Dr. Alan (Al) Trujillo began teaching at Palomar College in San Marcos, California in 1990. In 1997, Trujillo was awarded Palomar’s Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2005 he received Palomar’s Faculty Research Award. Alan is the driving force behind this ebook. Authored around the legacy of Hal Thurman, Al has brought this title back to life. Al knows these students and has mastered the skill of engaging them. This ebook is a direct reflection of his ability to create a narrative around the subject matter. He is also a contributing author for Earth and Earth Science of the Tarbuck/Lutgens franchise. In addition to writing and teaching, Al works as a naturalist and lecturer aboard natural history expedition vessels in Alaska and the Sea of Cortez/Baja California. His research interests include beach processes, sea cliff erosion, and computer applications in Oceanography.