The incredible variety of marine life—in numbers, body form, behavior, and more—is at the heart of Citizens of the Sea, an irresistible plunge into the surprising world beneath the waves.
Author Nancy Knowlton contributes a fun and reader-friendly text, addressing such topics as the homes, movements, mating, social dynamics, and predation of sea creatures. You’ll discover where unusual names originate; the giant clam, Tridacna gigas, gets "Tridacna" from the Greek, for something so large that three bites are needed to eat it. Spot amazing camouflage strategies that have evolved to promote survival, such as what crabs put on to blend in and how squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish can change their color to match new backgrounds in a matter of seconds. Read about fearsome predators and their weapons of choice, from the shrimp that can break through the glass wall of an aquarium to the long, insidious worm that paralyzes its prey with toxic slime. And peek at the curiosities of sex in the sea, where monogamy is rare and, for some species, a partner is just not an issue.
Citizens of the Sea breaks new ground with quick facts and compelling details from the Census of Marine Life, a ten-year global initiative at the cutting edge of what scientists know about life in the ocean. This book features scores of Census photographs, some of which have never before been published. Other images are the work of noted underwater photographers whose expertise you’ve come to expect from National Geographic. All complement the text and do full justice, in gorgeous color and stop-motion immediacy, to the wondrous appearances, actions, and habitats of Citizens of the Sea.

I really wanted to like this book, but the prose killed it. The Census of Marine Life is one of the most astounding scientific undertakings in recent history, yielding many new species, behaviors, and revealing how little we actually know (in other words, directions for future researchers to start digging :P) There's a lot of cool stuff you can mention from the last ten years.

The only problem I have is that it's written for a *very* general audience. I do understand that a large part of the Smithsonian's job is scientific outreach, but with short (less than a newspaper article)'s paragraphs on a subject and phrases such as "Anemonefish like Nemo will...", it almost feels like the audience is expected to be either a child or have merely a passing interest in the subjects. Hook them with something general, sure, but take the opportunity to present more information!

The pictures were great, but as always you can find larger and higher resolution images online (and in some cases, video- like the octopus that seemingly appears out of nowhere from a rock which can be seen here). Might be good for a budding marine biologist or to pique someone's interest in the sea. ( )

Although I have only barely cracked the surface of this book, I am fascinated by the information contained within this volume. Like a great National Geographic documentary, there are numerous exotic creatures and spectacular photographs. ( )

Although I have only barely cracked the surface of this book, I am fascinated by the information contained within this volume. Like a great National Geographic documentary, there are numerous exotic creatures and spectacular photographs. ( )