Designed primarily as a student text, The British Seas is an introduction to the oceanography and resources of the region. It provides a review of the resources of the north-west European continental shelf together with a comprehensive description of the environment. Introducing the shelf region as if it were a new country, Jack Hardisty explores first its physical environment and then summarizes the distribution and exploitation of resources from that environment. Part 1 - on the oceanography - covers the shape of the shelf, its geological history and its wave and tidal regimes. It also deals with the distribution and movement of sand and gravels. Part 2 - on the resources - looks at trade and shipping, and the hydrocarbon, fishing and seabed mining industries. It goes on to discuss wave and tidal power, and to consider the problem of pollution in terms of resource utilization. The industrial technology and the environmental potential of each resource are examined, and the economic and legislative restrictions are analyzed. The text is especially useful in integrating the physical and economic characteristics of the region and in explaining why some resources are over-exploited while others appear to be under-utilized.