Synopsis
The World Beneath the Waves is a sweeping natural history of the oceans - an awe-inspiring exploration of marine life, our deep connections with the sea, and the urgent challenges facing these vast blue realms. It is the first comprehensive, up-to-date scientific survey of Earth's ocean habitats - encompassing 97 per cent of the planet's living space - in over a decade.
Spanning seven vivid chapters, the journey takes in sunlit coasts and dives through intertidal zones, coral reefs, and tropical waters, and the inky abyss of the deep sea. Along the way, we encounter dazzling marine marvels from bioluminescent creatures like the vampire squid to an evolutionary arms race among molluscs. Discover the bristlemouth fish, the most abundant vertebrate on Earth, and the ancient six-gill shark, unchanged for over 200 million years. Learn how coral larvae sniff out new homes, and why even the humble mussel hides stories of evolutionary ingenuity.
The book also examines humanity's complex relationship with the ocean from ancient fishing traditions to the devastating legacy of industrial whaling, which saw blue whale numbers plummet from 300,000 to just hundreds by the 1960s. Today, the ocean bears the scars of overfishing, pollution, and climate change but it also offers hope. Through cutting-edge science and conservation, some of this damage may yet be reversed.
Ultimately, this is a hopeful, galvanising book, one that invites wonder, ignites curiosity, and reminds us of both the beauty and fragility of the world beneath the waves.
Spanning seven vivid chapters, the journey takes in sunlit coasts and dives through intertidal zones, coral reefs, and tropical waters, and the inky abyss of the deep sea. Along the way, we encounter dazzling marine marvels from bioluminescent creatures like the vampire squid to an evolutionary arms race among molluscs. Discover the bristlemouth fish, the most abundant vertebrate on Earth, and the ancient six-gill shark, unchanged for over 200 million years. Learn how coral larvae sniff out new homes, and why even the humble mussel hides stories of evolutionary ingenuity.
The book also examines humanity's complex relationship with the ocean from ancient fishing traditions to the devastating legacy of industrial whaling, which saw blue whale numbers plummet from 300,000 to just hundreds by the 1960s. Today, the ocean bears the scars of overfishing, pollution, and climate change but it also offers hope. Through cutting-edge science and conservation, some of this damage may yet be reversed.
Ultimately, this is a hopeful, galvanising book, one that invites wonder, ignites curiosity, and reminds us of both the beauty and fragility of the world beneath the waves.
Details
02 July 2026
9781786582973Imprint: Ithaka
