THE DEEP-SEA FLOOR

A captivating look at the strange creatures found at the bottom of the sea. Collard (Beaks, 2002, etc.) begins with a brief history of underwater exploration and an explanation of how the movement of huge crustal plates results in deep trenches and vast ridges or even mountain ranges below the surface of the sea. Then he takes the reader to the bottom of a trench and describes how animals find food in total darkness, survive under enormous pressure, in chilling cold as well as scalding-hot conditions. He introduces concepts such as “marine snow,” and bacteria that manufacture their own food in a process called chemosynthesis. Finally he describes the many submersibles scientists are using to explore underwater life. Handsome illustrations capture the eerie blue-black environment, where many inhabitants are white or eyeless, and some are bioluminescent and carry their own light sources. The few species illustrated provide a fascinating glimpse of the strange world near the deep-sea bottom. Spots of 18 odd creatures grace the end papers. Collard’s well-chosen words coupled with the eye-catching art make this an interesting browser as well as a fine addition to the science collection. (glossary, bibliography, Web sites) (Nonfiction. 8-12)