Darwin's monograph is a groundbreaking and elegantly constructed study of coral reefs and atolls, based upon his observations during the voyage of the Beagle. Darwin carefully explains and illustrates his theory that subsidence of the ocean floor can account for the formation of these remarkable natural features.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1851.

Darwin's monograph is a groundbreaking and elegantly constructed study of coral reefs and atolls, based upon his observations during the voyage of the Beagle. Darwin carefully explains and illustrates his theory that subsidence of the ocean floor can acco