The Living Dock

Sometimes, a dock isn't just a dock. It's a habitat, a living thing. In the tiny fishing community of Panacea, Florida, the author's floating dock nurtures an abundance of marine life. Crabs, worms, mollusks and algae make their home there, attracting and feeding fish and other creatures higher up the food chain. These also feed the author's business, Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, which supplies specimens to research and teaching institutions: marine fauna from his dock, from nearby mud flats and beaches, and netted offshore from his little shrimp boat, "Penaeus." This entertaining and educational book looks at the life histories of some of these creatures, and recounts Rudloe's experiences in collecting them, in the process examining man's relationship with the natural world.

Jack Rudloe is the founder of Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, a unique non-profit environmental education institute and marine biological supply that collects and ships all manner of sea creatures to aquariums and research centers nationwide. His articles have appeared in National Geographic, Audubon, Sports Illustrated, Reader's Digest and many other major magazines. He is the author of six highly acclaimed marine naturalism books and one novel, "Potluck."