"[An] absorbing survey of oceanography . . . [this] elegant study is an excellent resource."Publishers Weekly

A fascinating examination of the earth's oceans

This exhaustive overview of oceanography captures the excitement of discovery in the making. The Oceans opens up the world of ocean science to the general reader and raises significant questions about the future of the ancient, nurturing ocean itself.

The oceans cover more than 70 percent of the globe, yet less than 5 percent of that expanse has been explored. But, as Drs. Prager and Earle show in this vivid survey of ocean research, our knowledge is suddenly accelerating: various dives, soundings, computer analyses, and other probes are uncovering amazing facts about the 142 million square miles beneath the seas.

Ellen J. Prager, Ph.D. has spend the last two decades immersed, often literally, in marine science. Formerly with the U.S. Geological Survey, she is well published in scientific journals and public-oriented magazines. She is an active member of professional science organizations, frequently gives talks at national meetings, and is a Fellow of the Explorer's Club. Recently, during a week-long mission in the underwater habitat, Aquarius 2000 in the Florida Keys, she was interviewed on NBC's Today Show, wrote dispatches online for MSNBC, and worked with the National Geographic Society. Sylvia A. Earle, Ph.D. called "Her Deepness" by the New York Times and The New Yorker, is a marine biologist, ocean explorer, author, lecturer, Chairman of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, spokesperson for Sea Web and the first woman to serve as the Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In recent years she has become an internationally known champion for ocean conservation and currently serves as explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society.