The first book devoted entirely to marine science and the first oceanographic study of a single region. Marsigli conducted an intensive investigation of the Gulf of Lyon in the south of France, taking soundings to obtain a profile of the sea floor, analyzing the relationship of the lands under and above water, studying the water's physical properties (temperature, density, color) and its motions (waves, curents tides), and describing the marine life of the region. He was the first to class corals as living beings rather than as inorganic mineral formations. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

Marsigli published the essence of his marine biology observations in Brieve ristretto de saggio fisico interno alla storia del mare. Venice: Andrea Poletti, 1711. Digital facsimile of the 1711 work from Google Books at this link.

An extensive illustrated work, with 283 copperplate engravings, on the natural history of the Danube river, the longest river in central Europe, which runs from southern Germany into Austria, through Slovakia, Hungary, along Croatia, through Serbia and Romania, and along Bulgaria, towards the Black Sea, flowing through Regensburg, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and numerous other cities. 

Volumes 4-6 describe the animals living in the river and about its course, a description of the fish, birds and their nests, the quadrupeds roaming the banks, etc. The volumes are devoted to cartography, astronomy and hydrography (Volume 1),  archaeology and history of the settlements, towns, roads and bridges (Vol. 2); mineralogy (Vol. 3); fish (Vol. 4), which includes one plate with shells, and two with turtles; avifauna (Vol. 5); and several other subjects, including meteorological and climatological observations, notes on the river's velocity, the insects occurring in and near the river, etc., (Vol. 6). They are titled as follows: Tomus I, in tres partes digestus : geographicum, astronomicum, hydrographicum; Tomus II. De Antiquitatibus Romanorum ad ripas Danubii; Tomus. III. De Mineralibus circa Danubium effossis; Tomus IV. De Piscibus in aquis Danubii viventibus; Tomus V. De Avibus circa aquas Danubii vagantibus, et de ipsarum nidis.; Tomus VI. De Fontibus Danubii. Observationes anatomicae. De Aquis Danubii et Tibisci. Catalogus plantarum. Observationes habitae cum barometris et thermometris. De Insectis. Wood: “The part of ornithological plates with 74 drawings by the Italian artist Raimondo Manzini (1658-1730), including 59 birds, and 15 nests with eggs, the latter are considered the first illustrations of their kind in the history of ornithology” (DSB).