Book Review of Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the World Under the Sea by Julia Rothman and John Niekrasz, Storey Publishing, 2020, 9781635861600. $18.99
by Curtis Runstedler
The cover illustration of Julia Rothman and John Niekrasz’s enchanting Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the World Under the Sea teases the book’s many oceanic and visual delights, from a labelled diagram of a whale skeleton to the process of atoll formation to the different species of penguins. In this book, Rothman and Niekrasz take readers on a visual tour of the oceans of the world, and navigating their many flora, fauna, and formations in the process. The result is a magnificent and immaculately detailed exploration of oceanic life and the science behind it, and both seasoned ocean enthusiasts and cursory readers are certain to glean new facts and insights from it.
Ocean Anatomy is one of the latest installments in Rothman’s bestselling Anatomy series, with the other books including Nature Anatomy, Farm Anatomy, Food Anatomy, and (most recently) Wildlife Anatomy. In the Introduction, Rothman makes clear that her intention is to not only to inform and educate, but also to raise awareness about conservation efforts, especially among children: “I hope this book opens your eyes to all the incredible sea life we don’t even realize is there. I hope this book reminds you how much we need to conserve all these fascinating plants and creatures” (7). Her co-author Niekrasz is responsible for conducting “extensive research on all the plants and animals in the ocean and on the shores. We tried to include as much as we could” (7), and indeed they do, leaving no shell or stone unturned in their deep dive. Their scope and range of subject matter are highly ambitious to cover in one book; however, it does not overstay its welcome, and instead the book reads as a welcome cornucopia celebrating the biodiversity, vastness, and wonders of these watery worlds.
The book is organized into eight chapters: ‘A Drop in the Ocean’, ‘Plenty of Fish in the Sea’, ‘A Whale of a Time’, ‘Life’s a Beach’, ‘Dive In!’, ‘Reef Madness’, ‘Chill Out’, and ‘From Sea to Shining Sea’. It also includes an introduction, recommending reading, and selected resources and bibliography for further research and exploration. Each chapter investigates a particular theme, biosphere, or scientific focus, from rogue waves to fish anatomy to bioluminescence to octopuses and sea turtles to Arctic waters to low vs high impact fishing and the horrific Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In each chapter, the authors integrate diagrams and visuals with textual descriptions and explanations, making for a compelling visual storytelling experience and an informative and interactive read. While the overall structure of the book appears loose and flexible, it is intended to be more like a sketchbook than encyclopedic, with the book acting as a launchpad for more reader-led initiatives and discussions about oceanic life and the roles we play in them. The initial chapter focuses on the science of oceans, from oceanic salinity to ocean depth zones to trade winds, before shifting into more biological territory in the following chapters. Despite its sketchbook-like function, these chapters masterfully integrate scientific information with visually compelling illustrations of different sea life and organisms, such as dinoflagellates and vampire squid, for example, and the evolutionary biological functions of bioluminescence (32-3).
The final chapter again changes gears to reflect upon and identify the ongoing challenges of human interactions with oceans. The book does not sugarcoat or downplay the detrimental effects of human overfishing and pollution upon the environment; for instance, Rothman points out that “bottom trawling can permanently damage the delicate ecosystems found on the seafloor” (185). In the same chapter, her well-researched statistics about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can be quite sobering: “there are nearly two trillion pieces of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), which weights about 90,000 tons. That’s 285 pieces of plastic for each person on Earth” (199). In doing so, she recognizes and points out that every reader is complicit in the devastation done to our oceans, but knowing that her core audience is children, the overall experience is mostly feel-good and motivating rather than ecologically doomed. In her own words, she also leaves readers in the final chapter with “some good news for the oceans” (4, 202-3), with international headlines featuring ecological breakthroughs, such as “Canada has overhauled its Fisheries Act, requiring rebuilding plans for depleted fish populations and banning the importing and exporting of shark fins” (203), and thus leaving readers with a renewed sense of hope and optimism.
While children will especially benefit from the beautifully coloured images and rich descriptions on every page, the detailed information and sometimes advanced scientific explanations, such as bubble-net feeding, and anatomical diagrams, such as jellyfish and crabs, encourage access to readers and ocean enthusiasts of all ages. The comprehension level tends to vary according to each topic, and some can appear more challenging than others. The anatomy of the octopus (121), for example, appears much more complex than the identification of different types of cuttlefish and squid on the following pages. Yet these are very minor caveats, and readers who are willing to take the plunge will likely enjoy the challenge of learning more about anatomical information and will be graciously rewarded for it. For younger readers, it is almost certain to prompt a newfound love for ocean life and conservation, and for older readers, it is a poignant and urgent reminder of the many species and biological treasures below and above the surface – ones that may need our protection and attention now more than ever.
Curtis Runstedler is an IRIS-funded (Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligence Systems) postdoctoral researcher in the Department of English Literatures and Cultures at the University of Stuttgart. His latest monograph focuses on trust and AI narratives in contemporary English literature. His hobbies include fossil hunting, fishing (sustainably), and learning more about the world around us.