Book Review: The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales 4/5 stars

 It's been a while since I dipped into some non-fiction!  The Brilliant Abyss was a really good read for learning more about the ocean,  and the life it supports!

Dr. Scales is a marine biologist who is clearly passionate about the ocean, especially the deep ocean - about which- very little is known. 

   I had the audiobook which is read by the author and I really fully enjoyed it. I've clearly been reading a lot of water books, so some of the information wasn't new to me, but I'm no marine biologist so hearing it again, in a different voice was great, it also allowed me to think smugly "I knew that" !

In a very pleasing narrative style, Scales educates readers about the deep ocean and it's creatures, get's readers up to date on the state of the deep ocean and then finishes off with a flourishing call to action, imploring readers to get involved in big and small ways to engage in ocean conservation.  Somehow this is done with out a preachy tone, and it was immensely listen-able for me.

 The one thing that has really stuck with me from this book is that there is a species of snail that uses iron in it's shells. It's called the Scaly-Foot Gastropod and it's shell has one layer made of Iron sulphides.  It is the only known animal to incorporate iron sulphide into it's skeleton!!!  Sadly, even though this marvelous creature lives at deep-sea hydrothermal vents- it is endangered. Efforts to re-coin it's name as a sea pangolin failed as it turns out not too many people know what the regular earth pangolin is. Every time I see an article about the deep sea, there always seems to be some new creature being named or discovered. It's one reason of course we should care to preserve this area, because we don't even know what's there! So many sea organisms have been so useful to humans, that even if one didn't want to preserve this unique deep environment just because it's so cool- the commercial value of new tech and medicines seems to make it a good save.  I promise there's more than a scaly gastropod though! 

Scales educates readers about the deep ocean and it's creatures, get's readers up to date on the state of the deep ocean and then finishes off with a flourishing call to action, imploring readers to get involved in big and small ways to engage in ocean conservation.  Somehow this is done with out a preachy tone, and it was immensely listen-able for me.

  I'd pair this novel up with Richard Power's Playground for a Non-fiction/Fiction Mash up.  For a somewhat more engaging read one might try Susan Casey's The Underworld, but I feel like Scales, being an actual marine biologist - might be a touch more genuine.  Of course, it's easy to read all of these novels. 

  This read is a great gift for ocean lovers and budding marine biologists. 

STATS

First Published : June 2022

Pages: 304

Available as an Audio Book :YES

Trigger Warnings: Climate crisis, death, animal death,