Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

This is the 10th book in the “A Very Short Introduction” series that I have read. I note that there are more than 350 (and counting!) in the series, and would love to read the vast majority of them. Each provides a relatively concise, as the title implies, exposition of a particular topic, ranging, literally, from “Nothing” to “Infinity.” I had previously read and reviewed  Coral Reefs: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) . That topic is covered in one of the eight chapters of this work. Our knowledge of the oceans, or, as Philip Mladenov says in the singular, “The Global Ocean,” which covers 71% of the planet, has grown exponentially over the last half century, with the knowledge obtained through the development of such inventions as the Scuba diving regulator and the bathyscaphe, a free-diving, self-propelled submersible, now capable of descending to the deepest ocean depths. The author, who published this work in 2013, provided this reader a much needed update on some of the advances in our knowledge of the oceans.The first chapter covers some useful characteristics of the Global Ocean. The easiest one for me to remember is that 10 meters of ocean water has the same pressure as all the air above it, in the atmosphere. Thus, when diving at 10 meters, thanks to the aforementioned regulator, it is possible to breathe, since the regulator releases air at “two atms,” (two atmospheres of pressure). Light will penetrate the ocean to a depth of 150-200 meters; but all the light in the red spectrum is absorbed in the first 10 meters of water, leaving the blues and the greens to penetrate deeper. The colder the water, the more oxygen it contains, with arctic water containing almost double that of the warmest ocean water. Seawater is slightly alkaline; the more carbon dioxide it contains, the lower the pH, and with enough CO2, the ocean will become acidic. The ocean is also in motion, with permanent currents, such as the Gulf Stream. In addition, there are sinking and rising currents, important for the transfer and replenishment of nutrients. Mladenov introduced me to the concept of “the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt” which spans the globe.The second chapter describes the essential biological processes, with roughly half of the planet’s “primary production,” that is, the synthesis of organic compounds by chlorophyll-bearing organisms using the sun’s energy, occurring in the ocean. This energy conversion is the basis of the “food chain,” with the bacterioplankton consumed by larger predators. The next five chapters describe the differences in marine life, and the adaptation to its environment in five different areas: coastal, polar, tropics, deep-ocean and intertidal. For me, the greatest increases in knowledge involved the deep-ocean area, which was pretty much a “blank page” in my youth. I learned that there is extensive (and very damaging) fishing on seamounts (extinct volcanoes) for such species as the orange roughy. Hydrothermal vents were discovered in 1977, at a depth of 2700 meters. More surprising, there is substantial life surrounding these vents, in one of the harshest of environments, with superheated acidic fluid, including hydrogen sulfide.Of the various factoids that I learned, as the author says, one of the more surprising is that the largest source of oil pollution in the ocean comes from small spills from cars, trucks and boats that wash into the ocean, some 72% of the total, as opposed to the “newsworthy” catastrophes, such as the “Exxon Valdez” and deep-ocean oil well “blow-outs.” The author’s concluding chapter concerns the ocean as a food source for the growing human population. He states that the yield from the ocean has essentially plateaued, and unless serious conservation measures are in place, and enforced, will most certainly decline. The biggest factoid is 9 billion, which is the estimated human population by 2050, almost triple the number when I was born. Other factoids involve the serious percentage of coral reefs that are being damaged due to global warming… which the vast majority of us recognize as being caused by humans. When do the dots finally get connected… as opposed to pasting another designer-colored band-aide on the problem? 5-stars for Philip Mladenov’s concise work on our ocean.

I read it because I’m a new SCUBA diver. This miracle of brevity weaves a web, paragraph after paragraph, linking together a host of key concepts into a comprehensible whole. Although I was familiar with the subject from years past, this was a fresh look at the subject and a primer on recent work in the field. Awesome.

This series is a useful way to be quickly introduced to a complex topic. This particular book covers marine biology with a short talk-through on biological processes in the ocean and the various zones in the ocean where life survives. The narrative should be accessible to the average reading adult. Some nice simple diagrams which help illustrate text. This book was published in 2013 and this reviewer noted its content is slightly dated on the rapidly evolving topic of ocean fisheries. Recommended to its intended audience.

I've been an avid reader of marine science books since first discovering Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us. For the average person, this book is a great choice, providing a thorough exploration of the ocean, its life and its processes. Regarding the title - it is not short, but this is a good thing! The author has a gift for imparting a great deal of information in a concise way - in other words, he's a great teacher. There's a good deal of disturbing information about the state of our global ocean and some books can overwhelm the reader to the point of depression. Sylvia Earle's The World is Blue is an example. I have the highest regard for Earle and what she has done to educate the world about the ocean, but her anger is evident on every page of her recent books and can leave the reader feeling hopeless, as many climate change books do. Somehow, Mladenov avoids this - his science is solid, brilliant and thorough and his steady, patient exploration retains a sense of wonder. This book IS technical and is not a children's book, but any child really interested in the subject would devour it. I read it over a period of many weeks - there's a lot to absorb, all of it worthwhile to learn and know and plenty of warnings for us to heed, but the author never resorts to fear-mongering, just education. The ocean is still alive and well and wondrous and immensely important to all of us. While this book may be too technical for some, such as very young children, it is a perfect choice for those of us who need both the science and the sense of wonder.

I have no background in biology whatsoever. Mladenov’s book was nevertheless easy for me to follow and understand. It isn’t a comprehensive look at the subject – but none of the books in this series ever is. Instead, Mladenov concentrates on some of the modern problems concerning the world’s oceans, including environmental issues. This book is very good if you want a general understanding of the earth’s oceans and the animals that inhabit it.

I've a Ph.D. in the life sciences, though not in marine biology and not recently. I found this to be extremely readable and understandable and gave me information I wanted for my new passion: scuba. (A PhD is not required for this book, though a basic understanding of physics is helpful.)

I purchased this text as a teaching tool for an online course I am teaching. I am using it as an outline so I can hit upon the most important information in the short amount of time the course will run. It is written as more of an ecological text rather than a taxonomic laundry list of organisms that inhabit the oceans.

New condition and very small in size - almost like a pocket book that you can carry around.

I have read 30-40 books in the Very Short Introduction series and this is the first time I have been disappointed in the level of academic/scientific detail provided. Would suit late GCSE/early A level and would still be an "easy read", to give an idea.Also a bit repetitive in parts - the editing standard for other books in this series is significantly higher.Nonetheless, it is still a reasonable read.

I am studying an ocean sciences course at university and this book is a fantastic book to get some basic knowledge. I would recommend for anyone as it is easy to understand and a fun read! Plus arrived within a day which is always nice.

As someone who's applying tobstudy marine biology - this is a great intro book. Those complaining that the language is too technical...well, it IS a science book.There are some keywords and statistics that fly over my head but i genuinely think that it's an alright read. A good foundation in science helps - so if you remember a little of the stuff you learnt in GCSE, it's alright.

Excellent little book!. A real insight into the marine world. As a marine Aquarist for over 2 years, and having read so much on the subject, this little book has given me so much more valuable information that any website or publication..... highly recommended for novices or advanced aquarists.

Really well written. Excellent value.