For beach lovers, curious naturalists, water-sports enthusiasts, amateur fishermen, and all those who live and play near the water’s edge, this indispensable guide is the key to understanding North America’s life and earth-forms at the edge of oceans, lakes, rivers, and marshes - and the rich ecosystems that support them. Companion to the strong-selling National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky , National Geographic Field Guide to Trees , and National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America , this book opens the eyes of readers of every age to the flora, fauna, and ecosystems found at the water’s edge, whether ocean, lake, river, marsh, pond, or even the tiniest stream. With hundreds of photographs, diagrams and illustrations, detailed species accounts, rich anatomies of waterside landscapes, and habitat-by-habitat tips on how to uncover the most interesting phenomena of nature, National Geographic Field Guide to the Water’s Edge is an interactive education for the whole family.