Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime
The Oceans’ Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter
- Contents
- Review Quotes
A Note on the Title
1. The Invisible Crowd
2. Mega-Slime, Seduction, and Shape-Shifting
3. Let’s Talk Snails
4. The Riddle of the Reef
5. Armed and Dangerous
6. Cabinet of Curiosities
7. X-Games
8. Radical Living
9. Danger Looms
10. The Good News
11. How You Can Help
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Sponsors and Partnering Organizations
"Packed with excellent conversation fodder for your next date, this book details the strange lives and mating rituals of sea creatures. Choose your anecdotes wisely, though: That romantic seafood dinner may become less appetizing once you explain that lobsters use urine during foreplay, or that male octopi copulate with a 'specialized baby-maker arm.'"
"Prager plumbs the depths for strange or marvelous organisms, first wowing us with their weirdness and then reeling us in with their worth—be it culinary, medicinal, biotechnological, or recreational. Her exuberant writing reveals a personal enthrallment with her protagonists. She’s the perfect guide for an undersea exploration."
"The ocean may look lifeless from the deck of a ship, but under the water live many creatures large and small. In the past, writers have claimed there was an abundance of life in the seas, but marine scientist Prager reports that overfishing, pollution, and global warming have already taken a great toll on marine life. She hopes there is still time to save ocean creatures, for their sake and ours. The problem is getting people to care, and to do so they must be aware of the diversity and value of marine life. In this introduction to ocean life, Prager briefly describes an array of creatures, starting with microscopic diatoms, copepods, and plankton and thematically progressing through rare, dangerous, and slow-developing invertebrates, fishes, birds, and marine mammals. Aiming to entertain as well as teach, she often focuses on oddities and strange behaviors. Her detailed observations will be most appreciated by natural-history readers."
“If you read only one book about the ocean, read this one. Learn and laugh about the astonishing creatures of the sea and discover the connections that all living things share, and realize that trouble for ocean life is trouble for human life. A thoroughly entertaining, sobering, and inspiring must-read for all who care about the future of the sea, and the future of humankind.”
“The ocean is endlessly fascinating and mysterious. With her easy and companionable writing, Ellen Prager conveys a deeply delightful introduction to all kinds of ocean creatures. A great book for beginners and one even experts can learn from and enjoy—this is possibly the best general book ever written on creatures of the deep.”--Carl Safina, author of The View From Lazy Point
“The oceans could have no better storyteller than Ellen Prager. Each page leaves you wondering what extraordinary creature or behavior would appear next or how even those that seem the most ordinary have mysteries beyond our imagination. Beyond inspiring wonder, Prager tells why it all matters, from the tiniest to the largest creature, our health, our lives, the economy and our future are interconnected in astonishing ways.”--US Congressman Brian Baird, former chairman of the Energy and Environment subcommittee
“In my years of diving and reporting below the surface of the sea, Ellen Prager has been the most effective and humorous storyteller about life in the ocean. Here she brings us the strangely well-endowed conch, slime-touting hagfish, transgender parrotfish, and an abundance of slime and sex within the seas. By combining science with humor, she allows more people to learn about the ocean and understand that the lives of animals are not only crucial for our food and fun, but also for our economy and health. You really should read this book, which not only teaches us about the ocean, but also makes it entertaining and gives us ideas about how to save the sea and the wonderful life in it."
“Prager provides ocean enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds—from Key West to Kalamazoo—with easy to understand and entertaining descriptions of what lies beneath and why all of us should care about marine life. Her work will serve as serious inspiration to all, from the average Joe to the next generation of oceanographers, scientists, and explorers.”
“Ellen Prager has produced a fascinating and delightful read about the amazing diversity of life under the sea. She describes a panoply of strange and wondrous creatures in an accessible and non-technical fashion that leaves you shaking your head in wonder. Prager’s book will make you want to head to the nearest shore and jump right in!”
Biological Sciences: Conservation | Natural History
Earth Sciences: Oceanography and Hydrology
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