VIII
Preface
for the outstandingly fascinating phenomenon ofthe invasion ofthe Mediterranean
sea by the tropical Red Sea fauna and flora.
This is a book for marine biologists. It is limited to the topic of Lessepsian
migration itself, without attempting either to discuss the Suez Canal as an aquatic
environment or to analyze the dynamic changes which have occurred in the Levant
Basin of the Mediterranean. This would have been an impossible task, since the
subject is still badly in need of advanced interdisciplinary methods of study, and is
far beyond the scope of a one-man enterprise.
This study is the fruit ofmy involvement with this subject over many years.1t is
an effort to explain and forecast and is the expression of a humanistic approach in
which geological and human history interweave with basic biogeography and a
modern environmentalist approach.
Many of the shortcomings of my single-handed efforts have been overcome
thanks to the help of my colleagues. I am especia1ly grateful for the critical reading,
typing, and checking ofMiss I. Ferber; for the opportunity given to me by the late
Professor H. Steinitz and by Dr. W. Aron to extract the quintessence of seven years
of research effort made by the team of the Hebrew University-Smithsonian Institution Joint Program, Biota of the Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean; for the
many pieces of information and advice amicably shared with me by, among others,
Professor Al. Barash, Dr. R. H. Benson, Professor A. Ben-Tuvia, Professor B. Kimor,
Dr. Y. Lipkin, Mr. O. H. Oren and Dr. I. Paperna; and fina1ly, for the manifold
cooperation of scores of students and assistants who, by the very process of their
learning, taught me too. Support from the Israel Academy of Sciences and
Humanities is gratefully acknowledged.
It is hoped that this book, a summary of the current thinking on this unique
migrational process, will serve as a stepping stone for further research.
Jerusalem, July 1978
F.D.POR
Preface
for the outstandingly fascinating phenomenon ofthe invasion ofthe Mediterranean
sea by the tropical Red Sea fauna and flora.
This is a book for marine biologists. It is limited to the topic of Lessepsian
migration itself, without attempting either to discuss the Suez Canal as an aquatic
environment or to analyze the dynamic changes which have occurred in the Levant
Basin of the Mediterranean. This would have been an impossible task, since the
subject is still badly in need of advanced interdisciplinary methods of study, and is
far beyond the scope of a one-man enterprise.
This study is the fruit ofmy involvement with this subject over many years.1t is
an effort to explain and forecast and is the expression of a humanistic approach in
which geological and human history interweave with basic biogeography and a
modern environmentalist approach.
Many of the shortcomings of my single-handed efforts have been overcome
thanks to the help of my colleagues. I am especia1ly grateful for the critical reading,
typing, and checking ofMiss I. Ferber; for the opportunity given to me by the late
Professor H. Steinitz and by Dr. W. Aron to extract the quintessence of seven years
of research effort made by the team of the Hebrew University-Smithsonian Institution Joint Program, Biota of the Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean; for the
many pieces of information and advice amicably shared with me by, among others,
Professor Al. Barash, Dr. R. H. Benson, Professor A. Ben-Tuvia, Professor B. Kimor,
Dr. Y. Lipkin, Mr. O. H. Oren and Dr. I. Paperna; and fina1ly, for the manifold
cooperation of scores of students and assistants who, by the very process of their
learning, taught me too. Support from the Israel Academy of Sciences and
Humanities is gratefully acknowledged.
It is hoped that this book, a summary of the current thinking on this unique
migrational process, will serve as a stepping stone for further research.
Jerusalem, July 1978
F.D.POR