The Hadal Zone: Life in the Deepest Oceans

Alan Jamieson

Cambridge University Press, £50.00

Alan Jamieson has effortlessly brought together a plethora of information on this enigmatic ecosystem.

We are introduced to the basic geological development of the deep water trenches of the hadal zone, and the practicalities and challenges of scientific sampling at depth. Referencing is up to date, very clear and comprehensive, and there is a scholarly listing (appendix) of all known species from the hadal depths and the trench in which they have been found.

The chapter on current and future perspectives draws the reader into questioning why further work in this field should be a priority, given its potential influence on climate change and bio-productivity.

Ian Carter CBiol MRSB

 

Shortlisted in the Postgraduate Textbook Prize category of the Royal Society of Biology Book Awards 2015