Neville Coleman OAM (1938 - 4 May 2012) was an Australian naturalist, underwater nature photographer, writer, publisher and educator.
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". Coleman died of natural causes at 4:55am on 4 May 2012, in his sleep.
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: The mantis shrimp Lysiosquilla colemani The nudibranch Chromodoris colemani The pygmy seahorse Hippocampus colemani Coleman's melibe or ghost melibe Melibe colemani The Sand perch Parapercis colemani
Legacy Neville Coleman Memorial Dives are held annually, with special events including a sea slug photo competition and public art exhibition held in South Australia.
Bibliography
+Selected worksTitleCo-authorYearPublisherLocationISBNReferenceAustralian marine fishes in colour1974ReedSydneyShell collecting in Australia1976ReedSydneyA field guide to Australian marine life1977RigbyAdelaideA look at the wildlife of the Great Barrier Reef1978Bay BooksRushcutters Bay, NSWScuba divers introduction to marine biology1978Australasian Marine Photographic IndexThe Australian beachcomber1979CollinsAustralian sea fishes south of 30s1980DoubledaySydneyAustralian sea fishes north of 30 S1981DoubledaySydneyFishes of Victoria1981DoubledaySydneyThe young observer's book of Australian seashells1982Methuen AustraliaSydneyHarmful fishes of Australia1982DoubledaySydneyNudibranchs of AustralasiaRichard C. Willan1984Australasian Marine Photographic IndexNSWPoetry in pictures: The Great Barrier ReefMark O'Connor1985Hale & IremongerSydneyThe underwater Australia dive guide1987NelsonMelbourneAustralia's Great Barrier Reef1990Child & AssociatesNSWEncyclopedia of marine animals1991BlandfordLondonAustralia's sharks & rays1992Weldon PublishingSydneyDiscover underwater Australia1994National Book Distributors and PublishersNSWSea stars of Australasia and their relatives1994Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, QueenslandThe dive sites of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Comprehensive coverage of diving and snorkelling1996New Holland (Publishers) Ltd.London, Cape Town, Sydney, SingaporeMarine life of the Maldives2000AtollApollo Bay, VictoriaUnderwater naturalist2004Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, QueenslandFiji Islands: wildlife guide2005Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, QueenslandNudibranchs encyclopedia2008Neville Coleman's Underwater GeographicSpringwood, QueenslandNudibranchs encyclopedia - 2nd edition2015underwater.com.au and Masalai PressAustralia, USA
References
External links Neville Coleman's website - no longer exists Books by Neville Coleman National Library of Australia Scuba Hall of Fame CSIRO Taxon Report Australian Museum