Customer Reviews

Prowling the Seas: Exploring the Hidden World of Ocean Predators

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most of Earth's predators live beneath the ocean waters and carry an aura of mystery about them because scientists are now discovering they didn't know as much about them as they thought they did. For example, scientists mistakenly thought that white sharks "stayed near the coast," but by tagging them they found that they swim "far into the open ocean." Scientists of the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) tagged a great white shark off the coast of California in 2004. The battery tag failed in the ocean waters of Hawaii little more than six months later.

The tag, sans shark, mysteriously showed up in a tidal pool the same year. It was picked up by five-year-old Calvin Wisner. Just how much do we really know about our mysterious ocean predators? In this book you will learn about TOPP's scientists and what they do, but more interestingly you'll learn about the animals they study. You'll learn about the leatherback sea turtle and the "Great Turtle Race," you'll follow and learn about a small bluefin tuna that crisscrossed the Pacific, and you'll learn some amazing things about the sooty shearwater. If you are really interested in these animals, this book gives a link where you can go to follow the animals in "near real time!"

This fascinating book will thrill anyone interested in exploring and learning about the predators of the deep. I loved reading this book and when I went to check out the recommended "near real time" site it brought to light what these scientists are really doing. I won't spoil the readers' experience and won't go into what I saw. The photographs in this book were vibrant and very interesting. There were many maps to show the pathways these animals took. In the back of the book is a single page about "Ocean Predator Populations" and additional recommended book, video and internet resources. This book would be a wonderful classroom resource!

"Prowling the Seas: Exploring the Hidden World of Ocean Predators," by Pamela Turner. (Walker). Follow tagged sea creatures on their epic journeys across the Pacific Ocean in this fascinating book. Scientists tag a tuna, great white shark, leatherback turtle, and a pair of shearwaters for the Tagging of Pacific Predators Project. Researchers learned surprising new information about the endangered animals. For example, leatherback turtles swim past the Galapagos Islands to the mid-Pacific, but no one knows why. The tuna swam 25,000 miles in 600 days! The mated birds took wildly different routes after nesting, only to reunite months later. Each chapter has easy-to-follow maps showing the animals' routes and numerous full-color photos. This lovely book may change the way you think about sea creatures.

By Connie Goldsmith, children's book reviewer for California Kids, a Sacramento regional parenting publication

Daniel Corrigan just moved to Nodle's Green, Pennsylvania

and notices something strange. Soon, he figures out that

his new friends have superpowers. One can fly, one is super

strong, and another can turn invisible. These kids watch

over the town and keep everyone safe. The only problem is

that the superheroes are disappearing one by one because

when they turn thirteen, their powers and any memories of

them disappear. To find the villain that is stealing the

powers of the kids of Noble's Green, everyone will have to

work together and stop him once and for all.

This book is now one of my favorites! The author made me feel like I was

actually there. I felt like I could relate to all of the

characters in some way. I also liked how the author

described everything in great detail so you knew exactly

what was going on. I would recommend this book to anyone

who loves a good adventure or mystery.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer

Flamingnet Book Reviews

Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

This book provides a fascinating account of a few of the marine animals tagged by TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators) that reveals their wide range of travel, and the incredible number of miles each animal covered: leatherback sea turtles, a Blue fin tuna, a Great White shark, and a pair of nesting Sooty Shearwater birds. The author explains how the data retrieved from tagged animals helps scientists to ascertain population numbers, and perhaps learn how best to protect at least some of the rapidly dwindling species. Spectacular photographs are provided by many of the scientists involved in the TOPP project, and diagrams of currents and passageways of individual animals demonstrate vividly the vast distances these animals journey. Included is a page of suggested resources for further study and an internet address for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with a "comprehensive, thoughtful list" of things readers can do to help preserve these marine communities.