A beautifully illustrated exploration of the habitats, communities and species hidden just below the British seashore.

The shoreline around the British Isles provides tantalising, twice-daily glimpses of the wonders in our seas, but reveals very little of the lives of the dazzlingly colourful fish, exotic-looking corals and thousands more creatures that are just out of sight. Marine biologists and lifelong divers Frances Dipper and Paul Naylor draw on their personal stories to build a vivid picture of the ocean on our doorstep - what lives there, why it's important and what's happening to it.

Coastal Seas provides a window into the immensely varied and picturesque habitats beneath the waves, from kelp forests and reefs to seagrass meadows and the open water, as well as the fascinating behaviour and intricate relationships of the fish, cephalopods, invertebrates and other residents within them. The book explores the unique opportunities and challenges that come with living underwater (How do you stay afloat without being swept away? How do you find food and a mate if rooted to the spot?) and reflects on the state of our seas, and what we must do to conserve them.

Illustrated with around 300 colour photographs, this latest addition to the British Wildlife Collection is a vibrant celebration of the richness and importance of our marine life.

Frances Dipper is a marine biologist and author and has been diving and studying marine wildlife in Britain for nearly 50 years. She writes books on marine life and ocean environments for both adults and children.

Paul Naylor has been fascinated by Britain's undersea world since his first adventures snorkelling on the Norfolk coast as a teenager. This led him to a career in marine biology and environmental protection, with a lifelong love for diving and underwater photography.