Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide (Hardcover, 2 Ed)

"Immense shoals of barracuda, forests of giant kelp and the world's largest volcano - these are just a few of the majestic sights in the world's oceans. Our seas are by far the largest habitat on Earth and are home to an astonishing 90 per cent of the world's biodiversity. Life itself began in the oceans and has proliferated to include innumerable numbers of marine species, from single-celled archaea to giant manta rays, sea turtles and blue whales. With a foreword from Fabien Cousteau, Ocean is your guide to this most mysterious part of the natural world. It explores the geography of the oceans, which includes volcanoes forming a ""Ring of Fire"", trenches 10 km (6 miles) deep, hydrothermal vents, ice shelves, and hundreds of sea mountains and even waterfalls. This stunning and comprehensive book unveils how the underwater world operates: its tidal rhythms, currents, tsunamis, and typhoons. It also showcases some of the most beautiful and diverse marine flora, including seaweeds such as limey petticoats, giant kelp and oyster thief, as well as coastal fish and marine creatures such as the lanternfish, adapted to live in the remotest part of the ocean's depths. Ocean captures the beauty and scientific complexity of this vital habitat and at a time when global warming poses a real threat, it is essential reading for everyone interested in marine conservation. "