- Morgan R.
- Wednesday, August 23, 2023
After the flurry of news surrounding the ill-fated submersible, Titan, this summer, Susan Casey's timely new book The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean takes readers on a world tour to some of the oceans' greatest unknowns.
The depths of the ocean have been misunderstood, miscalculated, but mostly, unknown. For centuries humans have hypothesized what lies at the bottom of the ocean conjuring up horrific images of sea monsters thirsty for destruction. We have long since known more about the far reaches of space than the depths of our oceans which comprises up to 95% of the earth's livable area. Journalist and self-proclaimed ocean enthusiast Susan Casey takes you along on her adventures with some of the leading scientists in the marine field today who are attempting to get to the bottom of it (pun intended) and to make discoveries that will change everything we know about our planet in her newest book, The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean.
Throughout this well-researched and timely read, Casey ultimately makes a strong argument for more ocean-centric research funding as even though many of these spaces are out of human reach, a final analysis shows the deep sea and its lifeforce are more interconnected to humanity that previously thought.
“...our survival depends on the ocean...now it’s apparent that nature runs as a massively interconnected system, with the deep sea as its motherboard”.
Casey seamlessly transitions between the history of deep-sea exploration and her fascinating experiences aboard research vessels lacing the urgency of climate change action with the beautiful and mysterious world that lies miles below the crashing waves. She takes you along for the ride to El Guapo, a hydrothermal vent of an underwater active volcano teeming with tubeworms, almost 10,000 feet down to witness what is known as a “weirdfish” (aka Genioliparis ferox). She takes readers to the Mariana Trench, the Hawaiian Islands, the Tonga Trench and Axial volcanoes on the Juan de Fuca plate. But this isn’t just a vacation to beautiful lands, readers are also exposed to the ugly underbelly of the fight for who owns the oceans and what laws are in place or yet to be made about the resources the world is fighting for now more than ever.
It is estimated that nearly 3 million ships rest on the ocean floor. Many of the worlds’ armies routinely dump unneeded weapons and live ammunition into the ocean. The sheer amount of microplastics found in any given test sample of ocean water is enough to make your heart sink. The world's ever-growing population now relies on so many battery-powered devices that require the mining of massive amounts of metals and elements that are expensive to mine like yttrium and dysprosium. “We need more of everything...and with global warming tightening its grip, battery metals will be in increasingly high demand.” The headquarters for the International Seabed Authority which is legally obligated to “protect and preserve the marine environment” consists of 168 delegates from 167 nations and the E.U. is located in Jamaica. The delegates meet each year since beginning its in 1994. Scientists oppose the commission's benefits from each mining contract operation and the Authority is currently preparing for “the biggest resource haul the world has ever known- or as one marine scientist put it, ‘the greatest assault on deep-sea ecosystems ever inflicted by humans’”. (p.229)
"You're not going to see aliens in outer space, you're going to see aliens when you go down into the sea".
Filled with not only fascinating facts about the various creatures of the deep which sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but also of the detrimental effects humans are impounding on the planet, Susan Casey makes is clear that “ignoring the aquatic realm that dominates this planet is no longer an option”. (p.277)
Be warned reader: many Google image searches, and further research on topics in this book will be in your future!
Get your copy here.
What the Critics Are Saying
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"An awe-inspiring journey."—People
“Not just a knowledgeable guide, Ms. Casey is also a memorable wordsmith…[Casey’s] book has more than enough deep-sea biology and geology to dazzle.”
—Wall Street Journal
“A fascinating history of mankind's journeys to the depths of the ocean and the intrepid scientists and adventurers who have devoted their lives to the work … Casey's book satisfies our greatest curiosities about the mysteries of the ocean.”
—Time
“In [The Underworld] Casey proves to be an exceptional adventurer and chronicler but also a member of a community dedicated to exploration and conservation of our least-understood aquatic wild places.”
—Los Angeles Times
“One of the most accurate and vivid portrayals of a deep-sea dive that I have ever read”
—Science Magazine
"Masterful and mesmerizing, Susan Casey's THE UNDERWORLD is an irresistible mix of splendid scholarship, heart-stopping adventure writing, and vivid, visceral prose. Her book about the ocean's deeps is both uplifting and profound in the literal sense. I was riveted to every page."
—Sy Montgomery, author of The New York Times bestseller THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS
About the Author
“Susan Casey, author of New York Times bestseller’s Voices in the Ocean, The Wave, and The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America’s Great White Sharks and is the former editor in chief of O, The Oprah Magazine. She is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist whose work has been featured in the Best American Science and Nature Writing, Best American Sports Writing, and Best American Magazine Writing anthologies; and has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Outside.”
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