The Deep

by Nouvian, Claire

• ISBN13: 9780226595665
• ISBN10: 0226595668
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-03-15
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

On dry land, most organisms are confined to the surface, or at most to altitudes of a hundred metersthe height of the tallest trees. In the oceans, though, living space has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: with an average depth of 3800 meters, the oceans offer 99% 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% of ocean space, forming the planet's largest habitat. Yet these depths abound with mystery. The deep sea is mostly unchartedonly about 5 percent of the seafloor has been mapped with any reasonable degree of detailand 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 Deeptakes readers on a voyage into the darkest realms of the ocean. Revealing nature's oddest and most mesmerizing creatures in crystalline detail,The Deepfeatures 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 Deepcelebrates the incredible diversity of life on Earth and will captivate anyone intrigued by the unseenand unimaginablecreatures of the deep sea.

Author Biography

Claire Nouvian is a journalist, producer, and film director who has traveled the world for more than ten years, shooting wildlife for French and international television. She has worked on more than sixteen films, among them Expedition to the Abyss (Science Channel, 2004), which won the Best Adventure Documentary prize at the Amazonas World Film Festival in Manaus, Brazil, 2005.

Table of Contents

The exploration of the deep	p. 39
Midwater life : survival in a harsh environment	p. 49
A Chinese shadow theater	p. 60
The nocturnal ballet of deep-sea creatures	p. 71
Living lights in the sea	p. 85
Evolution caught red-handed	p. 94
Gelatinous but voracious predators	p. 103
From myth to reality : monsters of the deep	p. 121
Are deep-sea animals living fossils?	p. 127
The vampire squid from Hell	p. 134
The deep seafloor : a desert devoid of life?	p. 153
The polar depths	p. 167
The Monterey Canyon	p. 181
Sharks of the dark	p. 190
Seamounts : Galapagos of the deep	p. 197
Deepwater coral reefs : out of sight, out of mind	p. 204
Hydrothermal Vents	p. 211
Gas promotes mass : methane seeps	p. 225
A whale's end is the beginning of life at the deep seafloor	p. 235
Deep trenches : the ultimate abysses	p. 240
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