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Ocean Life

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Aquagenesis: The Origin and Evolution of Life in the Sea
by Richard Ellis Details
Life on earth began in the sea, and Richard Ellis traces it from the first microbes and fish to jawless, finless creatures that evolved into the 26,000 species alive today including sharks, whales, penguins, dolphins--and humans. Along the way he raises fascinating post-Darwinian questions and answers others. How did life originate? How do animals change from one form into another? Why do some endure and others die out? Pinpointing, sometimes controversially, what the fossil record can and cannot teach us, Aquagenesis is a beautifully illustrated wonder.
Creatures of the Deep: In Search of the Sea's "Monsters" and the World They Live In
by Erich Hoyt Details
Weaving together details from the latest scientific research about sharks, giant squid, dragonfish and the huge tube worms, clams and tiny microbes of the deep-sea vents, Hoyt embarks on a magical journey to the bottom of the sea, which is inhabited not by vicious monsters but by diverse species of pale starfish and mud-eating sea cucumbers. Roaming across the abyssal plains and descending deep-sea trenches, he presents as much about the character and charisma of these and other so-called monsters as about the extraordinary world in which they live. The deep sea is not one place but many, and the animals living in each of these marine habitats have developed fascinating and vital ecological relationships with one another. Hoyt unravels the complex predator-prey relationships, from "killer" copepods to battles among giant squid and sperm whales, presenting compelling portraits of animals that are superbly adapted denizens of a dark high-pressure world. There are life-forms, independent of sunlight and photosynthesis, that flourish around the hot, sulfurous deep-sea vents in the magnificent rift valley of the midocean ridge, the world's longest mountain range. Surviving in conditions that appear to be close to the very soup of primordial Earth, these microbes have become the basis for the latest research into the Earth's origins.
Oceans: A Visual Guide
by Stephen Hutchinson Details
Explores the mysteries of these fascinating worlds beneath the waves. From the coastline to the deepest trench, oceans host an astonishing variety of marine life. Some life forms are rare, some bizarre, some of breathtaking beauty. Each has adapted to the extreme conditions of ocean life in unique and fascinating ways. This book features hundreds of color illustrations and photographs that reveal the wonders of our oceans.
Oceans: Exploring the Hidden Depths of the Underwater World
by Paul Rose Details
The oceans are the single most important feature of our planet. They shape our climate, our culture, and our future. Yet their depths have remained a mysterious and unchartered expanse. This book, which accompanies a major BBC television series, draws on the most exciting stories from the fields of subaquatic archaeology, geology, marine biology, and anthropology to reveal an astonishing landscape of forgotten shipwrecks, submerged volcanoes, and hidden caves.
Reef Life: A Guide to Tropical Marine Life
by Brandon Cole Details
Discusses what coral reefs are, what makes them unique, where they are found, what plants and animals make up their food webs, and what impact humans have on these fragile ecosystems.
Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Creatures of the Deep
by Michael J. Everhart Details
Sharks and dinosaurs--we find them both alien and awe-inspiring. This book is a plunge into the Cretaceous oceans of 80 million years ago, a merciless realm ruled by the most ferocious animals ever to stalk the seas of planet Earth. More terrifying than anything known to humankind, it scarcely seems possible that these swift, massive underwater predators actually existed--but they did. The book interweaves dramatic scenes of the far, far distant past; scientific profiles of nearly two dozen sea monsters; and a group portrait of the eccentric Sternberg family, Kansas-bred pioneers of marine paleontology. From giant sharks and fierce reptiles to the fossil-hunters who proved that today's land-locked Great Plains were once submerged, this book will forever change how we think about marine predators
by Ellen J. Prager Details
The Empty Ocean: Plundering the World's Marine Life
by Richard Ellis Details
In The Empty Ocean, acclaimed author and artist Richard Ellis tells the story of our continued plunder of life in the sea and weighs the chances for its recovery. Through fascinating portraits of a wide array of creatures, he introduces us to the many forms of sea life that humans have fished, hunted, and collected over the centuries, from charismatic whales and dolphins to the lowly menhaden, from sea turtles to cod, tuna, and coral.
The Extreme Life of the Sea
by Stephen R. Palumbi Details
The Oceans
by Ellen J. Prager Details
This exhaustive overview of oceanography captures the excitement of discovery in the making. The Oceans opens up the world of ocean science to the general reader and raises significant questions about the future of the ancient, nurturing ocean itself. The oceans cover more than 70 percent of the globe, yet less than 5 percent of that expanse has been explored. But, as Drs. Prager and Earle show in this vivid survey of ocean research, our knowledge is suddenly accelerating: various dives, soundings, computer analyses, and other probes are uncovering amazing facts about the 142 million square miles beneath the seas.
Updated 07/01/2014
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