The Story of the Ocean

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: The ocean covers nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface, and all life on our planet originated in ancient bodies of water. However, despite centuries of research, exploration, and our relentless fascination with the sea, many aspects of it remain a great mystery to us. Just last century, tremendous scientific advancements have given us a deeper understanding of the nature of the ocean, but 95% of it still remains to be explored. In short, the ocean is our last frontier. Marine scientist and diver Alan Prager, along with the internationally renowned underwater explorer Sylvia Earle, approach this significant and multifaceted topic with great passion and innovative methods, conducting an extremely comprehensive and accessible survey of the ocean's past, present, and future. They guide readers on a mesmerizing journey through 450 million years of natural history—from the Precambrian era to the present—a captivating underwater exploration. The Ocean reveals everything from waves, tides, and sea-level changes to hurricanes, El Ni?o, global warming, and the astonishingly abundant life forms that inhabit the sea. In an engaging discussion about ocean science—a discipline that integrates living oceanography, biology, geology, chemistry, physics, meteorology, and the pioneering field of underwater exploration—we are taken into a world of the ocean and the increasingly complex relationship between humans and the sea.