Overview

Praise for the first edition: More than a picture book ... Hoyt's elegant writing provides both the historical background for deep-sea exploration and an ecological perspective on life in the ocean's depths. -- American Scientist A magnificent bestiary ... and a reminder of how little we actually know about the seas surrounding us. -- Popular Science Winner, Outstanding Nonfiction Book of the Year -- American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc., New York In this updated and expanded edition of Creatures of the Deep, award-winning nature and science writer Erich Hoyt gives readers a glimpse of the amazing variety of creatures found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Weaving together details from the latest scientific research about sharks, giant squid, dragonfish, huge tube worms, clams and tiny microbes of the deep-sea vents, Hoyt embarks on a magical journey roaming across the abyssal plains and descending into deep-sea trenches more than 20,000 feet down. Hoyt unravels the complex predator-prey relationships, from killer copepods to battles between 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, which flourish around the hot, sulfurous deep-sea vents in the magnificent rift valley of the mid-ocean 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 Earth's origins. Fully illustrated with fantastic underwater imagery.

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9781322887838

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Reviews

Erich Hoyt, an award-winning science writer, gives readers an amazing tour of the ocean world through an underwater camera in this fascinating book. He examines former and current sea monsters which dwell at various depths of the ocean. His purpose is to dispel misconceptions and turn these monsters into animals worthy of humans' respect, patient curiosity and admiration. This book has several strengths: the text provides a wealth of interesting information; the colour photographs are no less than fabulous, affording readers a glimpse into the murky ocean world; and, perhaps, most important of all, Hoyt's obvious passion for the ocean and the myriad life forms it harbors comes through loud and clear. Highly Recommended.--Gail Hamilton Canadian Materials (03/01/2002)

Author Information

Erich Hoyt has spent much of his life on, beneath or near the sea, working with whales and dolphins and marine conservation. The acclaimed author of Orca: The Whale Called Killer, Meeting the Whales, Riding With the Dolphins, The Earth Dwellers and Insect Lives, Hoyt lives in Scotland.

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