When viewed from a quiet beach, the ocean, with its rolling waves and
vast expanse, can seem calm, even serene. But hidden beneath the sea's
waves are a staggering abundance and variety of active creatures,
engaged in the never-ending struggles of life--to reproduce, to eat, and
to avoid being eaten.
With Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime, marine scientist Ellen Prager takes us
deep into the sea to introduce an astonishing cast of fascinating and
bizarre creatures that make the salty depths their home. From the tiny
but voracious arrow worms whose rapacious ways may lead to death by
overeating, to the lobsters that battle rivals or seduce mates with
their urine, to the sea's masters of disguise, the octopuses, Prager not
only brings to life the ocean's strange creatures, but also reveals the
ways they interact as predators, prey, or potential mates. And while
these animals make for some jaw-dropping stories--witness the sea
cucumber, which ejects its own intestines to confuse predators, or the
hagfish that ties itself into a knot to keep from suffocating in its own
slime--there's far more to Prager's account than her ever-entertaining
anecdotes: again and again, she illustrates the crucial connections
between life in the ocean and humankind, in everything from our food
supply to our economy, and in drug discovery, biomedical research, and
popular culture.
Written with a diver's love of the ocean, a novelist's skill at
storytelling, and a scientist's deep knowledge, Sex, Drugs, and Sea
Slime enchants as it educates, enthralling us with the wealth of life
in the sea--and reminding us of the need to protect it.
