Publishers Weekly
12/11/2023
In this unsettling study, Hill, an oceanographer at the University of California Davis, and science writer Simons (Darwin Slept Here) explore ocean ecosystems and how global warming and pollution are affecting them. Explaining how kelp forests, tide pools, and other aquatic environments function, the authors note that coral reefs form from the symbiotic relationship between dinoflagellate algae, which live inside of coral and feed on its “waste nutrients,” and coral itself, which “builds a skeleton out of calcium carbonate,” resulting in “the beautiful structure people are familiar with” that provide shelter to countless fish and other organisms. Underscoring the threat posed by climate change, Hill and Simons report that amphipods (a kind of tiny crustacean) collected from the Mariana Trench were found to be “laden with human-produced polychlorinated biphenyls, chemicals banned for decades,” suggesting even the most remote places on Earth aren’t safe from humans. The authors outline pollution’s toll on the natural world in haunting detail (“In albatross breeding colonies across the Pacific, the large ocean-roaming birds die with stomachs full of plastic, their bodies decomposing until all that remains is a neatly arranged pile of human junk”), providing an incisive look at a world in crisis. This troubling assessment of how humans are devastating the world’s oceans hits home. Illus. (Feb.)
Book Riot
A top 8 science book to look for in early 2024.
The Green Dispatch
[This book] surprised me with its fresh take on the effects that humans are having on the great bodies of water that cover our planet. [It] is a welcome addition to the conversation on climate change.
Drew Harvell
At Every Depth takes us from rocky shore surveys to diminishing riches on coral reefs to the once trackless deep sea, chronicling the greatest discoveries and changes for every major habitat in the oceans. The riveting stories of Indigenous peoples, scientists, and explorers are essential for everyone who cares about the oceans.
Inside Higher Ed
At Every Depth... is an antidote to indifference, a call to deepened attention. The authors convey something of the passionate attention that goes into the detailed understanding of a given aquatic ecosystem.
Yale Climate Connections
Provide[s] perspective on the changing oceans, letting us see how our relationships with the oceans are changing too.
Ellen Prager
The greatest strength of At Every Depth is its storytelling. Tales of scientific investigation join explorations of Indigenous peoples’ connection to the sea and how ocean changes affect tradition and communities. The authors at once provide information and inspire with emotion.
Choice Reviews
Well written, thoroughly researched and documented, this compilation would enhance any collection serving adult readers.
Angee Doerr
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time. Tessa Hill is an amazing scientist and Eric Simons is a very talented writer—together they’ve developed one heck of a book, interweaving personal narrative and scientific research in perfect balance.
