Museum Scientist wins 2012 Whitley Book Award

A major illustrated book on the biology of squat lobsters has taken out this year’s Whitley award for best invertebrate natural history book, awarded by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW. The Museum’s Dr Shane Ahyong co-edited the book, which documents current thinking about one of the deep ocean’s better known groups of crustaceans.

"Squat lobsters play crucial roles in the food webs of many marine environments, from the sea floor to extreme habitats like methane seeps, hydrothermal vents and sea mounts," said Shane. Some squat lobster species are targeted commercially in Latin America but elsewhere are sought more for what they can reveal about the ocean depths.

With the publication of this masterwork, current knowledge about squat lobsters can be accessed through a single volume, from how they evolved to how they live today. It’s a beautifully produced, comprehensive account of a fascinating group of animals.

Read more about the book at www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6678.htm

(Text by Brendan Atkins)