Summary: Readers are taken on a voyage into the darkest realms of the ocean in this visual and scientific tour that reveals nature's oddest and most mesmerizing creatures in crystalline detail, in a study that brings together two hundred full-color images with information on the latest scientific discoveries. - (Baker & Taylor)
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Before the recent development of submersibles capable of exploring the ocean more than six miles down, oceanographers gleaned most of what they knew about the denizens of the deep from dead fish in trawler nets. One such creature first captured in 1901, the "vampire squid from hell," turned out to be a living fossil whose origins date back more than 200 million years. Now known to be quite benign, so are most of the creatures depicted in this stunning collection of more than 160 color photosâ€"even the Pacific viperfish, with fangs so long it can't close its mouth, and the spookfish, with its enormous telescopic eyes. Species from as far down as four and a half miles are depicted in exquisite detail; most are mere centimeters long, though the giant squid, a timid creature despite its size, grows to almost 60 feet. Fifteen short, jargon-free essays assembled by editor and French journalist Nouvianâ€"who became enthralled with the deep after visiting the Monterey Bay Aquariumâ€"flesh out the fantastical images with scientific fact. They dismiss the myth of deep sea monsters and describe the amazing persistence of life around hydrothermal vents and methane flues; a thoughtful glossary adds to this impressive book's popular appeal. (Apr. 28)
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