The Ocean's Menagerie: How Earth's Strangest Creatures Reshape the Rules of Life

Synopsis

An elegantly written exploration of the cutting edge science of the strangest and most remarkable creatures on our planet by a leading marine biologistHundred-year-old giant clams, coral kingdoms that rival human cities, and jellyfish that glow in the dark: ocean invertebrates are among the oldest and most diverse organisms on earth, seeming to bend the &“rules&” of land-based biology. Although sometimes unseen in the deep, the spineless creatures contain 600 million years of adaptation to problems of disease, energy consumption, nutrition, and defense. In The Ocean&’s Menagerie, world-renowned marine ecologist Dr. Drew Harvell takes us diving from Hawaii to the Salish Sea, from St. Croix to Indonesia, to uncover the incredible underwater &“superpowers&” of spineless creatures: we meet corals many times stronger than steel or concrete, sponges who create potent chemical compounds to fight off disease, and sea stars that garden the coastlines, keeping all the other nearby species in balance. As our planet changes fast, the biomedical, engineering, and energy innovations of these wonderous creatures inspire ever more important solutions to our own survival. The Ocean&’s Menagerie is a tale of biological marvels, a story of a woman&’s passionate connection to an adventurous career in science, and a call to arms to protect the world&’s most ancient ecosystems.

Copyright:

2025

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

288 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780593654293

Related ISBNs:

9780593654286, 9798217064335, 9798217064342

Publisher:

Penguin Publishing Group

Date of Addition:

04/22/25

Copyrighted By:

Drew Harvell

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Biographies and Memoirs, Outdoors and Nature

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.