about this book

A Silent Spring for our era, this eloquent, urgent, fascinating book reveals how just 50 years of swift and dangerous oceanic change threatens the very existence of life on Earth. Legendary marine scientist Sylvia Earle portrays a planet teetering on the brink of irreversible environmental crisis.

In recent decades we’ve learned more about the ocean than in all previous human history combined. But, even as our knowledge has exploded, so too has our power to upset the delicate balance of this complex organism. Modern overexploitation has driven many species to the verge of extinction, from tiny but indispensable biota to magnificent creatures like tuna, swordfish, and great whales. Since the mid-20th century about half our coral reefs have died or suffered sharp decline; hundreds of oxygen-deprived "dead zones" blight our coastal waters; and toxic pollutants afflict every level of the food chain.

Fortunately, there is reason for hope, but what we do—or fail to do—in the next ten years may well resonate for the next ten thousand. The ultimate goal, Earle argues passionately and persuasively, is to find responsible, renewable strategies that safeguard the natural systems that sustain us. The first step is to understand and act upon the wise message of this accessible, insightful, and compelling book.

西尔维娅·A. 厄尔（Sylvia A.Earle）

海洋学家、美国国家地理学会驻会探险家、深海探索基金会创建人、谷歌地球海洋咨询委员会主席。她在圣彼得堡学院和佛罗里达州立大学获得学士学位，之后在杜克大学获得硕士和博士学位，并同时荣获17个荣誉学位。厄尔主要从事海洋生态系统的研究和保护，特别关注海洋藻类以及利用新技术到达深海进行研究。迄今为止，厄尔已领导全球100多次海洋探险并记录下7000多个小时的水下探险日志，其中包括9次饱和潜水和多次载人潜水器潜水。

截至本书英文原版出版之际，厄尔已撰写并出版了超过175篇作品，在全球70多个国家和地区进行了演讲并受邀出席许多广播和电视节目。她已荣获100多项国家和国际荣誉，其中包括入选美国国家女性名人堂，荣获荷兰金方舟奖以及蓝色海洋电影终身成就奖。她被《纽约客》和《纽约时报》尊称为“深海女王”（Her Deepness），被美国国会图书馆誉为“活着的传奇”（a Living Legend），被《时代》杂志誉为“首位星球英雄”（Hero for the Planet）。