The Blue Planet

Book excerpt: Ours is a watery planet, with two-thirds of its surface made up of water. Yet few places on Earth retain their secrets as well as oceans. Beyond the shorelines lies a largely undiscovered world, with its secrets only just beginning to be revealed. The Blue Planet explores this fascinating environment in all its variety, from the apparent 'desert' of the open ocean to the abyssal depths where monstrous creatures lurk in the darkness. The Blue Planet is divided into seven chapters, each focusing on a single habitat, which combine to form a comprehensive guide to the world's oceans. A series of smaller, specialist-interest books associated with The Blue Planet are being published simultaneously which each take an in-depth look at particular marine animals.