The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean, and the Looming Threat That Imperils It

by Helen Scales

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209	3	137,623	(3.94)	6
"The oceans have always shaped human lives," writes marine biologist Helen Scales in her vibrant new book The Brilliant Abyss, but the surface and the very edges have so far mattered the most. "However, one way or another, the future ocean is the deep ocean." A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway. Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible. In the process, the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet, with a topography even more varied and extreme than its Earthbound counterpart. Teeming with unsuspected life, an extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a huge effect on our daily lives, influencing climate and weather systems worldwide. Currently the fantastic creatures that live in the deep-many of them incandescent in a world without light-and its formations trap vast quantities of carbon that would otherwise poison our atmosphere; and novel bacteria as yet undiscovered hold the promise of potent new medicines. Yet the deep also contains huge mineral riches lusted after by many nations and corporations; mining them could ultimately devastate the planet, compounding the deepening impacts of ubiquitous pollutants and rampant overfishing. Eloquently and passionately, Helen Scales brings to life the majesty and mystery of an alien realm that nonetheless sustains us, while urgently making clear the price we could pay if it is further disrupted. The Brilliant Abyss is at once a revelation and a clarion call to preserve this vast unseen world"--… (more)

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I am always on the lookout for natural history books, but as an avid gardener and professional horticulturist, my interest is usually drawn by books about plants and terrestrial environments. The intriguing cover and blurb of this book caught my eye, so I thought I’d give it a try and am I ever glad I picked up this ARC! The Brilliant Abyss is densely packed with information, an enjoyable recreational read for someone like myself with an interest in science and the environment, but veering close to a textbook at times. I would have appreciated if the narrative storyline from Helen Scales’ experiences at sea featured a little more prominently, but I still found the book fascinating and worth reading to the end. Being so packed with information outside of my area of expertise, it did take me a while to read and I usually read small chunks at a time, over my lunch break or after dinner. I don’t know if the print copy will have a picture insert, I often found myself googling pictures of the interesting creatures and seascapes featured in the book! The earlier chapters give all the informative background one needs to delve into the second half of the book where impacts and implications of human interaction with the ocean are explored: deep sea fishing, mining and climate change to name a few. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in science and natural history, and encourage even terrestrial folks like myself to give it a try. (

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inhabitingtrees | Nov 8, 2024 |

A really interesting and beautiful book. Snails with shells actually made of iron are just some of the fascinating characters the author employs to illustrate the wonders of deep seamounts and hydrothermal vents.it is sobering as well as beautiful though, as she illustrates the dangers of global warming, deep sea mining and general human stupidity while trying to persuade people that their self interest should prevent them from destroying it all. Breast Cancer drugs from deep sea sponges are just the tip of the iceberg, she claims. I hope this book convinces people (

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cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 |

Yeah, it counts as a spooky fall read because the deep sea is hella creepy. I enjoyed this, both seriously and because I have that creepy-fascination. That said, it is very depressing when we get to the global actions perpetrated by a small number of countries taking advantage of economic situations elsewhere, which is what you get when you talk about the pacific. Sigh. The 20% of this book that is just a treatise against seabed mining is, I mean, well-written and necessary but very long and bleak and hard to get through. If it were structured differently it might be a bit easier to digest.
Counterpoint: this is the second book I read recently about a difficult topic and then complained a bit that it was difficult, so maybe I'm just in a mood. (

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Kiramke | Nov 23, 2023 |

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"The oceans have always shaped human lives," writes marine biologist Helen Scales in her vibrant new book The Brilliant Abyss, but the surface and the very edges have so far mattered the most. "However, one way or another, the future ocean is the deep ocean." A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway. Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible. In the process, the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet, with a topography even more varied and extreme than its Earthbound counterpart. Teeming with unsuspected life, an extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a huge effect on our daily lives, influencing climate and weather systems worldwide. Currently the fantastic creatures that live in the deep-many of them incandescent in a world without light-and its formations trap vast quantities of carbon that would otherwise poison our atmosphere; and novel bacteria as yet undiscovered hold the promise of potent new medicines. Yet the deep also contains huge mineral riches lusted after by many nations and corporations; mining them could ultimately devastate the planet, compounding the deepening impacts of ubiquitous pollutants and rampant overfishing. Eloquently and passionately, Helen Scales brings to life the majesty and mystery of an alien realm that nonetheless sustains us, while urgently making clear the price we could pay if it is further disrupted. The Brilliant Abyss is at once a revelation and a clarion call to preserve this vast unseen world"--

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