understanding of the intimate relationships between the 

 seemingly fragile components of the ecosystem: the 

 lagoon, the reefs, the islands and their biotas, all perched 

 on a volcanic and coral pinnacle in the vastness of the 

 Pacific Ocean. In the final analysis, however, the book will 



serve its purpose best if the reader comes away with more 

 questions than answers and a desire to find the answers to 

 these questions in future research on the natural history of 

 coral reefs and islands. 



