Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia

Description

From the shimmering surface to the darkest depths, this breathtaking visual encyclopedia presents our blue planet as never before. Stunning photography, accessible information, and fascinating facts are spilling over in this essential guide to the oceans. Take a dip in all the world's waters to experience their incredible diversity. Make a splash in the icy Arctic waters before warming up in the tropical Indian Ocean. Experience the super size of mighty whales compared to swarms of tiny krill. Cast your eyes to the skies to see circling sea birds before diving down to meet mysterious creatures of the deep. Awash with comprehensive information and fascinating detail, Ocean: A Children's Encyclopedia is the perfect choice for school projects, marine enthusiasts, and water babies everywhere. Contents 4 ATLAS OF THE OCEANS 6 Oceans of the world 8 Arctic Ocean 10 Atlantic Ocean 12 Indian Ocean 14 Pacific Ocean 16 Southern Ocean 18 BLUE PLANET 20 Planet ocean 22 How oceans formed 24 New land 26 Ocean floor 28 Mid-ocean ridges 30 The deepest depths 32 Grinding plates 34 Evolving oceans 36 Tsunamis 38 Hotspots 40 Lava flow 42 Continental shelves 44 Changing sea levels 46 Ocean water 48 Light, heat, and sound 50 Oceanic winds 52 Oceanic storms 54 Waves 56 Plunging breaker 58 Surface currents 60 Sargasso Sea 62 Upwelling zones 64 Deepwater currents 66 THE OPEN OCEAN 68 Depth zones 70 Sunlit zone 72 Zooplankton 74 Drifting jellies 76 The food chain 78 Hungry schools 80 Oceanic hunters 82 Bait ball 84 Sharks 86 Filter-feeding giants 88 Baleen whales 90 Lunge-feeding whales 92 Toothed whales and dolphins 94 Ocean birds 96 Twilight zone 98 Dark zone 100 Ocean floor life 102 Life on black smokers 104 SHALLOW SEAS 106 Fertile waters 108 The seabed 110 Seaweeds 112 Kelp forests 114 Sea otter 116 Seafloor fish 118 Sea snails and clams 120 Squid, octopus, and cuttlefish 122 Hatching octopus 124 Prawns, lobsters, and crabs 126 Starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers 128 Jellyfish and anemones 130 Corals and coral reefs 132 The Great Barrier Reef 134 Reef fish 136 Reef invertebrates 138 Giant clam 140 Atolls and lagoons 142 COAST AND SEASHORE 144 Tides 146 Wave power 148 Cliffs and caves 150 Twelve apostles 152 Rocky shore life 154 Tide pools 156 Beaches, dunes, and spits 158 Hidden riches 160 Shorebirds 162 Oystercatchers 164 Seabird colonies 166 Sea turtles 168 Shore crabs 170 Estuaries and mudflats 172 Deltas 174 Salt marshes 176 Mangrove swamps 178 Scarlet ibis 180 Seagrass beds 182 Sea snakes and crocodiles 184 POLAR SEAS 186 Polar extremes 188 Sea ice 190 Life under the ice 192 Crabeater seals and penguins 194 Sleek hunters 196 Antarctic hunters 198 Antarctic islands 200 Glaciers and ice shelves 202 Icebergs 204 Blue icebergs 206 Arctic seals 208 Icy nurseries 210 Hunters on the ice 212 Humans on the ice 214 OCEANS AND US 216 Voyages of discovery 218 Ocean science 220 Scuba diving 222 Deep-sea submersibles 224 Historic shipwrecks 226 Minerals from the oceans 228 Energy from the oceans 230 Fishing 232 Stilt fishing 234 Ocean trade 236 Oceans in danger 238 Climate change 240 Marine conservation 242 Captive breeding 244 Glossary 246 Index 250 Acknowledgments 256