Stanley Farrugia Randon: Marine Biodiversity in the Mediterranean, self-published, 2010, 184 pp.
Stanley Farrugia Randon is a doctor by profession and a historian by inclination but a good percentage of his blood must be seawater.
This book is a direct plea for us to respect and strive for marine biodiversity- Louis Scerri
His unbounded passion for the sea in all its aspects has already led to the publication of several highly informative books in both English and Maltese, such as The Fishing Industry of Malta: Past, Present and Future, Is-Sajda t-Tajba, Il-Ħut ta’ Malta, Is-Sajda it-Tajba, and Fishing in Malta.
This book, which takes a very colourful look at the marine diversity of the Mediterranean, follows in the footsteps of two other similar publications, which Farrugia Randon had co-authored with Robert Micallef and which were entitled Popular Fish in the Mediterranean Sea and Other Fish in the Mediterranean Sea respectively.
This book, in which Farrugia Randon has found the help of marine biologist Alan Deidun, is a timely one since the year 2010 had been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Biodiversity in view of the great threats biodiversity is facing in the modern world.
Although some of us may be conscious of this problem as faced by terrestrial species, very few are indeed conscious of the rich colourful and varied life that lies beneath the waves and the enormous threat it is facing from pollution, exploitation, and the threats of introduced alien species. The fact that all this is happening beyond our ken makes most of us oblivious to it all.
And yet this book is a direct plea for us to respect and strive for marine biodiversity. This is done through the various species described and the lovely colourful photographs that accompany the concise text.
Even its presentation in a handy size with spring binding makes it ideal for constant use, as no doubt many students and interested people will be dipping into it very often.
The concise text is scientifically exact but written in clear language that laymen will understand and appreciate. The book gives an overview of flagship species from each group that can be encountered in local waters (perhaps Marine Diversity in the Maltese Islands would have been a more precise title).
The book presents, in alphabetical order, organisms found in local waters that are not fish as the latter had been dealt with in the other complementary volumes.
Thus the author presents algae, bryzoa, cnidaria, crustaceans, ctenophora, echinoderms, mammals, molluscs, neptune and lesser neptune grass, reptiles, sponges, tunicates, and worms. In most cases, in addition to the scientific name, the Maltese and English names are also given.
The biodiversity of Mediterranean is experiencing rapid changes, especially due to invasive species which enter through the Straits of Gibraltar and, in the last century and a half, the Suez Canal.
Of the 30,000 or so documented species in European waters, about three per cent are classified as alien, about 800 in number.
The International Maritime Oragnisation has recognised the alien species problem as one of the four greatest threats to the oceans of the world. Hardly a year goes by without some new species being recorded in local waters.
In the brief details included, Farrugia Randon often manages to include interesting details such as the fact that the Peacock’s Tail alga can be used as a treatment for osteoporosis and a unit for its industrial production was set up in Malta.
Other details are that Asparagopsis armata is eaten in some countries after being salted and cooked; that Anemonia sulcata (the dreaded artikla on the shore that sting many an unaware swimmer) used to be fried as a delicacy; that the ‘male sea urchin’ can actually be also female, while the ‘female sea urchin’ may also be male.
People with a keen eye might spot a Pinctada radiata, or a Pearl Oyster, and strike it rich! Meanwhile, knowing what a Busuf, or Bearded Fire Worm, looks like may help many to avoid an unpleasant experience.
Farrugia Randon not only wrote the text but also took the majority of the photographs from around St Paul’s Islands. Most of the organisms featured are quite easy to meet while snorkelling as they can be encountered just a few metres below the surface.