The second edition of Michael Pilson’s classic textbook An Introduction to the Chemistry of the Sea is a welcome addition to introductory oceanography texts. This new edition, recently published by Cambridge University Press, updates advances in ocean biogeochemistry understanding and analytical techniques of the past 15 years, while keeping the beginner in mind and retaining the range of general topics presented in the first edition. It is an excellent textbook choice for introductory chemical oceanography courses, and it also provides a good resource for anyone else interested in the field. Pilson uses a direct conversational tone and integrates historical and personal notes throughout the text. The result is an informal and engaging narrative. This is one of the strengths of the textbook—making the information accessible while providing a sense of the history behind developments and practices in the chemical oceanography field.

Aguilar-Islas, A. 2014. Review of An Introduction to the Chemistry of the Sea, Second Edition, by M.E.Q. Pilson. Oceanography 27(1):247–248, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.31.

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