The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean, and the Looming Threat That Imperils It
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- Create Date：2021-08-04 03:19:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Helen Scales
- ISBN：B08M1X26GP
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Reviews
Mary Paradise
，
I always enjoy learning about a topic I don’t know much about， and this book was a great introduction into learning more about the deep sea。 I wasn’t aware of all of the problems and issues happening in terms of deep sea mining and fishing。 The author does a great job stating her point， and her writing is it easy to understand。
Helen Allen
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Helen clearly has a passion for the deep and that comes across beautifully when she is describing the abyssal layer of the Ocean。 It brings up some very serious points that man kind must over come so we dont lose such a beautiful and mesmerising place。
Anjie
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Compelling argument to leave the deep， the Brilliant Abyss， alone。 Made me empathize with creatures i never knew existed。 And for those who enjoy seafood， the author’s final chapter is filled with easy actions to have your fish without gutting one of the most delicate ecosystems on the planet。 Yes， those creatures of the abyss are strange and scary but they are also slow to reproduce， vital to the overall balance of the seas， and nearly defenseless in the face of massive trawling and plans to mi Compelling argument to leave the deep， the Brilliant Abyss， alone。 Made me empathize with creatures i never knew existed。 And for those who enjoy seafood， the author’s final chapter is filled with easy actions to have your fish without gutting one of the most delicate ecosystems on the planet。 Yes， those creatures of the abyss are strange and scary but they are also slow to reproduce， vital to the overall balance of the seas， and nearly defenseless in the face of massive trawling and plans to mine trenches and hydrothermal vents for rare minerals。 3。5⭐️ 。。。more
Toby
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Very readable， timely， informative and important。
Danielle
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My first book on the deep ocean so I learned a lot。 Fascinating and easy to read
Renee King
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Such a beautiful book。 One cannot help but fall in love with the terrifying， mystifying， gorgeous deep sea and the marine life there。 I mean， did you know about the Vampire Squid！？ That's what I thought。The most fragile creatures， the most hearty creatures， the beautiful， the beautifully grotesque， the hundreds and thousands of years in the making of trenches， canyons， columns， vents。 This text is so rich in imagery and detail。The oceans are integral to life on this planet。 You will learn about Such a beautiful book。 One cannot help but fall in love with the terrifying， mystifying， gorgeous deep sea and the marine life there。 I mean， did you know about the Vampire Squid！？ That's what I thought。The most fragile creatures， the most hearty creatures， the beautiful， the beautifully grotesque， the hundreds and thousands of years in the making of trenches， canyons， columns， vents。 This text is so rich in imagery and detail。The oceans are integral to life on this planet。 You will learn about food webs， the carbon/oxygen pump， the absolutely urgent need to stop overfishing， polluting， and exploiting the seas。 The entire second half of the book is a clarion call for all of us to do what we can to protest and push against deep sea mining。 It is happening right now， still on a small scale， and not so visible or publicized。 Big， vast plans for mining the sea shelves and beds are afoot and just waiting for permits to be given。 The potential for climate disaster correlated to sea mining is like nothing else you've heard。 It is far， far worse than cars and plastic bottles。 The end of the text contains names and email addresses of organizations for us to contact。Read this book。 Act。 Don't delay。Dr。 Helen Scales is a talented writer as well as learned marine biologist。 I am grateful for authors like Dr。 Scales who can bridge that world of science to the world of non-scientists and drive home the beauty and importance of the oceans。 。。。more
Jillian Zacchia Bleau
，
The Brilliant Abyss was both enlightening and devastating。 It was my first ARC， and to prove I adored it， I highlighted 79 passages while reading。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ By: Dr， Helen Scales The ARC reading experience was difficult because none of the sections or chapters were separated （it was one never ending chapter which is why it took me three months to read） and none of the beautiful images from the final novel were in the proof。 I’m sure the final book will be much cleaner。 Synopsis: Divided into 4 une The Brilliant Abyss was both enlightening and devastating。 It was my first ARC， and to prove I adored it， I highlighted 79 passages while reading。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ By: Dr， Helen Scales The ARC reading experience was difficult because none of the sections or chapters were separated （it was one never ending chapter which is why it took me three months to read） and none of the beautiful images from the final novel were in the proof。 I’m sure the final book will be much cleaner。 Synopsis: Divided into 4 uneven parts， the first half， or part one， discusses the diverse and barely explored life of the creatures in the deep sea。 This deep sea biologist focuses on describing， in beautiful detail， the creatures she’s had the pleasure of seeing （with a remote controlled submersible） specifically in and around seamounts （underwater mountains） and hydrothermal vents。 For the first half of the book you learn about the delicate balance of marine life miles below the surface of the water。 Then we get to part two and realize that not only is it interesting， the deep sea is fundamental for the health of our society。 The deep sea absorbs carbon， helping offset emissions， but more importantly， creatures living in the deep sea could hold the cure to countless diseases， including cancer。 When I got to part 3 and 4， I flew through the book in a day。 It was soul crushing。 She details the devastation of deep sea fishing for orange roughie， that could live up to 250 and only mate every 40。 This population isn’t bouncing back。 Even worse， whole ecosystems will be destroyed once deep sea mining projects go into effect， including delicate microbial communities that have taken millions of years to evolve。 Animals we didn’t know existed until recently could go extinct。 The worst part， this is seen as a foregone conclusion。 Without mining the sea we might not have enough metals to build the wind turbines， solar panels and electric cars we need to replace fossil fuels。 Her proposal， LEAVE THE DEEP ALONE and explore only for scientific research or to make health related discoveries。 Recycle metals and keep working on reinventing green technologies to be less reliant on anything that needs to be mined。 If you are passionate about the environment and the ocean， and are able to get through highly scientific and academic passages， this book will definitely open your eyes。 。。。more
Sue Wallace
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The brilliant abyss by Helen Scales。This was not what I thought it would be。 I just read it but didn't really enjoy it。 3*。 The brilliant abyss by Helen Scales。This was not what I thought it would be。 I just read it but didn't really enjoy it。 3*。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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As seen in the New Yorker: https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 As seen in the New Yorker: https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 。。。more
Rosella
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Me ha fascinado。 Solía tener una muy vaga idea de lo que existía en el océano profundo， mas con este libro me he enterado de cosas que ni me imaginaba。 Me lo he leído en inglés y pues la verdad nada mal， algunas palabras por aquí y por allá que no entendía， pero luego bien。 100% recomendado
Amanda
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I found this to be a fun and illuminating read on the wonders of the deep oceans。 I do agree with other reviews that the book would be better served with images but the description is very evocative and highlights the interesting wildlife and the dangers of exploitation。 I found the explanation of chemosynthesis and hydrothermal-synthesis particularly alien and fascinating。
Monri
，
Review/Reseña en Español/English EspañolEste libro nos lleva a un viaje a las profundidades del océano， el ecosistema más desconocido que existe。 Personalmente siempre me ha llamado la atención el mar por la amplia variedad de especies con diferentes características， metabolismos y sobre todo por las capacidades adaptativas que presentan。 Por lo que， en cuanto vi este libro supe que tenía que leerlo y no me dejó decepcionada para nada。 El comienzo fue fantástico， me encantó porque tenía un t Review/Reseña en Español/English EspañolEste libro nos lleva a un viaje a las profundidades del océano， el ecosistema más desconocido que existe。 Personalmente siempre me ha llamado la atención el mar por la amplia variedad de especies con diferentes características， metabolismos y sobre todo por las capacidades adaptativas que presentan。 Por lo que， en cuanto vi este libro supe que tenía que leerlo y no me dejó decepcionada para nada。 El comienzo fue fantástico， me encantó porque tenía un tono tipo documental， así que era demasiado fácil y entretenido leerlo。 El libro toca diferentes puntos comenzando por un poco de historia de acuerdo a como se fue descubriendo la vida en el fondo marino， a su vez， trata temas interesantes de adaptación y metabolismo bioquímico respecto a ciertas especies。 Algo que me gusto fue que se explicaran los nombres científicos， cabe destacar que el libro es escrito como narración de la autora de investigaciones que llevaron a cabo， por esto， tiene un toque personal。 El comienzo del libro sienta las bases de la segunda parte donde se enfoca en cómo la actividad humana ha impactado y lo seguirá haciendo con el pasar de los años。 Realmente me hizo reflexionar sobre la importancia de los mares， así que si tienen la oportunidad de leerlo lo recomiendo。 Pensamientos finales En general， es un buen libro y bastante entretenido， me encantó la temática y cómo se desarrolló， sobre todo al comienzo del libro。 ¿Es este libro para ti？ Perfecto para: Amantes del océano y la ciencia。 ¿Lo recomiendo？ Si。 EnglishThis book takes us on a journey to the depths of the ocean， the most unknown ecosystem that exists。 Personally， the sea has always caught my attention because of the wide variety of species with different characteristics， metabolisms and especially because of the adaptive capacities they present。 So as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it and it didn't leave me disappointed at all。The beginning was fantastic， I loved it because it had a documentary-like tone， so it was easy and entertaining to read。 The book touches on different points starting with a bit of history according to how life was discovered on the sea， in turn， it deals with interesting topics of adaptation and biochemical metabolism of certain species。Something that I liked was that the scientific names were explained， it should be noted that the book is written as a narrative by the author of the research they carried out， therefore， it has a personal touch。 The beginning of the book lays the foundation for the second part where it focuses on how human activity has impacted and will continue to do so over the years。 It really made me reflect on the importance of the seas， so if you have a chance to read it I highly recommend it。 Final thoughts In general， it's a good book and quite entertaining， I loved the theme and how it developed， especially at the beginning of the book。 The deep has no stars at night to remind us it is there， and no moon shining down。 And yet， this hidden place reaches into our daily lives and makes vital things happen without our knowing。 Is this book for you？ Perfect for: Lovers of the ocean and science。 Do I recommend it？ Yes。 My thanks to the author Helen Scales， Grove Atlantic， and NetGalley for the opportunity to get this ARC for an unbiased review 。。。more
Ula Tardigrade
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Very interesting popular science book about every possible aspect of the deep sea: from it’s geology and biology to its value for human science and economy to threats and dangers it faces at the moment。 The first part was most enchanting and thrilling， with descriptions of fascinating， otherworldly creatures – and it strengthened the message， clearly worded later in the book， of the need for protection of these valuable ecosystems。 The author notes that we have an opportunity to make things diff Very interesting popular science book about every possible aspect of the deep sea: from it’s geology and biology to its value for human science and economy to threats and dangers it faces at the moment。 The first part was most enchanting and thrilling， with descriptions of fascinating， otherworldly creatures – and it strengthened the message， clearly worded later in the book， of the need for protection of these valuable ecosystems。 The author notes that we have an opportunity to make things different this time， without exploiting and destroying so vital part of our own planet。 The book is very well written and engaging。 You can feel that the author deeply cares about the marine world and her enthusiasm is infectious。 If you plan to spend summer months on the sea-side （or at sea）， it will be a perfect beach read。Thanks to the publisher， Grove Atlantic， and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Naomi Russell-Baugh
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The beautiful descriptions and wonderful science of the beginning of the book， do not balance out the depressing， painful truths of the latter part。 More than half of this book is about the human deviation being wrought on our oceans。 Something I know and hate。 I just don’t want to relax to reading about it。
Andrea
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In the past few decades， human knowledge of the deep ocean has exploded。 We have found that the “dark zone” where sunlight does not penetrate is very much alive and is a crucial habitat for the environmental balance of the planet。 Engaging narrative and fascinating examples made me feel like a kid watching Jacques Cousteau。
Stev606
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Fascinating book on the diversity of deep sea life and the environment。 Some very eye-opening sections on over fishing and the impact on both ocean life and the wider world and climate。
Virat Sharma
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One of the most mind-expanding reads of 2021。 Dr Helen Scales has done a tremendous job in enlightening the audience of the deep waters，its beauty， how life thrives despite the extreme conditions down there be it high pressure， lack of food and less oxygen。 You'll be surprised to know that life even thrives without photosynthesis down there in the Hydrothermal vents。 All thanks to the symbiotic microbes that help tube worms， Yeti crabs， Hoff crabs to thrive in such inhospitable conditions。 The One of the most mind-expanding reads of 2021。 Dr Helen Scales has done a tremendous job in enlightening the audience of the deep waters，its beauty， how life thrives despite the extreme conditions down there be it high pressure， lack of food and less oxygen。 You'll be surprised to know that life even thrives without photosynthesis down there in the Hydrothermal vents。 All thanks to the symbiotic microbes that help tube worms， Yeti crabs， Hoff crabs to thrive in such inhospitable conditions。 The book starts with the author getting me acquainted with the abyss and further deep。 I come across all these alien-like creatures with counterintuitive abilities like bioluminescence of various fish and jellyfish， echo sounding method by sperm whales and how dark a fish can be down there to give them an advantage of being undetected， thanks to high melanin levels。 I only start appreciating how beautiful， ingenious and orderly the world is down there。 From here she puts emphasis on the importance of the deep sea in carbon sequestration and our survival and how many new medicines with novel molecular structures can be derived from corals and sponges down there （only if we know how to） The last part is all about anthropocene and how deep ocean fishing is ruining the natural habitat and ecosystem。Take example of this for instance， fish of deep waters like the orange roughy takes 40-50 years to start spawning！！ And live for 250 years！ Also， the deep sea corals are thousandsof years old and all it takes is a trawler extracting all of this in minutes。 So fishing in the deep is simply not sustainable。 And finally how the impending Iron ore mining for rare metals in the deep ocean， sea mounts and hydrothermal vents can plunge humanity to the worst possible version of the climate crisis。 We have to act and raise our voices。 This book is able to bridge my disconnect with the ocean， especially the deep ocean and made me realize that deep ocean， the abyss and the life down there matters！ An essential read for everyone。 。。。more
Rennie
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Parts of this were so good and wonderfully informative， and others were just so dry。 I know， you would think the oceanic abyss couldn’t be any wetter， but there you have it。 I had to skim a good bit of the second half， but there’s a lot of really important stuff here。 Like that we desperately need to stop treating our planet like a magically endlessly renewable resource that we can mine， fish， pollute， and pillage to our hearts’ contents。“As soon as you stop thinking about it， the deep can so ea Parts of this were so good and wonderfully informative， and others were just so dry。 I know， you would think the oceanic abyss couldn’t be any wetter， but there you have it。 I had to skim a good bit of the second half， but there’s a lot of really important stuff here。 Like that we desperately need to stop treating our planet like a magically endlessly renewable resource that we can mine， fish， pollute， and pillage to our hearts’ contents。“As soon as you stop thinking about it， the deep can so easily vanish out of mind — more so than that other great distant realm， outer space。 The deep has no stars at night to remind us it is there， and no moon shining down。 And yet， this hidden place reaches into our daily lives and makes vital things happen without our knowing。 The deep， quite simply makes this planet habitable。”And everything here about octopuses （that is the correct plural， thank you） was my favorite。 Surprisingly not as much octopus content as I was expecting though！ Always put more octopuses in it！ That’s a good tip for books and life。 。。。more
Volodymyr Holovatyi
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Quite interesting book about deep sea or abyss， that we used to know very little of and only now we have the chance to explore more， thanks to marine biologists and new technologies。 Placed from 4k to 11k meters under the surface， it is a hostile place with insane pressure。 But in fact it's abundant with different kinds of sea creatures， that are full of surprising and fascinating adaptations which allowed them not only to survive but to thrive。 Thermal vents and sea mountains， how much do you k Quite interesting book about deep sea or abyss， that we used to know very little of and only now we have the chance to explore more， thanks to marine biologists and new technologies。 Placed from 4k to 11k meters under the surface， it is a hostile place with insane pressure。 But in fact it's abundant with different kinds of sea creatures， that are full of surprising and fascinating adaptations which allowed them not only to survive but to thrive。 Thermal vents and sea mountains， how much do you know about those？ Well those things are vital not only for deep sea habitants but for the whole ecosystem including us。 What is marine snow？ What does the future hold for the deep sea and why New Zealand is not that "green" country as everyone uses to think？ If you have a curious mind， check this book， it will please you for sure。 Helen Scales has video into to this book on YouTube。 It was only one hour but i enjoyed it a lot。 。。。more
Davina Gifford
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Compelling and well written。
James
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The deepest parts of the ocean are as alien or even more so than outer space， home to a bewildering array of unknown species and bizarre landscapes; here， creatures live for centuries submerged under miles of cold water， living in environments long thought to be inhospitable。 The Brilliant Abyss plunges the reader down beyond the sunlit surface of the world’s oceans to the abyssal plains and deepest trenches below。 Here live all manner of wondrous things， where every deep dive finds something ne The deepest parts of the ocean are as alien or even more so than outer space， home to a bewildering array of unknown species and bizarre landscapes; here， creatures live for centuries submerged under miles of cold water， living in environments long thought to be inhospitable。 The Brilliant Abyss plunges the reader down beyond the sunlit surface of the world’s oceans to the abyssal plains and deepest trenches below。 Here live all manner of wondrous things， where every deep dive finds something new。 And yet， as Helen Scales shows， the deep ocean is under threat from exploitation: extensive trawling and undersea mining strip the seabed clean of all life。 Humanity’s desire for cheap seafood and rare Earth minerals strips ecosystems in months that took millennia to develop。 Some of the last untouched， undeveloped habitats are directly under threat by fishing and mining and it’s deeply depressing to see that the lessons of environmental exploitation on land are completely unlearnt in the ocean。 This is such an interesting and prescient book。 The deepest parts of the ocean are so alien to us， less accessible than outer space and just as hostile to humans。 Yet they harbour incredible creatures and potential new drugs and medicines。 But wholesale extraction by mining or fishing threatens this delicate and ancient ecosystem。 Sustainable fishing is possible， just leave the abyss alone。 This is a deep dive literally to a new and ancient word - it deserves our respect and care。 。。。more
Kate Renee
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The Brilliant AbyssBy: Helen Scales288 Pages✨ Release Date: July 6， 2021“We now face the possibility of forging a new relationship with the living planet， and we have the chance to decide there are more things we just don’t need and places that are special， unique， and important enough to leave alone – and one of those places is the deep。”This novel takes place aboard the Pelican， on an adventure to -The Brilliant Abyss-。 To learn more about the universe’s greatest mystery – the deep。 🐙Monsters， The Brilliant AbyssBy: Helen Scales288 Pages✨ Release Date: July 6， 2021“We now face the possibility of forging a new relationship with the living planet， and we have the chance to decide there are more things we just don’t need and places that are special， unique， and important enough to leave alone – and one of those places is the deep。”This novel takes place aboard the Pelican， on an adventure to -The Brilliant Abyss-。 To learn more about the universe’s greatest mystery – the deep。 🐙Monsters， demons & deities – Umibozu， Triton， Poseidon， the Jormungandr， Vellamo。 All the creatures we suspected to haunt the deepest undiscovered parts of the ocean for centuries。For the longest time， unaware of the life that truly did inhabit these dark and unknowing depths that exceeded our comprehension。As humans， we have made so many discoveries about our history through the oceans and discovered vast amounts of life hiding below。 And after watching Seaspiracy not long ago， this truly puts into perspective how much we need to start taking care of our oceans。This book is jam packed with A LOT of information。 From discovering how we’ve come to know the seas， our history with whales and the light source they provided - a distillation of energy we harnessed from the deep， to the disproving of Forbes’ azoic theory， seabed mines and so much more。It puts a lot into perspective and gives us a better grasp as to what is happening below the water’s surface。Be warned though！ This book is quite unique – there’s moments where you’re not sure if you’re apart of the voyage on the Pelican or sitting back in your Science classroom reading a textbook。 Highly recommend！⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 。。。more
K。J。 Charles
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Interesting read on the ecosystems of the deep oceans， which are incredibly fragile and slow growing， and a passionate plea for people to stop trawling， dumping toxic waste， and strip mining them。 Basically very depressing on human greed and selfish destructiveness， much like most books about the environment。
Hallie
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I am terrified of the ocean， outside of the very shallowest， clearest parts of it。 The deep in particular has always fascinated me， and this book didn't disappoint。 The author does an excellent job of highlighting what life exists in the darkest and deepest reaches of the ocean， while explaining that even what we have learned is just a fraction of what we still don't know。 More importantly， even though we know so little， what we do know is that humanity is threatening even these seemingly far aw I am terrified of the ocean， outside of the very shallowest， clearest parts of it。 The deep in particular has always fascinated me， and this book didn't disappoint。 The author does an excellent job of highlighting what life exists in the darkest and deepest reaches of the ocean， while explaining that even what we have learned is just a fraction of what we still don't know。 More importantly， even though we know so little， what we do know is that humanity is threatening even these seemingly far away places of our planet。 This destruction is even more devastating because we are only just learning the extent to which the deep affects life on the surface and on land （i。e。， in regulating carbon， water currents， air currents， shallow marine ecosystems， etc。） This book is short， succinct， and well-written。 It is perfect for shining a light on what most people are ignorant of and demonstrates why they shouldn't be。 。。。more
GONZA
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Paradoxical as it may seem， this book， which is a very serious essay on the ocean floor， reminded me so much of my favorite adventure books， the Pitt and Giordino novels written by the late Clive Cussler。 Apart from that， very interesting， well written and with a series of fundamental information to understand how it could evolve， in the not too distant future， research in the seabed， fishing and basically even humanity。 Per quanto possa sembrare paradossale， questo libro， che é un serissimo sag Paradoxical as it may seem， this book， which is a very serious essay on the ocean floor， reminded me so much of my favorite adventure books， the Pitt and Giordino novels written by the late Clive Cussler。 Apart from that， very interesting， well written and with a series of fundamental information to understand how it could evolve， in the not too distant future， research in the seabed， fishing and basically even humanity。 Per quanto possa sembrare paradossale， questo libro， che é un serissimo saggio sui fondali dell'oceano， mi ha ricordato tantissimo i miei libri di avventura preferiti， quelli di Pitt e Giordino scritti dal compianto Clive Cussler。 A parte questo， molto interessante， ben scritto e con una serie di informazioni fondamentali per capire come potrebbe evolversi， in un futuro non troppo lontano， la ricerca nei fondali marini， la pesca e fondamentalmente anche l'umanitá。 I received a digital complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
The Inquisitive Biologist
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An unforgettable trip into the depths of the ocean， The Brilliant Abyss is a rousing rallying cry for the preservation of the deep sea。 See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist。com/2021。。。 An unforgettable trip into the depths of the ocean， The Brilliant Abyss is a rousing rallying cry for the preservation of the deep sea。 See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist。com/2021。。。 。。。more
Lou
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In The Brilliant Abyss marine biologist Helen Scales vividly brings alive the extraordinary ecosystem of the deep ocean—a realm about which we know less than we do about the Moon—and shows how protecting rather than exploiting it will benefit mankind。 It illuminates the majesty and marvels of the deep sea。 The deep is the single biggest habitable space on the planet and home to fantastic creatures that have evolved unique ways to survive in extreme conditions of super-high pressure， little food In The Brilliant Abyss marine biologist Helen Scales vividly brings alive the extraordinary ecosystem of the deep ocean—a realm about which we know less than we do about the Moon—and shows how protecting rather than exploiting it will benefit mankind。 It illuminates the majesty and marvels of the deep sea。 The deep is the single biggest habitable space on the planet and home to fantastic creatures that have evolved unique ways to survive in extreme conditions of super-high pressure， little food or company， and permanent darkness。 A golden era of deep-sea science is underway， as scientists uncover more of the hidden living wonders in this vast space。 Deep studies are rewriting the very notion of life on earth and hinting at the potential for life elsewhere in the universe。 At the same time， scientists are realising just how vital the deep is for the whole of life on earth and seeing how this realm is increasingly threatened by deepening human impacts。 More urgently than ever before， the deep sea needs to be known about， celebrated and protected。 At the bottom of the Mariana trench， the water is chillingly cold and dark， with a pressure so high it can dissolve shells and exoskeletons。 It is the ocean’s deepest point， lying almost 11 kilometres beneath the surface， and it is home to a remarkable crustacean。 This shrimp-like creature is called an amphipod and it has an ingenious adaptation to survive the conditions: it uses metallic compounds from mud to make itself a coat that prevents its exoskeleton from dissolving。 With this protection， the scavenger can scour the trench for the food that builds up there， funnelled to the bottom by underwater avalanches。In The Brilliant Abyss， Helen Scales describes amphipods and the many other remarkable creatures that live in the deep sea。 Weaving together the latest discoveries with well-known examples， she details the many fascinating adaptations that life has evolved to survive in a world unlike anything at Earth’s surface。 There are vampire squid， for example， which hang around in the cold water waiting not for blood-filled prey， but to make edible snowballs out of the flurries of detritus that fall from the ocean surface that are known as marine snow。 Then there are corals that started growing more than 4000 years ago and female octopuses that spend five years without food so they can brood a single clutch of eggs。 And then there are the inconspicuous ultra-black fish that reflect hardly any light so that they blend into the background。 After detailing this diverse underworld， the book takes a darker turn to explore the threats these creatures face from us。 Deep-sea fishing is the most well-known example。 It is “an industry that yields relatively trivial economic benefits but a fearsome capacity to vandalise our living planet”， writes Scales。 An increasing threat lies in projects to mine the seabed to satisfy humanity’s growing demand for metals， particularly to use in the green tech needed for a low-carbon future。 The choice is portrayed as one of green or blue， writes Scales， “the greening of global economies pitted against the health and integrity of the blue oceans”。But she says there is a third path: recycling the metals we have already dug up。 These problems are out of sight and out of mind to many。 Scales lists why we should care about them， including the deep’s key role in feeding the surface fisheries that many people rely on for food， as well as its mitigating impact on climate change。 “In total， a third of humanity’s carbon emissions make their way into the ocean，” she writes， “saving the Earth from an unthinkably swift and catastrophic version of the climate crisis。” While this is pragmatic， I do wish we didn’t have to think up positive ways to exploit an environment in order to convince people that it is worth protecting。 The Brilliant Abyss is an enjoyable and accessible introduction to the deep sea， told with a passion that I found infectious。 The stories of life’s struggle for survival beneath the waves are both fascinating and compelling and Scales’ evocative descriptions immerses you in the deep blue before you know it。 Extensively researched， beautifully detailed and written by an author who is unapologetically passionate and forthright about this subject， I simply didn't want it to end。 Packed full of interesting information and apt examples to illustrate her points， this is a must-read for those who care about the health of our oceans and ocean-dwellers。 Overall， though， Scales brings to life this important part of our planet。 What happens there is something we should all be concerned about。 As Scales puts it: “The deep， quite simply， makes this planet habitable。” Unreservedly recommended。 。。。more
Katie
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I am always on the lookout for natural history books， but as an avid gardener and professional horticulturist， my interest is usually drawn by books about plants and terrestrial environments。 The intriguing cover and blurb of this book caught my eye， so I thought I’d give it a try and am I ever glad I picked up this ARC！ The Brilliant Abyss is densely packed with information， an enjoyable recreational read for someone like myself with an interest in science and the environment， but veering close I am always on the lookout for natural history books， but as an avid gardener and professional horticulturist， my interest is usually drawn by books about plants and terrestrial environments。 The intriguing cover and blurb of this book caught my eye， so I thought I’d give it a try and am I ever glad I picked up this ARC！ The Brilliant Abyss is densely packed with information， an enjoyable recreational read for someone like myself with an interest in science and the environment， but veering close to a textbook at times。 I would have appreciated if the narrative storyline from Helen Scales’ experiences at sea featured a little more prominently， but I still found the book fascinating and worth reading to the end。 Being so packed with information outside of my area of expertise， it did take me a while to read and I usually read small chunks at a time， over my lunch break or after dinner。 I don’t know if the print copy will have a picture insert， I often found myself googling pictures of the interesting creatures and seascapes featured in the book！ The earlier chapters give all the informative background one needs to delve into the second half of the book where impacts and implications of human interaction with the ocean are explored: deep sea fishing， mining and climate change to name a few。 I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in science and natural history， and encourage even terrestrial folks like myself to give it a try。 。。。more
Georgina Collins
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So many words could be used to describe The Brilliant Abyss: eye-opening， curiosity sparking， mind-blowing， fascinating。。。and Scales writes so engagingly and with such insight and passion， that I now associate all of these words with the deep ocean。 I was pleased that Scales did not shy away from describing the countless negative effects which humans have bombarded the deep ocean with， and the consequences of our current actions - human impact on the ocean is integral to the ocean， sadly， and Sc So many words could be used to describe The Brilliant Abyss: eye-opening， curiosity sparking， mind-blowing， fascinating。。。and Scales writes so engagingly and with such insight and passion， that I now associate all of these words with the deep ocean。 I was pleased that Scales did not shy away from describing the countless negative effects which humans have bombarded the deep ocean with， and the consequences of our current actions - human impact on the ocean is integral to the ocean， sadly， and Scales encourages us to do what we can to mitigate this。 Astounding facts are every few pages; for example， a marble thrown overboard would take SIX HOURS to reach the sea bed， and life has been found in toxic brine pools which we thought uninhabitable。 I finished this book - which is neither a doorstop nor a pamphlet - feeling like I had so much more to learn， and wanting to continue reading more about this fascinating subject。 。。。more
Breana
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