The book opens with a section on oceanography and marine biology which explains the complex and fascinating processes that created the oceans as we know them today. Part 1 covers the invertebrates. As they are a diverse group, typical regional invertebrate habitats are described to give an insight into the complex niches and relationships in which they exist. Part 2 covers the vertebrates. It opens with 48 plates illustrating the majority of species likely to be encountered on the oceans. In the fish plates, some species are illustrated for the first time. The seabirds, cetaceans, sea reptiles and sea mammals are also comprehensively illustrated. The plate section is followed by a systematic section on each group. The book should prove useful to the seafarer, and a valuable resource for anyone interested in the marine environment.

Marine life that may be familiar to Australians includes stingrays, sharks, Moray eels, box jellyfish, the blue-ringed octopus, the crown of thorns starfish and the Komodo dragon.