On dry land, most organisms are confined to the
surface, or at most to altitudes of a hundred meters -
the height of the tallest trees. In the oceans, though,
living space has both vertical and horizontal
dimensions: with an average depth of 3,800 meters, the
oceans offer 99 percent of the space on Earth where life
can develop. And the deep sea, which has been immersed
in total darkness since the dawn of time, occupies 85
percent of ocean space, forming the planet's largest
habitat. Yet, these depths abound with mystery. The deep
sea is mostly uncharted - only about 5 percent of the
seafloor has been mapped with any reasonable degree of
detail - and we know very little about the creatures
that call it home. Current estimates about the number of
species yet to be found vary between ten and thirty
million. The deep sea no longer has anything to prove;
it is without doubt Earth's largest reservoir of life.
Combining the latest scientific discoveries with
astonishing color imagery, ''The Deep'' takes readers on
a voyage into the darkest realms of the ocean.Revealing
nature's oddest and most mesmerizing creatures in
crystalline detail, ''The Deep'' features more than two
hundred color photographs of terrifying sea monsters,
living fossils, and ethereal bioluminescent creatures,
some photographed here for the very first time.
Accompanying these breathtaking photographs are
contributions from some of the world's most respected
researchers that examine the biology of deep-sea
organisms, the ecology of deep-sea habitats, and the
history of deep-sea exploration. An unforgettable visual
and scientific tour of the teeming abyss, ''The Deep''
celebrates the incredible diversity of life on Earth and
will captivate anyone intrigued by the unseen - and
unimaginable - creatures of the deep sea. |
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