The Coral Finder is a new coral identification guide from the Coral Identification Capacity Building Program (CICBP). The CICBP wants to train everyone on how they can better recognize the key features of certain coral groups down to the genus level or better. Many of the old salts will scream bloody murder that you can’t reasonable identify a coral down to the species level without close microscopic examination, litmus test and radioisotopic fluoroscopy but the CICBP was formed to show us all how to do it with our own two eyeballs and keen attention to details. Surely we won’t be able to tell the difference between very closely related species of Acropora but at least this kind of guide will get us that much closer. Furthermore, the Coral Finder guide is closely tied into the identifications of Veron’s Corals of The World so that you may use the Coral FInder as a starting point for identification, and follow through with COTW once you get topside, or dry fragging hands. The waterproof Coral Finder only covers Indo-Pacific Coral species so far and the unspecified number of waterproof pages currently costs about $67 before shipping ftom the land down under. Hopefully one of our book-savy sponsors will import the guide soon so that we can see it on the shelf for ~$80 or so. Follow the break for sample images of this colorful guide. Thanks Tim!
