The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures Of The Abyss Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
On dry land, most organisms are confined to the surface, or at most to altitudes of a hundred meters—the height of the tallest trees. In the oceans, though, living space has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: with an average depth of 3800 meters, the oceans offer 99% of the space on Earth where life can develop. And the deep sea, which has been immersed in total darkness since the dawn of time, occupies 85% of ocean space, forming the planet’s largest habitat. Yet these depths abound with mystery. The deep sea is mostly uncharted—only about 5 percent of the seafloor has been mapped with any reasonable degree of detail—and we know very little about the creatures that call it home. Current estimates about the number of species yet to be found vary between ten and thirty million. The deep sea no longer has anything to prove; it is without doubt Earth’s largest reservoir of life.Combining the latest scientific discoveries with astonishing color imagery, The Deep takes readers on a voyage into the darkest realms of the ocean. Revealing nature’s oddest and most mesmerizing creatures in crystalline detail, The Deep features more than two hundred color photographs of terrifying sea monsters, living fossils, and ethereal bioluminescent creatures, some photographed here for the very first time. Accompanying these breathtaking photographs are contributions from some of the world’s most respected researchers that examine the biology of deep-sea organisms, the ecology of deep-sea habitats, and the history of deep-sea exploration.An unforgettable visual and scientific tour of the teeming abyss, The Deep celebrates the incredible diversity of life on Earth and will captivate anyone intrigued by the unseen—and unimaginable—creatures of the deep sea.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; First edition (March 15, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0226595668
ISBN-13: 978-0226595665
Product Dimensions: 9 x 1.1 x 12 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (124 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #306,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #109 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas > Oceanography #116 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Biology > Marine Biology #146 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Marine Life
Thanks to all who have made such enthusiastic comments about the book, I am very touched but I want to make a specific point about the computer-generated images : it was indeed a mistake in the first print run not to mention that they were "fake" images (there are only 5 of such out of 220 pictures) but they are absolutely mentioned as such in the credits at the end. Also, in the second printrun, the correction was thoroughly integrated so a lot of you who are now buying the book will not be concerned by this comment because the images are now identified as computer-generated.I'm sorry about this error but it was fixed as soon as we realized it so actually only a few copies are concerned, I hope it won't stop anyone from enjoying the rest of the images made by extremely dedicated and talented researchers.Best, Claire Nouvian
Growing up I had tropical (fresh-water) fishtanks. When I got older, I graduated to marine (salt water) tanks. I was, and am, facinated by the creatures that live there, especially "reef" tanks that house the stranger life forms like invertebrates and corals. I eventually took up diving, mostly because it was the only way I could be "inside" my tanks."The Deep" is an astonishingly GORGEOUS compilation of the most incredible, other-worldly creatures that inhabit the oceans. THIS is what thrilled me, and still does, about underwater life: it is the closest you will ever get to being on an entirely different planet!
XXXXXWhere would you find these?(1) Gorgon's head(2) Fangtooth(3) Pigbutt worm(4) Black medusa(5) RadiolariansPossible answers: In outer space? On the Earth's surface? In a horror movie? On a farm? In an electronics store?Correct answer: these are the names of creatures found in the abyss. (Technically, the abyss is a particular zone of the oceans extending 3000 to 6000 meters in depth. This term is also used to designate the deep oceans overall.)You will find photographs of the five creatures indicated above and the pictures of many more deep ocean creatures in this stunningly beautiful book by Claire Nouvian, a journalist, producer, and film director who has travelled the world for more than a decade, filming wildlife for French and international television.The book has photographs with captions (its main feature) interweaved with text. The contents of the book is divided into two parts:(I) Life in the water column (meaning life in the water above the seafloor)(II) Life at the bottom (meaning life on the seafloor or just above it).The colour photographs are, in a word--astonishing. All the creatures (that look like they're not of this planet) imaged are marvels of evolution and adaptation. Rare and unidentified abyss-dwellers are even photographed.Each photograph has a caption made up of several pieces of information: (1) the abyss-dweller's scientific name (2) its descriptive name (not all photographs have this) (3) its size (4) the depth at which it's found and (5) known information about the creature. As an example, I will give an actual example of such a caption for the creature found on the book's jacket cover (displayed above by ):(1) Teuthowenia pellucida(2) Googly-eyed glass squid(3) SIZE 20 centimeters(4) DEPTH larvae and juveniles 0-900 meters, adults 1600-2500 meters(5) Three sentences of known information about this abyss-dweller.The number of pictures in this book is almost 210.In the copy of the book I have, at the beginning the reader is alerted that there are "four computer-generated illustrations." When these illustrations are actually encountered, the caption for these illustrations states "computer-generated image."The text that's interweaved with the photographs consists mainly of two-page essays that begins most chapters, factoids, and quotations.There are a total of fifteen succinct essays indicated in the table of contents. Each is written by a researcher at a prominent research facility. Examples of such facilities include the USA's Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, France's French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.There is also an excellent five page introductory essay (not indicated in the table of contents). Be sure to carefully read this so as to orient yourself to the rest of the book.Quotations from prominent people permeate throughout. One of my favourites was uttered by Jacques Cousteau in 1976:"Under the sea, it seems my every gaze is as stolen from some forbidden world; and it triggers an emotional shock that never flags, no matter how many times I dive."Revealing factoids also abound throughout the book. Here's an interesting fact:At 150 meters depth, 99% of sunlight has been absorbed by water. Below 1000 meters, it's total, inky blackness for all.(It is from this factoid that I came up with the title of this review.)Based on the photographs and text, this book deserves a solid 5-STAR RATING.Unfortunately, there are some problems with the book. The majority are minor (for example, the first two pictures found at the very beginning of this book have their captions on the credits page--the very last page), but the major problems primarily deal with the table of contents and index. (Note also that the credits page is not indicated in the table of contents.)The table of contents is incomplete. For example, why isn't the introductory essay's (see above) title not mentioned in the table of contents? This introductory essay has four sub-sections. Why weren't these sub-section titles not mentioned? I feel that a ground-breaking book of this type should have a detailed table of contents.The index is also incomplete. All it does is give the scientific names of the known species in this book and what page to find them on. That's it!! Why wasn't, for example, all the important information found in the fifteen chapter essays and the introductory essay appropriately indexed? Again, a grounding-breaking book of this type should have, I feel, a detailed index.What is Nouvian's function with respect to this book? If you look at the book's cover, it seems that she is the author. She is NOT. If you look at the credits page, she is in charge of "photographic research." thinks she is the editor, but according to the credits page, she is not. Very confusing.Based on these major and minor problems, this book should perhaps be given a 3-STAR RATING.Finally, my final rating is an average of the two RATINGS given above.In conclusion, this is a mesmerizing book giving us a glimpse into an alien world--the abyss.(published 2007; preface; introduction; 20 chapters; main narrative 245 pages; appendix; glossary; index; bibliography; acknowledgements; credits)XXXXX
This book is great in two ways. The visuals and the idea that you are even looking at these creatures which until recently have been hidden from the world.There should be no complaints about this book. One, the computer generated images are probably put together by massive information collected on each one of these creatures. It's not something that was "made up" or "fake". So yea, you are seeing something computer generated but you are at least seeing a true depiction of it.I think its a great book. I love the photography and the layout of it. I am afraid of the water for these specific reasons, because there is much that we do not know about our oceans. And this just brings us a bit closer to understanding some of the creatures that inhabit it.Great Book.
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