The deep sea represents one of the last great frontiers on Earth. Although once thought devoid of life, technology has brought the true abundance of deep ocean life into our human consciousness. Koslow’s goal in this book is not only to introduce the intertwined explorations of scientific theory and the deep sea, but also to lay bare the facts of what humankind has inflicted on the depths. His vivid and succinct accounts of insults to the deep ocean are presented as freakishly appalling and irresponsible. As with most great frontiers, as Koslow puts it, “we humans devalue what we do not know.” Unlike our moon, it remains out of sight for the vast majority of Earth’s inhabitants.

Shank, T.M. 2010. Review of The Silent Deep: The Discovery, Ecology, and Conservation of the Deep Sea, by T. Koslow. Oceanography 23(1):228–229, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2010.106.

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