The Handy Ocean Answer Book

Long before there were fast food restaurants, the oceans helped sustain human life. Covering 70 percent of the surface area of our globe, the oceans are vast and mysterious and primal and pretty much everywhere you go. What is El Nino and how does it affect the oceans and the weather? What is a riptide? Where does the salt in seawater come from? Are there mountains undersea? How many species of fish exist in the world? Can an ocean be a colour other than blue? How do whales breathe? Are volcanoes forming in the oceans today? Boy, we have some questions. This book tackles these and 1,000 other questions on ocean life, waterspouts, whirlpools, ocean shelves, tides and quakes, ocean bottoms, navigation, famous shipwrecks, and the effects of pollution and global warming. Plus, you will find out what clues the ocean has revealed about the origins and evolution of life on our planet and major climate changes. With 180 photos and illustrations, "Handy Ocean" will please dedicated landlubbers and salty sailors alike.