Book Review by Joseph K. Gaydos, VMD, PhD
Wildlife Veterinarian and Science Director, the SeaDoc Society
Co-author of The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest and Explore the Salish Sea
jkgaydos@ucdavis.edu
Ryan P. Kelly, Terrie Klinger and John J. Meyer are marine biologists. The real deal. They’ve spent most of their lives exploring and studying beaches and oceans. But their recent book, Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon, isn’t for pointy headed marine ecologists who study the minute details of riotous complexity of life that graces the coastline in this region. While scientifically on-point and detailed enough for a young marine biology student studying intertidal ecology, this book is really aimed at the average Joe. The non-expert. The newcomer or the dad or mom that want to explore the “why” with their kids as they journey to the ocean. This book won’t tell you the names of the thousands of plants and animals you’ll find at the shoreline. It’s bigger than that. This book will help you be a shoreline detective and increase your happiness index while at the beach.
Like going to a party, learning the names of new people is not that exciting. Learning who they are, and where they come from, and what they do, and what is their favorite ocean animal - understanding who they are - is the real joy of meeting new friends. Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon will help you appreciate the real joy of going to the beach – the act of exploring and understanding.
Punctuated with maps and beautiful photographs of seascapes and stunning close-up images of creatures you will find at the beach, the book is broken down into early chapters about geology, waves, tides, climate, and basic marine ecology, followed by place-specific chapters that detail locally common species and specific beaches that dot the broad length of shoreline covered by this book. The tone is light, it’s fun to read, and it’ll make you want to climb out of your cozy reading chair and start exploring the beach.
Coming from a person that has spent their career working in marine conservation, it warms my heart that this book will not only help you better understand and appreciate the beautiful coastal ecosystems of Oregon and Washington; it will also inspire you to help protect and preserve these magical places.