Neville Coleman

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Neville Coleman OAM (1938 - 4 May 2012) was an Australian naturalist, underwater nature photographer, writer, publisher and educator.

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Coleman started scuba diving in 1963, exploring Sydney Harbour. Later he joined a scientific study group and, in 1969, commenced a project aiming to document the entire marine life of Australia, using underwater photography.

His first book, Australian marine fishes in colour, was published in 1974 and he subsequently authored more than 50 books. His books included various texts for scuba divers, shell collectors, amateur naturalists and children, and typically took the forms of field guides, encyclopedias and dive guides. Departures included a collaboration with a poet and CD-ROM companions to printed publications, which included video clips of marine species. His photographs often appeared in publications by other authors on marine subjects.

In 2007 Coleman was inducted to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame and, in 2011, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "service to conservation and the environment through the photographic documentation of Australian marine species". [1] [2] Coleman died of natural causes at 4:55 am on 4 May 2012, in his sleep. [2]

Taxon named in his honor

Coleman discovered many marine creatures new to science. Several species of fish, nudibranchs and other invertebrates have been named after him, including:

Legacy

Neville Coleman Memorial Dives are held annually, [4] with special events including a sea slug photo competition and public art exhibition held in South Australia.

Bibliography

Selected works
TitleCo-authorYearPublisherLocationISBNReference
Australian marine fishes in colour1974ReedSydney ISBN   0589071416
Shell collecting in Australia1976ReedSydney ISBN   0589071955 [5]
A field guide to Australian marine life1977RigbyAdelaide ISBN   0727005200 [6]
A look at the wildlife of the Great Barrier Reef1978Bay BooksRushcutters Bay, NSW ISBN   085835201X [7]
Scuba divers introduction to marine biology1978Australasian Marine Photographic Index [8]
The Australian beachcomber1979 Collins ISBN   0002164248
Australian sea fishes south of 30s1980 Doubleday Sydney ISBN   0868240184
Australian sea fishes north of 30 S1981 Doubleday Sydney ISBN   0868240338
Fishes of Victoria1981 Doubleday Sydney ISBN   0868240397
The young observer's book of Australian seashells1982Methuen AustraliaSydney ISBN   0454002998 [9]
Harmful fishes of Australia1982 Doubleday Sydney ISBN   0868240400
Nudibranchs of AustralasiaRichard C. Willan1984Australasian Marine Photographic IndexNSW ISBN   094937301X [10]
Poetry in pictures: The Great Barrier Reef Mark O'Connor 1985Hale & IremongerSydney ISBN   0868062073 [11]
The underwater Australia dive guide1987NelsonMelbourne ISBN   0170069192 [12]
Australia's Great Barrier Reef1990Child & AssociatesNSW ISBN   086777343X , 0867773677 [13]
Encyclopedia of marine animals1991BlandfordLondon ISBN   0713722894
Australia's sharks & rays1992 Weldon Publishing Sydney ISBN   1863022627
Discover underwater Australia1994National Book Distributors and PublishersNSW ISBN   1864360070 [14]
Sea stars of Australasia and their relatives1994Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, Queensland ISBN   0947325212 [15]
The dive sites of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Comprehensive coverage of diving and snorkelling1996New Holland (Publishers) Ltd.London, Cape Town, Sydney, Singapore
Marine life of the Maldives2000AtollApollo Bay, Victoria ISBN   1876410361
Underwater naturalist2004Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, Queensland ISBN   0947325298 [16]
Fiji Islands: wildlife guide2005Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, Queensland ISBN   9780947325466
Nudibranchs encyclopedia2008Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, Queensland ISBN   9780947325411
Nudibranchs encyclopedia - 2nd edition2015underwater.com.au and Masalai PressAustralia, USA

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Spearfishing is a method of fishing that involves impaling the fish with a straight pointed object such as a spear, gig or harpoon. It has been deployed in artisanal fishing throughout the world for millennia. Early civilisations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks.

Nudibranch Order of gastropods

Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to match, such as "clown", "marigold", "splendid", "dancer", "dragon", or "sea rabbit". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.

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<i>Melibe colemani</i> Species of sea slug

Melibe colemani, also known as the Coleman's melibe, ghost nudi, or ghost melibe, is a species of nudibranch in the family Tethydidae. Discovered by Neville Coleman in 2008 off the coast of the island of Mabul in Malaysia, it was formally described by Marta Pola and Terrence Gosliner in 2012 and named in honour of its discoverer. It is found throughout the Coral Triangle region of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

References

  1. "Coleman, Neville Albert". Awards and Culture Branch Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, The Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Neville Coleman OAM Peacefully Passes Away -Underwater Photography Loses A Legend". Divephotoguide.com. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  3. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order Uranoscopiformes: Pinguipedidae, Cheimarrichthyidae, Ammodytidae and Uranoscopidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. Baker, Janine. "The Neville Coleman Memorial Nudibranch Dive. Summary of Results from Community Dive Events in South Australia in 2015 and 2016".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Coleman, Neville (1976). Shell collecting in Australia. Terry Hills, N.S.W. : Reed. ISBN   978-0-589-07195-0.
  6. Coleman, Neville; Programs, United States Office of Pesticide (1977). A field guide to Australian marine life. Adelaide : Rigby. ISBN   978-0-7270-0520-5.
  7. Coleman, Neville (1978). A look at wildlife of the Great Barrier Reef. Rushcutters Bay, N.S.W. : Bay Books. ISBN   978-0-85835-201-8.
  8. Coleman, Neville (1978). Scuba divers introduction to marine biology. [Caringbah, N.S.W. : Australasian Marine Photographic Index.
  9. Coleman, Neville; Coleman, Neville (1982). The young observer's book of Australian seashells. Sydney : Methuen Australia. ISBN   978-0-454-00299-7.
  10. Willan, R. C.; Coleman, Neville; Index, Australian Marine Photographic (1984). Nudibranchs of Australasia. Caringbah, N.S.W. : N. Coleman. ISBN   978-0-949373-00-7.
  11. O'Connor, Mark; Coleman, photographer.), Neville (1985). Poetry in pictures : the Great Barrier Reef. Sydney : Hale & Iremonger. ISBN   978-0-86806-207-5.
  12. Coleman, Neville (1987). The underwater Australia dive guide. Melbourne : Nelson. ISBN   978-0-17-006919-9.
  13. Coleman, Neville (1990). Australia's Great Barrier Reef (1st ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W. : Child & Associates. ISBN   978-0-86777-367-5.
  14. Coleman, Neville (1994). Discover underwater Australia (1st ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W. : National Book Distributors and Publishers. ISBN   978-1-86436-007-3.
  15. Coleman, Neville; Coleman, Neville (1994). Sea stars of Australasia & their relatives. Springwood, Qld. : Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic. ISBN   978-0-947325-21-3.
  16. Coleman, Neville (2004). Underwater naturalist (New ed.). Springwood, Qld. : Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic Pty Ltd. ISBN   978-0-947325-29-9.