The most beautifully designed holiday homes
- wth a view of the waves. From the range of architectural gems for rent near the ocean,
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Oceans make up most of the surface of our blue planet. They may form just a sliver on the outside of the Earth, but they are very important, not only in hosting life, including the fish & other animals on which many humans depend, but in terms of their role in the Earth system, in regulating climate, & cycling nutrients. As climate change, pollution, & over-exploitation by humans puts this precious resource at risk, it is more important than ever that we understand & appreciate the nature & history of oceans. There is much we still do not know about the story of the Earth`s oceans, & we are only just beginning to find indications of oceans on other planets. In this book, geologists Jan Zalasiewicz & Mark Williams consider the deep history of oceans, how & when they may have formed on the young Earth
- topics of intense current research
- how they became salty, & how they evolved through Earth history. We learn how oceans have formed & disappeared over millions of years, how the sea nurtured life, & what may become of our oceans in the future. We encounter some of the scientists & adventurers whose efforts led to our present understanding of oceans. And we look at clues to possible seas that may once have covered parts of Mars & Venus, that may still exist, below the surface, on moons such as Europa & Callisto, & the possibility of watery planets in other star systems.

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Ocean Yachtmaster is the ideal course book for anyone embarking on the RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Certificate. Updated in line with the latest developments & technologies, this book continues to be the essential companion for all students of ocean navigation & anyone planning to sail any distance offshore. Covering both the theoretical & practical aspects of the course, each chapter contains exercises & answers for self-testing, & is designed for study either in the classroom or at home. ...

In its extraordinary debut, Safari, introduced the world to Photicular technology. The cheetah bounded, the African elephant flapped its ears & readers could not believe their eyes. Now the creators of Safari take their work a step further. Ocean offers not only a refinement of inventor Dan Kainen`s Photicular technology, but a subject undulating creatures of the deep perfectly suited to the immersive visual pleasure of the process. Ocean is like being on a dive. Open the book, & the reader is swept into the magic of an underwater world, face-to-face with a floating Yellow-Banded Sweetlips; with a glow-in-the-dark Deep-Sea Anglerfish; with a Sea Horse swaying in balletic motion; with a Sand Tiger Shark gliding along the ocean floor, its gaze haunting, its hook-toothed mouth gulping open & closed. The text by Carol Kaufmann enchants with its descriptions of coral reefs; a journey on Alvin, the 17-ton submersible; & a meditation on our oceans. Then, for each creature, she writes a lively & informative essay, along with vital statistics size, habitat, range, diet, & more. The Photicular process uses an innovative lenticular technology, sliding lenses, & original four-colour video imagery. The result is like a movie in your hands the dance of life in a book. ...

Half of our planet is covered by the ocean, yet we`ve only explored 5 percent of this vast underwater realm. Originally published in Portugal, & awarded a highly coveted Bologna Ragazzi Mention by the Bologna Book Fair, this visually compelling miscellany offers readers a tsunami of aquatic facts. Which ocean is the largest? Who was the first explorer to sail around the world? Is the ocean truly blue? Beautifully designed & rich with information, Ocean will satisfy enthusiastic readers who enjoy taking a deep dive into a subject as well as more reluctant readers who prefer to dip in & out of a book. ...

From the remote shores of Rapa Nui to the dense rainforest of Papua New Guinea, the islands of the Pacific are home to some of the most culturally diverse populations on the planet. The region embraces an extraordinary range of art forms, from delicate shell ornaments to spectacularly decorated canoes & meeting houses. These have fascinated outsiders since the exploratory voyages of Captain Cook, the first of which commenced 250 years ago in 1768, & went on to entrance Gauguin & a host of other European artists. This volume accompanies a major survey in London & Paris of art from Oceania. It brings together the most up-to-date scholarship by the leading experts in the field, encompassing a dazzling array of objects from the region, including many that have never been published before. Also included are many works that have historically been overlooked, such as painted & woven textiles, elaborate wicker assemblages & expressively sculpted vessels, alongside works by artists working in Oceania today. Objects of great aesthetic beauty, these artworks are the product of a complex web of social, mythological & historical influences. ...

The colours & patterns of the art of the Pacific Islands
- spears & shields, carved canoe prows, feather capes or tortoisehell
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The oceans are the single most important feature of our planet. They shape our climate, our culture, our future. Yet we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about Earth`s watery depths. What lies below the frozen Arctic ice-sheets? Or in the intriguing black holes under the Caribbean Sea? Drawing on the most exciting stories from the fields of sub-aquatic archaeology, geology, marine biology & anthropology, professional diver & explorer Paul Rose reveals an astonishing hidden world of lost cities, forgotten shipwrecks, underwater caves & submerged volcanoes. He also looks at life in the ocean habitat, from great white sharks to the myriad exotic, but rarely seen, creatures that thrive in the extreme conditions miles beneath the surface. This book, like the landmark television series it accompanies, examines the possible consequences of upsetting this delicate balance & its impact on global warming. Beautifully illustrated with more than 150 colour photographs, ” Oceans” unravels the mysteries of the deep & provides illuminating insights into this vast undersea domain. The oceans & seas explored include the Mediterranean, the Sea of Cortez, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Southern Ocean & the Arctic Ocean. ...

In this exciting book, young readers can voyage through the seas & oceans of our watery planet the last great unexplored place on Earth. 30 key topics are covered, from the sunlit ocean surfaces to the deepest, darkest depths. Each is presented in a neat 30-second soundbite, supported by a 3-second flash summary & a full-page colour artwork. Fun, active missions accompany the topics, encouraging readers to find out more. ...

The importance of the oceans to life on Earth cannot be overstated. Liquid water covers more than 70% of our planet`s surface &, in past geological time, has spread over 85%. Life on Earth began in the oceans over 3.5 billion years ago & remained there for the great majority of that time. Today the seas still provide 99% of habitable living space, the largest repository of biomass, & holds the greatest number of undiscovered species on the planet. Our oceans are vital for the regulation of climate, & with global warming & decreasing land area, they have become increasingly important as the source of food, energy in the form of oil & gas, & for their mineral wealth. Oceans also form a key part of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, & other elements critical to life. Nutrients in upwelling areas are spread by ocean currents, & the plankton of the seas supports a wealth of wildlife. In this Very Short Introduction Dorrik Stow analyses these most important components of our blue planet & considers their relationship with, & exploitation by, humans. He shows how the oceans are an essential resource to our overpopulated world, & discusses why exploration & greater scientific understanding of the oceans, their chemistry, & their mineral wealth are now a high priority. Stow also explores what we know of how oceans originate, & evolve & change; the shape of the seafloor & nature of its cover; the physical processes that stir the waters & mix such a rich chemical broth; & the inseparable link between oceans & climate. As polar ice melts & sea-levels rise, countless millions who have made their homes on low-lying lands close to the sea are threatened. As scientific exploration of the seas gathers pace, the new knowledge gained of the ocean-Earth systems & their interaction with the human environment is vital to our understanding of how we can preserve these ultimately fragile environments. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable. ...