Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An introduction to the many living things, from microscopic plants to huge sharks, that live in the ocean and discusses the importance of oceans to life on earth.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-8-- An oversized volume that presents the oceans as vast areas of teeming life. Very little of the ocean has been explored, but Wu describes and illustrates the fascinating aspects that are known about this diverse and rich habitat. His full-color photographs are crisp and clear; their arrangement on the page is in direct relation to the text, which flows naturally from a discussion of the open ocean, coral reefs, the kelp forest, and the deep, to the future. Especially stunning is the section on the animals found from 1,000 to 5,000 feet. This book is fabulous for browsing--the photographs are spectacular, and the entries give in-depth information on specific aspects of the subject. The author uses Latin names and terminology, as well as those that are more common, and includes U. S. metric and temperature conversion tables, making this useful for reports and enjoyable as leisure reading. --Frances E. Millhouser, Reston Regional Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Wu's factual, engaging text and vivid color photographs draw the reader into a little-explored world teeming with life. With plenty of white space, the layout serves to highlight striking photographs of such creatures as a tiny, red-eyed spotjaw blenny, a razor-toothed cookie cutter shark, and a fleshy wolf eel. Discussed, too, are the plight of the coral reefs and kelp forests and other aspects of the delicate ecosystem of the ocean. Ind. From HORN BOOK 1991, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.