This comprehensive three-volume set of books provides detailed information on corals from all parts of the world. Volume one includes introductory chapters that present the different types of coral reefs, information on coral structure, the geological history of corals and an overview of the taxonomy and distribution of corals. The rest of this volume and all of volume two include detailed species descriptions of corals arranged by taxonomic families. Various photos for each species are also included. Volume three contains the final species descriptions, as well as concluding chapters on the biogeography of corals, an examination of what exactly a species is and the evolutionary history of coral species. Includes keys to genera and species, an extensive list of references and a list of common names for several coral species. For all things coral, this is the book to turn to.