Product Description

Explore the last wilderness left on Earth in this new compact guide to the Ocean From mangrove swamp to ocean floor, mollusc to manatee, Atlantic Conveyer to Hurricane Katrina, unravel the mysteries of the sea. Marvel at the oceans’ power and importance to our planet – as the birthplace of life on Earth, a crucial element of our climate, and as a vital but increasingly fragile resource for mankind. You will discover every aspect – from the geology of the sea floor and the interaction between the ocean’s and atmosphere – to the extraordinary diversity of marine life. Dive in for an awe-inspiring view of a watery world few of us have experienced. A beautiful visual essay celebrates the drama of the sea, while stunning illustrations and the latest satellite-derived maps explain and illuminate each natural process and phenomena. Includes an inspiring introduction by Editor-in-chief Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques. Dramatic, thought-provoking, and revealing, Ocean shines a bright and revealing spotlight into the depths of the last wilderness on our planet.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29254 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 512 pages

Review
Every page is a treatÂ… (Dive Magazine )

Customer Reviews

the best
I own every book in this series -- Animal, Plant, Earth, Human, and Universe -- and was perplexed why there wasn't an Ocean. When this came out, I was thrilled and nabbed it asap. As usual, the photos are stunning, and Ocean focuses on life at all scales, from microscopic plankton to whales. The multicolored crustaceans and deep-sea bioluminescents are my favorites. I think this is my favorite book in the DK series. No, wait -- Universe is. No -- Ocean. Definitely Ocean.

Stunning Pictures, Informative Text
I have recently purchased this book and am impressed by the fantastic amount of information crammed into it as well as the stunning photography. About half the book is about marine life, but there are also well written and illustrated sections about the physical structure and properties of the oceans, and different ocean environments, as well as an excellent Ocean Atlas at the back. I'd thoroughly recommend it!

Really informative, fantastic photos, great book!
This book is a fantastic book for anyone with even a slight interest in the ocean. It is filled with information and colourful yet relevant photographs!

It is split into 4 main sections, each of which are further divided into topics -

INTRODUCTION
- Ocean Water (Includes info on properties of water)
- Ocean Geology (Origin of and evolution of the earth and the oceans)
- Circulation and Climate (Info on winds, currents, climate etc)
- Tides and Waves (Ocean waves and tides)

OCEAN ENVIRONMENTS
- Coasts and the seashore (formation of coasts, processes involved)
- Shallow Seas (features of rocky sea beds, kelp forests, coral reefs)
- The Open ocean and Ocean floor (features of the ocean, zones, geology, human exploration etc)
- The Polar Oceans (structure of ice shelves, icebergs, water circulation)

OCEAN LIFE
- Introduction to the Ocean Life (classification, history, zones of ocean life)
- Kingdoms of Ocean Life (examples of ocean life from bacteria to fish to mammals, photos and details on specific species)

ATLAS OF THE OCEANS (detailed maps of the five oceans that seperate the major landmasses of the world, additional photos of other features of that area)
- Oceans of the World
- The Arctic Ocean
- The Atlantic Ocean
- The Indian Ocean
- The Pacific Ocean
- The Southern Ocean

Each chapter is really easy to read. It is detailed yet broken up into small sections so it can easily be picked up and read at any point. I think that anyone who has an interest in the ocean would love this book. There are so many different things to learn about the ocean and this book really is a good introduction for anyone who wants to learn more. The price is fantastic value for the quality and volume of the content and I would urge you to get yourself a copy!