the sensual magnificence, Love also tells a scientist's story, examining the ecological, biological, and geological significance of the unique habitat that is the Great Barrier Reef. We accompany her into the field to study the relics of Earth's basic evolutionary processes to understand more about our natural world. We learn, too, about today's most pressing threats to the reef. Coral bleaching, a phenomenon whose root causes may be linked to global warming and the cyclical infestations of crown-of-thorn starfish, who slowly but voraciously consume coral gardens, destroying the habitat that is home to sea and bird life, are chief among them. ". "Love weaves the economic and social history of the reef into her narrative. This approach provides a rich perspective on the region both as an ecosystem as well as a resource - telling a tale of commodities and industries, from fishing to mining. By recounting both stories, Reefscape provides a window on the reef's past while foreshadowing its future. "--BOOK JACKET.