Smithsonian Ocean

NobelPrizewinnerAlGorewroteofDeborahCramer'spreviousbookGreatWaters,"Iurgeeveryonetoreadthisbook,toactonitsmessage,andtopassonitsteachings."NowCrameroffersagroundbreakingbookforanevenmoreurgenttime.Ourlivesdependonthesea.AsgiftedsciencewriterDeborahCramermakesclearinthisextraordinaryvolume,theoceanhasbeenearth'slifelineformorethanthreeandahalfbillionyears.Lifebeganinthescaldinginfernoofdeep-seahotsprings.Thefirstcell,thefirstplant,andthefirstanimalwereallborninthesea.Climatechangeswroughtbytheseacreatedevolutionarypathwaysformammalsandgaverisetoourhumanancestorssome200,000yearsago.Theone,interconnectedseastillsustainsus.Invisibleplantsintheocean'ssunlitsurfacegiveusairtobreathe.Rushingcurrentssupplywatertotheatmosphere'sprotectivegreenhouseandraintodryland.ButasCramerrevealsinthissweepinglookatearth'sbiography,thevitalpartnershipbetweenearthandthelifeitnourisheshasrecentlybeendisrupted.Today,asingleterrestrialspecies,man,hasbeguntoalterthehealthoftheseaitself.Themarkofhumansontheseasisnoweverywhere—fromthefertilewatersofcontinentalshelvestotheicyreachesofthepoles,fromthedazzlingdiversityofcoralreefstotheporousedgeofestuaries.Eventheopenoceanbearscleartracesofourharmfulways.Scientistsbelievehumanimpactmayhavealreadysparkedacatastrophiceventthatcouldchangetheseaandtheearthirrevocably:thesixthmassplanetaryextinctiononascaleunseensincethedemiseofthedinosaurs65millionyearsago.Butunliketheforcesthatcausedpreviousextinctions,humankindcanmakeachoice.Wecanchoosethemarkwewishtomakeandthelegacyweleavebehind.WritteninthepassionatetraditionofRachelCarson,SmithsonianOceanisatonceabookforourtimeandfortheages.Carsonwrote:"Onewaytoopenyoureyesistoaskyourself:WhatifIhadneverseenthisbefore?WhatifIknewIwouldneverseeitagain?"Cramer'spowerfulandinspiringmessageisequallyawake-upcall:"Weholdearth'slife-givingwaters—andourfuture—inourhands."Ourlivesdependonthesea.