Over half of the earth's surface is covered by oceans. This encyclopedia, packed with stunning pictures, maps, and other images, addresses every aspect of oceanography.
Ocean: The World's Last Wilderness Revealed
American Museum of Natural History
Introduction by Fabien Cousteau
GC 21 .O29 2006
This brilliantly colored and illustrated book separates ocean science into understandable component parts. Chapters are dedicated to explaining its geology, climatology, plant and animal life, environmental conditions, geography and topology, and even the commercial ventures and living conditions that oceans generate. One of the aspects of this book that makes it so appealing is the way that it places these different components into the context of one another. For example, articles on animals address migration, breeding, diet, and predator/prey relationships while entries on coastal landscapes address local geology, environmental microclimates, and interaction between the land, the sea, and their inhabitants. This book is a fascinating read, whether treated as a reference book or enjoyed cover to cover.
