Everything you ever needed to know about the ocean systems of our planet is contained in this big， beautiful book。 The oceans are vital to our lives， and Earle is an authority on the subject。 She presents oceans’ history， behavior， contents （though I’m not sure I needed a 20-page breakdown of species Kingdom and Phylum）， and significance in bite-sized chunks that are accompanied by gorgeous photographs。 But the underlying theme is how humans have affected the oceans’ health and how it will impac Everything you ever needed to know about the ocean systems of our planet is contained in this big， beautiful book。 The oceans are vital to our lives， and Earle is an authority on the subject。 She presents oceans’ history， behavior， contents （though I’m not sure I needed a 20-page breakdown of species Kingdom and Phylum）， and significance in bite-sized chunks that are accompanied by gorgeous photographs。 But the underlying theme is how humans have affected the oceans’ health and how it will impact the future of the planet。 That message is reiterated so often， it almost becomes depressing knowing how such a vast system has become so corrupted， polluted， and depleted。 Otherwise， it was an educational and informative book， and the detailed atlases of the oceans at the end are a great resource。I received a complimentary copy of this book via TLC Book Tours。 。。。more