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：2021-09-02 08:51:26
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Helen Scales
- ISBN：0802158226
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Summary
A marine biologist 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。
"The oceans have always shaped human lives，" writes marine biologist Helen Scales in her vibrant new book The Brilliant Abyss， but the surface and the very edges have so far mattered the most。 "However， one way or another， the future ocean is the deep ocean。"
A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway。 Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible。 In the process， the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet， with a topography even more varied and extreme than its Earthbound counterpart。 Teeming with unsuspected life， an extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a huge effect on our daily lives， influencing climate and weather systems， with the potential for much more--good or bad depending on how it is exploited。 Currently the fantastic creatures that live in the deep--many of them incandescent in a world without light--and its formations capture and trap vast quantities of carbon that would otherwise poison our atmosphere; and novel bacteria as yet undiscovered hold the promise of potent new medicines。 Yet the deep also holds huge mineral riches lusted after by many nations and corporations; mining them could ultimately devastate the planet， compounded by the deepening impacts of ubiquitous pollutants and rampant overfishing。
Eloquently and passionately， Helen Scales brings to life the majesty and mystery of an alien realm that nonetheless sustains us， while urgently making clear the price we could pay if it is further disrupted。 The Brilliant Abyss is at once a revelation and a clarion call to preserve this vast unseen world。
"The oceans have always shaped human lives，" writes marine biologist Helen Scales in her vibrant new book The Brilliant Abyss， but the surface and the very edges have so far mattered the most。 "However， one way or another， the future ocean is the deep ocean。"
A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway。 Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible。 In the process， the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet， with a topography even more varied and extreme than its Earthbound counterpart。 Teeming with unsuspected life， an extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a huge effect on our daily lives， influencing climate and weather systems， with the potential for much more--good or bad depending on how it is exploited。 Currently the fantastic creatures that live in the deep--many of them incandescent in a world without light--and its formations capture and trap vast quantities of carbon that would otherwise poison our atmosphere; and novel bacteria as yet undiscovered hold the promise of potent new medicines。 Yet the deep also holds huge mineral riches lusted after by many nations and corporations; mining them could ultimately devastate the planet， compounded by the deepening impacts of ubiquitous pollutants and rampant overfishing。
Eloquently and passionately， Helen Scales brings to life the majesty and mystery of an alien realm that nonetheless sustains us， while urgently making clear the price we could pay if it is further disrupted。 The Brilliant Abyss is at once a revelation and a clarion call to preserve this vast unseen world。
Reviews
Colleen
，
A really interesting and beautiful book。 Snails with shells actually made of iron are just some of the fascinating characters the author employs to illustrate the wonders of deep seamounts and hydrothermal vents。it is sobering as well as beautiful though， as she illustrates the dangers of global warming， deep sea mining and general human stupidity while trying to persuade people that their self interest should prevent them from destroying it all。 Breast Cancer drugs from deep sea sponges are jus A really interesting and beautiful book。 Snails with shells actually made of iron are just some of the fascinating characters the author employs to illustrate the wonders of deep seamounts and hydrothermal vents。it is sobering as well as beautiful though， as she illustrates the dangers of global warming， deep sea mining and general human stupidity while trying to persuade people that their self interest should prevent them from destroying it all。 Breast Cancer drugs from deep sea sponges are just the tip of the iceberg， she claims。 I hope this book convinces people 。。。more
Priscilla
，
Everything in a scientific book won't be interesting to a non-scientist in the field， but this one had enough interesting stuff to keep me reading。 I didn't mind the call to arms over mining the deep， harmful fishing practices， and the appalling problem with plastics; but I guess there were some critics who have been over-reminded about climate change and other permanent harms that we have done to our planet and the other creatures on it。 Since many of them are the ones who need to listen， that Everything in a scientific book won't be interesting to a non-scientist in the field， but this one had enough interesting stuff to keep me reading。 I didn't mind the call to arms over mining the deep， harmful fishing practices， and the appalling problem with plastics; but I guess there were some critics who have been over-reminded about climate change and other permanent harms that we have done to our planet and the other creatures on it。 Since many of them are the ones who need to listen， that isn't surprising。 。。。more
Bob
，
A fascinating and important book。 The first half reveals the zoological wonders of the depths of the ocean， previously thought to be lifeless， but now known to harbor great diversity， mostly sustained by the nutrients falling from above， but also by chemosynthesis around hydrothermal vents – illustrated by about 30 （not enough） beautiful photos of bone worms， giant isopods， amphipods， larvaceans， sea cucumbers， deep sea corals and sponges， gossamer， scale and bomber worms， siphonophores， scyphoz A fascinating and important book。 The first half reveals the zoological wonders of the depths of the ocean， previously thought to be lifeless， but now known to harbor great diversity， mostly sustained by the nutrients falling from above， but also by chemosynthesis around hydrothermal vents – illustrated by about 30 （not enough） beautiful photos of bone worms， giant isopods， amphipods， larvaceans， sea cucumbers， deep sea corals and sponges， gossamer， scale and bomber worms， siphonophores， scyphozoans， snailfish， tinselfish， owlfish， squid， octopus， and a scaly-foot snail。 Ms Scales then explains why the deep ocean is important to us because it is vital to limiting climate change， and because it contains such a diversity of lifeforms that could provide medicines in the future。 The deep ocean has already been abused by unsustainable deep fisheries for long-lived species such as orange roughy， and as a junkyard。 But the most serious threat is mining of hydrothermal vents and metal-rich nodules， aided by the regulator cum promoter International Seabed Authority （ISA）。 The pitch from organizations planning to mine the seabed is that those metals are essential to the batteries necessary to curb the use of fossil fuels， and can be mined from the seabed with less environmental harm than increased extraction on land。 This pitch has been quite successful ， particularly with respect to cobalt which currently comes mostly from the Congo。 However， the nodules are essential to virtually all life on the ocean’s abyssal plain where they provide almost the only hard substrate which corals， sponges and anemones require。 Mining licences have been granted both by the ISA and by island states。 It may prove unprofitable， but it will definitely destroy almost all life in areas where it occurs。 。。。more
Montzalee Wittmann
，
The Brilliant AbyssBy Helen ScalesA wonderful book that explores the oceans and informs the reader in ways that make sense。 It's difficult to understand just how deep the ocean can be but the author uses a 'drop the marble in the ocean' scenario and that really opened my eyes！ How long it would take the marble to drop through each layer of the ocean until it hits bottom。 Amazing！The book explores the landscape， the unusual creatures that have adapted to the unique environments， man's findings th The Brilliant AbyssBy Helen ScalesA wonderful book that explores the oceans and informs the reader in ways that make sense。 It's difficult to understand just how deep the ocean can be but the author uses a 'drop the marble in the ocean' scenario and that really opened my eyes！ How long it would take the marble to drop through each layer of the ocean until it hits bottom。 Amazing！The book explores the landscape， the unusual creatures that have adapted to the unique environments， man's findings that might prove useful for medical services， and the damage man has done to the ocean and it's occupants。A great book but it would have been so much better with pictures。 It had only one picture and that was at the end。 。。。more
Alyssa Vincent
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I really， really enjoyed this。
Nico Tzeentch
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Really cool book， and amazing photos。 I love deep-sea biology and this was a great way to learn more about the alien-like animals that live in the abyss。 Well， most of the book was like that anyway。。。 The last few chapters were just reminding me for the 98472395th time that humans suck and ruin everything and will continue to do so。
Carmelo Valone
，
A brilliant book about well。。。so many varied topics that all stem from deep ocean origins from virus dna （some very basic Covid references and ideas）， to Cancer research， to deep ocean worm evolution to。。。。of course that famed 'alien world' called the Marianas Trench。Not to be missed for any science nerd。 A brilliant book about well。。。so many varied topics that all stem from deep ocean origins from virus dna （some very basic Covid references and ideas）， to Cancer research， to deep ocean worm evolution to。。。。of course that famed 'alien world' called the Marianas Trench。Not to be missed for any science nerd。 。。。more
Zach
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3。5
Steve Walker
，
Excellent book。 The only beef I have is with the editor。 Good Science books should NOT be held to a page limit under 300 pages， if there is good content， leave it be。Also maps and well executed drawings that assist thetext are useful tools。 Items like this add to the qualityof the book。 Rating 4。90
Lindsay
，
An excellent and interesting discussion of what's in the deep sea， where the science is at the moment and why it's under as much threat as the rest of the world from human-caused activity。I'm reminded very much of this comic from the brilliant Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal: https://www。smbc-comics。com/comic/mar。。。 An excellent and interesting discussion of what's in the deep sea， where the science is at the moment and why it's under as much threat as the rest of the world from human-caused activity。I'm reminded very much of this comic from the brilliant Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal: https://www。smbc-comics。com/comic/mar。。。 。。。more
Daniel Farabaugh
，
A very enjoyable read about the ocean deep。 The creatures are described in fascinating detail but she also puts them into a context of their world。 She also does an very good job of outlines the threats that the oceans face。
Nann
，
Marine biologist Helen Scales writes with passion and erudition about the marvelous beauty and bounty in the deep-sea world。 She went out in the field （as it were） on research trips， interviewed the scientists， and cites current （2020） studies and reports。 She emphasizes that new discoveries are constant。 She then writes about the perils of overfishing， plastics pollution， and the prospect of ocean-floor mining。 （The U。S。 has not signed the U。N。 International Seabed Authority agreement。） There a Marine biologist Helen Scales writes with passion and erudition about the marvelous beauty and bounty in the deep-sea world。 She went out in the field （as it were） on research trips， interviewed the scientists， and cites current （2020） studies and reports。 She emphasizes that new discoveries are constant。 She then writes about the perils of overfishing， plastics pollution， and the prospect of ocean-floor mining。 （The U。S。 has not signed the U。N。 International Seabed Authority agreement。） There are only eight pages of photos so I kept my phone at hand so I could look up the creatures she described。 （Purple socks and Yeti crabs！） 。。。more
Claudia
，
Welcome to the what the deepest parts of the ocean has concealed from humanity for thousands of years and still does to this day。 Helen Scales starts with the geology of the ocean depths， their formation and how humans have managed to explore them。But then we go into details about some of the hidden life and secrets that it holds - starting with the deep diving sperm whales and bone-eating worms in which there is evidence of their existence in 160 million-year-old dinosaur fossils。-The jellied c Welcome to the what the deepest parts of the ocean has concealed from humanity for thousands of years and still does to this day。 Helen Scales starts with the geology of the ocean depths， their formation and how humans have managed to explore them。But then we go into details about some of the hidden life and secrets that it holds - starting with the deep diving sperm whales and bone-eating worms in which there is evidence of their existence in 160 million-year-old dinosaur fossils。-The jellied creatures from jellyfish， worms and more along with bioluminescence which helps the inhabitants find mates as well as dinner。-Yeti crabs with their fringed claws that combs the snowfall of food debris from the surface， the scaly-foot snails and hydrothermal vents and chemosythesis ecosystems with their extremophile residents。-Seamounts and slow-growing deep corals， octopus mothers not eating for nearly 5 years as their brood slowly grows， snailfish and brine pools。 Colonies of black corals that have been found to be over 4500 years old-The ocean providing heat and carbon sequestering along with the most ancient hints of life's first blossoming。-Cures from the sea - all the biological chemicals and enzymes that provide new testing materials and chemotherapy resources。But then comes man's exploitation of the oceans - The overfishing， the devastation done to ecosystems as trawlers rake the depths， destroying habitats and clouding waters as well as capturing whatever couldn't get away no matter if that marine creature was the focus or not。 Then there is the dumping of pollutants and munitions and raw sewage， nuclear waste and poisonous chemicals。 And no part is safe as recent exploration of the Challenger Deep has found candy wrappers on the bottom - and the deepest part of the trench is nearly 36000 feet deep and could easily cover Mount Everest with the surface nearly 1。2 miles away。And the talk of mining some of the mineral nodules found across the Pacific basin。 At the time of the book's writing in 2020， commercial mining was still not allowed and there is no proof that the mining would actually be cost efficient if - and when - it was actually permitted to start but many countries already have grabbed up leases， awaiting the day。 Even when it was proven that damage done decades ago can still be seen when examined recently。Yes， Scales does go into many of the negative aspects of what man has already done and what is planned for the future but her colorful and captivating descriptions provides a enjoyable introduction to those exotic creatures that are hidden beneath the waves。 And gives many excellent reasons why our oceans should be protected and not exploited and used as a trash dump。2021-164 。。。more
Onceinabluemoon
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3。5 normally I would love this book if sitting seaside watching sea life enthrall me， but I'm far inland with wildfire smoke so thick I can't see my front yard and I found parts to dry for my liking。。。 3。5 normally I would love this book if sitting seaside watching sea life enthrall me， but I'm far inland with wildfire smoke so thick I can't see my front yard and I found parts to dry for my liking。。。 。。。more
Alfred Wong
，
Are we alone？Such existential question doesn't just apply to outerspace but also to the deep ocean。Credits to the scientist for the constant discoveries of new aquatic lifeforms within the deep。This book walks you through places in seabed that you wouldn't expect life to exist。Be awed by biological evolution， its diversity and resiliency。Life evolved to withstand immense pressure within the abyss， high temperature near the hydrothermal vent。 Amazing out of all is a food chain produced by chemosy Are we alone？Such existential question doesn't just apply to outerspace but also to the deep ocean。Credits to the scientist for the constant discoveries of new aquatic lifeforms within the deep。This book walks you through places in seabed that you wouldn't expect life to exist。Be awed by biological evolution， its diversity and resiliency。Life evolved to withstand immense pressure within the abyss， high temperature near the hydrothermal vent。 Amazing out of all is a food chain produced by chemosynthesis where light and photosynthesis is absent。However， resiliency is an equation of time beyond humanity。 An evolution spanning thousands and millions of years。 It should not be taken for granted and exploited for ephemeral gains from deep sea mining and unsustainable trawling。There is hope for humanity to explore the deep for bioreactive molecules that could be an answer to antibiotic resistance superbug， cancer and other diseases。The intricacy and enormous permutation of causation and effect （e。g。 climate change） between deep ocean and humanity is far too complicated to disturb by further anthropocene activities。I will never look at the ocean the same naive way again。 。。。more
Emkoshka
，
Abandoned on 7 August 2021 at p。 132I wanted to love this and， by and large， it's a fascinating and wondrous account of life in the deep sea; the photographs alone are amazing。 But when I started only managing to read a few pages at a time， I realised that I'm much better at absorbing natural history via David Attenborough documentaries。 There was just a little too much lengthy and detailed description for my brain to concentrate on for very long。 So this review isn't a reflection on the book or Abandoned on 7 August 2021 at p。 132I wanted to love this and， by and large， it's a fascinating and wondrous account of life in the deep sea; the photographs alone are amazing。 But when I started only managing to read a few pages at a time， I realised that I'm much better at absorbing natural history via David Attenborough documentaries。 There was just a little too much lengthy and detailed description for my brain to concentrate on for very long。 So this review isn't a reflection on the book or its subject matter so much as my preferred method of consumption for natural history and science subjects。 。。。more
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，