In between the shore and the deep sea lies the “pelagic realm”, also known as the "open ocean" – the largest and least known habitat on Earth. This water column is home to many otherworldly creatures, from giant squid to transparent swimming snails. Marine biologist and visual ecologist Dr. Sönke Johnsen, Duke University, will be our guide as he dives into this fascinating but under-discussed world.

Johnsen introduces us to the many strange animals in the pelagic realm, explaining how they handle the challenges presented by their environment. For example: how do they stop themselves from sinking to the bottom of the ocean, despite not having any firm surfaces to stop and rest on? Or how do they deal with the rapidly increasing pressure and the serious lack of light? And, of course, what do they eat, and how do they avoid being eaten? Along the way, Johnsen weaves in personal stories from the field, providing snapshots of what it's like to be a marine biologist and spend large portions of time on ships in the middle of the ocean, where even the best laid plans are at the mercy of an unruly sea. He compares the way animals survive in the ocean to what humans must do to stay afloat (figuratively and sometimes literally).

Sönke Johnsen is professor of biology at Duke University and author of a new book, Into the Great Wide Ocean: Life in the Least Known Habitat on Earth as well as three other books. Originally trained in mathematics and art, he has studied camouflage, signaling, and non-human visual abilities for the last 34 years with particular interest in vision and camouflage in the open ocean. He primarily works on open-ocean research cruises that using SCUBA and deep-sea submersibles.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books by clicking HERE. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website.

The library's “Science and Society - Making Sense of the World Around Us” lecture series is co-organized and moderated by Fred Dylla, Executive Director Emeritus of the American Institute of Physics and author of Scientific Journeys, Linda Dylla, former public information officer at the Jefferson Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy, and Colin Norman, the former News Editor at Science.

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