Product Description

Internationally renowned as the ambassador-at-large to the world's oceans, Sylvia Earle is an extraordinary woman--the former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a distinguished marine biologist, a veteran of more than 6,000 hours underwater, the founder of an ocean engineering firm, and an eloquent advocate for marine conservation. Sea Change is at once the gripping adventure story of Earle's three decades of undersea exploration, an insider's introduction to the dynamic field of marine biology, and an urgent plea for the preservation of the world's fragile and rapidly deteriorating ocean ecosystems.

Earle takes us along on journeys to places of unimaginable beauty and unutterable destruction. She conjures up the exhilaration of swimming with humpback whales off the coast of Maui; she makes us comprehend the true environmental tragedy of the massive oil spills in Prince William Sound and the Persian Gulf; and she leads us out into Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the epitome of ocean wilderness but also the final resting place for tons of waste that drift in from thousands of miles away. This brilliant, thought-provoking, superbly readable book will inspire a new reverence for the majesty of the world's oceans even as it opens our eyes to the intricate interdependence of all life-forms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76947 in Books
• Published on: 1996-05-21
• Released on: 1996-05-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Amazon.com Review
What have we learned since 1951, when Rachel Carson's charming The Sea Around Us was published, winning so many hearts and the National Book Award? The sea below us, as pioneering marine biologist Sylvia Earle and others have demonstrated, churns with far more life than Carson ever dreamed. Sea Change is an enthusiastic celebration of that diversity and abundance. It's also a profoundly sobering account of the shortsighted human assault on ocean life. The "silent tide," as one reviewer wrote, may lie just offshore. Only a sea change in human habits and economies will save the oceans.

Like Carson, Earle carved a place for herself in the public imagination despite resistance from those in her male-dominated field. Her tales of underwater adventure--including many record-breaking dives among the 6,000 hours she has spent underwater--are punctuated by stories about her increasing prominence as an advocate for the oceans. She's seen it all, it seems: a year diving with whales in Hawaii, visits to Prince William Sound and the Persian Gulf in the aftermath of colossal oil spills, etc. Her breezy prose won't win her the National Book Award, but few others wear Rachel Carson's mantle as gracefully. That is reason enough to read Sea Change. --Pete Holloran

From Publishers Weekly
Marine biologist Earle discusses her own adventures and the history of ocean exploration, as well as current threats to the health of the oceans.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher
"What Rachel Carson was to insecticides, birds, and our planet in 1962, Sylvia Earle, scientist, explorer, oceanographer, diver extraordinaire, entrepreneur, and eternal romantic, is now to the ocean."
--The Boston Globe

"A moving plea for the preservation of the oceans . . . An adventure story and a tribute to all creatures great and small. Tragically, it is a eulogy, a Rachel Carson-like warning of the silent tide inexorably approaching."
--The New York Times Book Review

"With contagious enthusiasm, Earle provides exciting accounts of her deep-sea explorations. . . . Earle gives vivid descriptions of the dramatic sea changes, and she urges readers to be more respectful toward the oceans--for our own sake, if nothing else."
--The Seattle Times

"Compelling and alarming . . . In Sea Change, Earle discusses her love for the sea and its still considerable mysteries in a personal voice that rhapsodizes the topic while also instructing us in many of its subtleties and complexities."
--San Diego Union-Tribune

"A landmark book of tremendous importance, Sea Change is a masterful blend of meticulous scientific investigation and incredible adventure. Earle's prose is magnificent, her story utterly compelling. It conveys an urgent call to action, an appeal to every one of us who cares about the ocean world on which we are all, ultimately, dependent. After reading this book--and read it you must--you will never be quite the same."
--Dr. Jane Goodall

"A fascinating book--which is also an urgent warning about the damage we are doing to the global environment. Let us hope the world will listen to Earle's SOS--Save Our Seas--before it is too late.
--Arthur C. Clarke, CBE

"Sea Change sounds an alarm and offers hope. No one is better qualified than Sylvia Earle to give us this assessment of the greatest element of our biosphere."
--Hugh Downs

"An insightful account of the changes Earle has witnessed over the last several decades. Her almost spiritual respect for her subject is evident in her awe-filled writing. . . . At the last, she offers a blueprint for change, with suggestions for guaranteeing the survival of our seas. A must for anyone who shares her deep respect for the life and health of our planet."
--NAPRA ReVIEW

"Unlike most people, Ms. Earle has seen nature in its most pristine state, before humans--the newcomers to this environment--have had a chance to interfere. She has seen the alarming consequences of exploitation and greed, and writes of them with a mix of scientific objectivity and a naturalist's passion."
--Baltimore Sun

Customer Reviews

The history and science of oceanography
Much of this book is written in the first person, which in places makes it very appealing, but in other places is distracting. My other gripe is that she jumps around a bit in her life time - so one chapter she talks about being the only woman on an expedition, and then she is the 1990's leader of NOAA and then we are back to her childhood haunts and back again.

That being said, it is a good read, full of facts and history. She worked in the sciences back when women were uncommon in the field. Back when there was no scuba gear and Jacques Cousteau was in to spear fishing, not conservation. Interesting stories, indeed! So, if you want an account of oceanography, past and present, its extreme limits and cool equipment from a personal point of view, pick this one up.

Incredible! A true visit to the real world of the oceans.
An inspiring story on the world of marine science. Sea Change takes you to the roots marine studies, and shows the rise of a marine biologist from a girl at the beach to a woman with a submarine. Anyone even faintly interested in the environment in general will love this book and it's hands on experiences with the world. Sea Change gives life lessons, and shows the real world of the sea, not the usual fairy tale of unbounding resources and perfect harmony. For the true marine fan, this book can serve as a novel as well as a learning experience. This is a delightful book that is easy to read and secretly educational. It enriches the mind while painting the imagination. I would reccomend this book to anyone willing to hear me out.

Excellent story about the Oceans and the environment
Sylvia really opened my eyes to the fragile nature of our environment and to the beauty and vastness of the oceans. I highly recommend this book for anyone with the slightest interest in our environment and nature. This book will make you interested in learning and doing more for the environment.