From sea to shining sea

Few books as slim as “The Atlas of Coasts & Oceans’’ (University of Chicago) present so much information so well. A modest amount of text by environmental writer Don Hinrichsen winds around colorful maps, charts, photographs, and other graphic elements that chronicle the degradation of the world’s seas. Among the sobering facts is this: About half of the world’s population lives along or within 124 miles of a coastline. In addition to surveying the bad news about pirates, pollution, and rising seas, this 128-page atlas offers a few bright spots, such as the potential for harnessing renewable energy from the ocean.