Discover the world's ocean--from tides and currents to the creatures living in it to the impact it has on our lives, whether we know it or not--in this richly illustrated overview of the life force that defines and sustains our planet, written by world-renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle.Everything you want to know about the ocean can be found inside these beautiful and dynamic pages.
National Geographic Ocean unveils the power and significance of our planet's watery essence: the fundamental importance of the ocean in shaping Earth's climate and chemistry as well as its vital role in supporting a multitude of life-forms, including our own human race.
World-renowned oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer in Residence Sylvia Earle--affectionately called "Her Deepness"--guides readers with her lyrical style and inspiring wisdom, describing the evolution, beauty, and impact of our ocean; the challenges it faces, such as climate change, plastic, and overfishing; and the myriad ways we can help protect it.
This engaging story of the ocean celebrates dozens of ocean champions and visionaries, explores the ocean's origin and the nature of water, and features a gallery of wondrous creatures that illustrate the spectacular diversity of life in the sea, from sponges, kelp, and zooplankton to whales, sharks, and sea turtles. More than 100 maps and diagrams, including seafloor and political maps of all Earth's seas and oceans, elucidate Dr. Earle's lively narrative.
For seaside dwellers and landlubbers alike, this is a book you will turn to again and again to understand why, as Sylvia Earle says, "Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea."
Dive deeper into ocean discovery with more National Geographic favorites:
- Into the Deep
- The Nature of Nature
- 100 Dives of a Lifetime
- Secrets of the Whales
- Pristine Seas
- Shark
Industry Reviews
"Extraordinarily beautiful book by the most extraordinary woman. Perhaps the greatest advocate our oceans have ever had."--Richard Branson
"I had the great, good fortune to be with my late husband, Peter Benchley, and Sylvia in the early 1980s on a couple of National Geographic expeditions. Sylvia has been a friend and mentor ever since. She has an extraordinary gift--an otherworldly ability to be present with all marine life. I think this is her secret blue superpower. National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey brings this unique quality to life for readers who are treated to a gorgeous array of wondrous marine wildlife and habitats that make up the totality of Earth's oceans and the magnificent 'Hope Spots' profiled in the book. It's a superb literary and visual voyage into why the ocean matters to everyone, everywhere, and why marine protected areas are the most important ocean conservation tool we have. Brava to Her Deepness!"--Wendy Benchley, ocean conservationist, marine policy advocate, and co-founder, Peter Benchley Ocean
"In this elegant, eloquent portrayal of the ocean, Sylvia Earle conveys a sense of wonder, urgency, and hope that bold actions taken now to protect the living seas will not only benefit coral reefs, fish, and whales, but also prove vital for the future of humankind."--Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & U. N. Messenger of Peace
"Let's be clear: if we'd named the place honestly, we'd call our home planet "Ocean," not "Earth." Sylvia Earle, our greatest champion of marine conservation and protection, takes us on a tour of everything wet and salty: she picks up where Jacques Cousteau and Rachel Carson left off in earlier eras, using all the tools of our moment to offer a picture of deep beauty and even deeper meaning."--Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
"Likely no one has ever seen, experienced, and lived as much of the ocean's breadth and depth and time as has Sylvia Earle. And this breathtakingly broad and beautiful--and deep--book by Dr. Earle reflects her unmatched experience, her exceptionally perceptive eye and mind, and her wanderer's soul. No other single book packs so much of what humans have learned about the ocean. Like Sylvia herself, this is a great and powerful work of art and heart and a great gift to the world."--Carl Safina, author of Song for the Blue Ocean, Becoming Wild, and other books
"Sylvia Earle (aka Her Deepness) invites us into her wet and wonderful world of oceans, replete with amazing photographs, inspiring scientist biographies (of note, many are women!), descriptions of Hope Spots, and a compelling explanation that water is life. Everyone should read this book, because it provides a clarion call to conserve our oceans immediately, and preferably yesterday."--Meg Lowman, author of The Arbornaut
"Sylvia Earle's new book, National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey, is a masterpiece. Through the eyes of a scientist, passionate explorer, and life-long ocean champion, Sylvia takes us on a journey to explore the mystery, intense beauty, and fragility of the underwater world. Sylvia weaves together poetry, geology, exquisite photography, and more, to share how incredibly vital are oceans are to our survival as a species. For those of us who have dedicated our lives to protecting our oceans, Sylvia is our north star."--Dr. Elizabeth McLeod, Global Reef Lead, The Nature Conservancy
"This is a must-read! Sylvia Earle takes us on an inspirational and amazing journey into our wondrous and precious oceans. A meaningful book and an incredible one!"--Leonard A. Lauder, chairman emeritus, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.
"We cannot have a healthy planet without a healthy ocean. In this all-embracing book, Sylvia Earle has confirmed that 'the ocean is in trouble, and therefore, so are we.' But from marine protected areas to smarter ecosystem management, from nature-based solutions to Hope Spots, throughout National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey, Sylvia shows we can heal much of the harm that has been done. We all have work to do to restore the ocean's health, and this book is an inspiring and faithful guide."--Peter Thomson, United Nations Special Envoy for the Ocean
