Saltwater: A Natural History of the Sea [9780063589452]

Overview

A sweeping natural history of the oceans by renowned marine biologist Dr. Ashley Ward.

Elegant, deeply researched, and endlessly fascinating, Saltwater is a paradigm-shifting look at the marine world, and how the seas shape our planet. Marine biologist Ashley Ward draws on his distinguished career and globe-spanning field research to bring readers face to face with the secrets of the marine realm. Come witness rival humpback whales, jousting with their gigantic pectorals. Squeeze into the claustrophobic confines of a mini submersible and dive to 600 metres to see a magnificent aurora of bioluminescence. See the incredible seabird cities that develop along coasts, where auk fathers tenderly train their chicks in the art of diving. Hear the haunting, ethereal song of a pod of belugas carrying across a fjord in the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard. Meet one of the deadliest of all reef animals, the innocuous-looking cone shell snail.

Saltwater also examines humanity’s eternal connection with the oceans, from ancient fishing traditions to the devastating legacy of industrial whaling. And it shows how today, even as the ocean bears the scars of overfishing, pollution, and climate change, this damage may yet be reversed through cutting-edge science and strategic conservation.

Among the many fascinating insights in Saltwater:

• Life originated in the sea, and even after millions of years of separation from its embrace, our marine past has an indelible presence in our physiology. It is why our tears are salty, and why we need salt to survive. We, too, are former sea creatures …
• The rhythm of life on the seashore is encoded in the bodies of intertidal animals. Long before the first waves of the rising tide wash over them, the hearts of animals like limpets start to beat faster in anticipation of the returning flood
• We carry in our gut the same bacteria that live in the deep sea, digesting whale carcasses, a small reminder of our connection to this alien realm
• Many sea creatures use seawater instead of blood
• Fish are not the simple creatures we imagine. Ward describes the story of Tako-kun, an arm-length snailfish who adopted a diver in the waters off Japan, and swam each day to greet him, even sitting on his shoulder
• Sea society is surprisingly close to our own. In rockpools around the world, hermit crab property chains develop when a new shell becomes available.