Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle beckon curious beachcombers with miles of wave-swept Gulf coastline. These beaches offer more than a sandy stroll amidst stunning scenery—they are alive! As ever-changing ribbons of sand, these beaches foster unique life-forms and accept beguiling castaways from a vast marine wilderness. Mysteries abound. What is this odd creature? Why does the beach look this way? How did this strange item get here?

Living Beaches of the Gulf Coast satisfies a beachcomber's curiosity within a comprehensive yet easily browsed guide. The guide is written in a familiar style and is illustrated with distribution maps and hundreds of color photos. Accounts include beach anatomy, coastal phenomena, and shoreline animals, plants, and geology. Hundreds of seashells are depicted as well as other interesting animals, flowers, historical structures, beach sands, and beach art. The authors suggest a variety of beach scavenger hunts and recommend hints for beachcombing success.

Blair and Dawn Witherington are professional naturalists and award-winning authors. Blair is a research scientist for the Inwater Research Group—a marine conservation nonprofit. He has baccalaureate and master’s degrees in biology from the University of Central Florida, and a doctorate in zoology from the University of Florida. He has contributed numerous scientific articles and books on sea turtle biology and the conservation of beaches. Dawn is a graphic design artist and scientific illustrator trained at the Art Institutes of Colorado and Ft. Lauderdale. Her art and designs are prominent in natural history books, educational posters, and museum exhibits. Blair and Dawn have merged their art, writing, photography, and design within varied projects, including Our Sea Turtles (Pineapple Press), which won Foreword Reviews 2015 Book of the Year gold medal for nature (Adult Nonfiction). Their other books include Florida’s Living Beaches, Living Beaches of Georgia and the Carolinas, Florida’s Seashells, and Seashells of Georgia and the Carolinas.