Megalodons, Mermaids, and Climate Change: Answers to Your Ocean and Atmosphere Questions

Could ancient giant sharks called megalodons still exist in the deep sea? What should you do if stung by a jellyfish? Can we predict lightning strikes and how is climate change affecting hurricanes?

With humor, easy-to-understand language, and fun illustrations, marine scientist Ellen Prager and meteorologist Dave Jones use frequently asked and zany questions about the ocean and atmosphere to combat misinformation and make science engaging and understandable for all. From dangerous marine life, coral reefs, and the deep sea to lightning, hurricanes, weather forecasting, the Sun, and climate change, they reveal what’s fact, what’s fiction, and how to find science-based answers. This book is perfect for anyone curious about the world around them, educators, science communicators, and even scientists who want to learn about and explain topics outside their expertise.

Ellen Prager is a marine scientist, author, and the chief scientist for StormCenter Communications. She also works as a freelance writer and consultant. Her numerous books include Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans’ Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter (2011) and Chasing Science at Sea: Racing Hurricanes, Stalking Sharks, and Living Undersea with Ocean Experts (2008).

Dave Jones is a meteorologist and thirty-five-year veteran of the weather industry. He is the founder of StormCenter Communications and worked as an on-air meteorologist in Washington, DC, and for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Prager and Jones are frequently requested public speakers and appear on television as experts. They are partners for work and in life.