Citizens of the Sea: Wondrous Creatures From the Census of Marine Life [Hardcover]

Nancy Knowlton (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 14, 2010

The astonishing diversity of ocean life will wow you in this riveting book by marine scientist Nancy Knowlton. Citizens of the Sea reveals the most intriguing organisms in the ocean, captured in action by skilled underwater photographers from National Geographic and the Census of Marine Life.

As you read lively vignettes about sea creatures’ names, defenses, migration, mating habits, and more, you’ll be amazed at wonders like . . .

· The almost inconceivable number of creatures in the marine world. From the bounty of microbes in one drop of seawater, we can calculate that there are more individuals in the oceans than stars in the universe.
· The sophisticated sensory abilities that help these animals survive. For many, the standard five senses are just not enough.
· The incredible distances that seabirds and other species cover. Some will feed in both Arctic and Antarctic waters within a single year.
· The odd relationships common in the marine world. From a dental hygienist for fish to a walrus’s one-night stand, you’ll find beauty, practicality, and plenty of eccentricity in sea-life socialization.

Brilliantly photographed and written in an easygoing style, Citizens of the Sea will inform and enchant you with close-up documentation of the fascinating facts of life in the ocean realm.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From Citizens of the Sea
Click on the images or captions below to open larger versions.

Coral reefs are full of hungry creatures, but the coloration of this poisonous sea slug (Phyllidia ocellata) warns predators that it is off the menu. (Darlyne A. Murawski/NationalGeographicStock.com, p. 37)	This baby slipper lobster is completely transparent before growing a thick shell. Its bizarre eyes may confuse predators while it floats in the plankton. (Peter Parks/SeaPics.com, p. 39)	Fast-growing giant kelps (Macrocystis pyrifera) form cold-water forests that many fish, invertebrates, and mammals call home. (Phillip Colla/SeaPics.com, p. 79)	"Smiling" for the camera, this colorful ember parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus) shows off its impressive chops, which can easily pulverize coral. (Paul Sutherland/NationalGeographicStock.com, p. 148)

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Review

"Citizens of the Sea is not a book to be read alone. It is packed with facts and photographs that are so cool, so bizarre, and so downright amazing that you'll want to make sure you have some willing company to share them with.[…] Although you may find yourself reading Citizens of the Seacover-to-cover regardless of your intentions, its gorgeous photos, one-page stories, and "fast fact" boxes also lend themselves to coffee table perusal. The book would be an excellent vehicle for inspiring older children to get excited about the ocean, but I would particularly recommend it for adults who want to rekindle their childlike wonder. Just don't read it alone!" —Joanna Solins, CORAL Communications Associate

"Citizens of the Sea: Wondrous Creatures from the Census of Marine Life by Nancy Knowlton is a new National Geographic production, and the perfect book for curling up with on a cloudy afternoon with a big pot of tea. The photos, of course, are mind blowing, and Nancy's accompanying text is bright, fun to read, and chock full of the "beauty, weirdness, and wonder of the sea."  Nancy is a serious scientist known for her work discovering new corals and figuring out new ways of classifying them. Increasingly, she has turned her attention to helping others understand the ocean's wonders — "as its citizens have no vote in any international body, but they need to be heard." This book is a unique combination of photos and substance." —Nancy Baron, Author of Escape from the Ivory Tower and Ocean Science Outreach Director for SeaWeb and COMPASS

“Citizens of the Sea,” is a dazzling collection of photographs of undersea creatures, with commentary by Nancy Knowlton, a marine scientist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and a leader of the census effort. The book’s goal is to introduce readers to the plants and animals that inhabit the marine world — from Antarctic ice to more than six miles down, near the bottom of the Marianas Trench, the deepest spot on the ocean floor. In its pages we encounter creatures both familiar and strange. Most will enjoy it as a journey through what remains a largely alien landscape filled with beautiful and often bizarre creatures." —Cornelia Dean, "Getting to Know Your Neighbors Below the Surface," The New York Times Science Section

The Census of Marine Life, a decade-long project encompassing more than 2,700 scientists across the world, sought to answer a basic but daunting question: What lives in the ocean? The census revealed thousands of new species. National Geographic's new book "Citizens of the Sea", captures many of them.—Washington Post

“Beautifully illustrated…an eye-opening introduction to the life in the sea that surrounds us.”
 –Keysnews.com
 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (September 14, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426206437
• ISBN-13: 978-1426206436
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Marine Life
  • #3 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Biology > Marine Biology
  • #10 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas

More About the Author

Dr. Nancy Knowlton is the Sant Chair for Marine Science at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and was a scientific leader of the Census of Marine Life. She founded the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego. Knowlton has devoted her life to studying, celebrating, and striving to protect the multitude of life-forms that call the sea home. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Smithsonian's Ocean Portal http://ocean.si.edu. In 2009 Knowlton won the Peter Benchley Award for science in the service of conservation and in 2011 she won the Heinz Award for contributions benefiting the environment. She lives with her family in Washington, D.C.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book about our amazing Seas! September 16, 2010

By B. G. Sibley

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a truly beautiful book. The writing is wonderful -- even my six year old has chosen it as his favorite book. It makes a great gift for anyone from 6 to 100. One of the best books I have bought.I plan to give it to friends,teachers and colleagues this holiday season. Perfect!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll come for the photos, but you'll stay for the text October 29, 2010

By R. Olson

Format:Hardcover

My father, who was a P.O.W. survivor of World War II always urged us to eat slowly and chew our food thoroughly. He credited that practice for his survival when many men around him in the prison camps wolfed down their food, developed digestive problems, and died. That same advice comes to my mind in reading Nancy Knowlton's wonderous book, "Citizens of the Sea: Wonderous creatures from the Census of Marine Life." The pictures are amazing, but the text is the real treat. And it needs to be consumed slowly, savoring every fascinating morsel.

Superficially, it looks like another pretty coffee table book of sea creatures that sits on your coffee table for a while as visitors occasionally flip through the photos. But when you take the time to sit down and digest the text, you realize the greatest strength of the book is the writing that supports the stunning photos. Dr. Knowlton (who is a long time friend) has dug up soooo many tidbits in support of the images that it almost reads like a trivia book. Everything from the fact that there are waaaay more bacteria in the ocean than stars in the sky, to defensive "rosettes" of spiny lobsters and whales, to the awesome Bob Marley Worm -- the book is packed with memorable details.

I once went to a diving trade show where they had slide show presentations from sport divers. One after another they got up and showed amazing underwater photos of fish and corals they had taken. The only problem was they had no idea of what was in the photos. So the audience -- hundreds of people -- just sat there in dead silence, cooing over the images, but having no clue of what they were seeing. This book is the opposite of that. For each photo, not only is your question of, "What's that?" answered, you also get stories and factoids about the creatures that will make you realize it is far more than just another coffee table adornment. It's a book that will give you a warm and loving introduction to the citizens who inhabit the sea!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Phantastic ! October 14, 2010

By Christian Ziegler

Format:Hardcover

I am very impressed with this book on many levels. The photography is superb, the layout is well done, and the text is deeply informed, fun to read, and full of cool and new facts about the oceans and its inhabitants. A rare example of a great marriage of science and entertainment. I think this is an ideal book for anyone interested in marine life, and a perfect gift to get someone interested.