Atlantic Coast Beaches: A Guide to Ripples, Dunes, and Other Natural Features of the Seashore

At first glance, the beach may appear to be an endless, flat, monotone landscape meant only for swimming, snoozing, or working on your tan. Upon closer inspection, though, the beach reveals myriad treasures for the curious to locate, such as ephemeral beach ripples decorating the sand, traces of miniature organisms inscribed on dunes, and armored mudballs. Atlantic Coast beaches from Maine to Florida are full of amazing features formed by the interactions between tides, currents, bedrock, weather, beach critters, and more.

Written for a general audience, this book covers everything from microscopic nematodes to the potentially cataclysmic changes occurring along the coastline due to rising sea level. Its clear writing, illustrative photographs, and instructive diagrams answer some interesting questions, such as why do some sands bark and sing, how do miniature sand volcanoes form, and how do barrier islands migrate?