To the Bottom of the Sea: The Exploration of Exotic Life, the Titanic, and Other Secrets of the Oceans

Sullivan, George

ISBN 10: 0761303529 ISBN 13: 9780761303527

Publisher: Twenty First Century Books, 1999

Synopsis

Provides an informative examination of the equipment used to probe and research the vast underwater world while presenting the varied and unique things found through expeditions, complete with full-color photos, source notes, and margin definitions.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8-Many of the stunning scientific and archaeological discoveries of this century would not have been possible without the array of robotic underwater equipment developed since the 1980s. The first two chapters of this book summarize these technological advances and describe many of these new devices and vehicles and their use in undersea exploration. Following chapters describe life-forms discovered during deep-sea dives, such as the coelacanth. The clear, readable text also includes descriptions of the giant squid, sometimes caught in nets by fishermen but never captured for scientific study. Small text boxes provide tidbits on such topics as Jason, a camera-carrying robot; AUVs, the term for these autonomous underwater vehicles; and definitions of ingot, hydrothermal vents, and more. Robert Ballard's work on the Titanic is covered, but equally interesting and perhaps less familiar is the information on the Central America, a ship whose sinking lost so much California gold that it helped trigger the Depression of 1857. Black-and-white and full-color photographs accompany the text. In a section called "Source Notes," each chapter is footnoted; "For More Information" lists private research organizations, federal agencies, and marine museums. Interesting and readable, this title is also useful for homework support.
Frances E. Millhouser, Chantilly Regional Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Things are looking up for the explorers and scientists who are looking down. With crisp efficiency, nonfiction veteran Sullivan traces the course of undersea exploration from the nineteenth-century voyage of the Challenger to the launch of the newest generation of independent, robotic submersibles. He records some dazzling recent accomplishments and discoveries: locating the Titanic as well as several ancient wrecks found in the Mediterranean; recovering fabulous wealth from the Central America, a passenger ship filled with California gold that went down off the coast of South Carolina in 1857; observing eerie creatures and charting vast, untouched mineral resources around deep-sea volcanic vents. The illustrations are large, frequent, mostly color, and adequately sharp; back matter includes source notes, addresses, and Web sites. In conjunction with books such as Deborah Kovacs' Beneath Blue Waters: Meetings with Remarkable Deep Sea Creatures (1996), this will give children exciting glimpses of the benthic frontier's wonders and secrets. John Peters

About this edition

• Publisher: Twenty First Century Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0761303529
• ISBN 13: 9780761303527
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 80