This text tells the story of the discovery of the deep ocean. Weaving together details from the latest scientific research about sharks, giant squid, dragonfish and the huge tubeworm, clams and tiny microbes of the deep-sea vents, the author embarks on a journey to the bottom of the sea, which is inhabited not by vicious monsters but by diverse species of pale starfish and mud-eating sea cucumbers. Roaming across the abyssal plains and descending deep-sea trenches, the book presents as much about the character and charisma of these and other so-called monsters as about the extraordinary environment in which they live. The deep sea is not one place but many, and the animals living in each of these marine habitats have developed fascinating and vital ecological relationships with one another. Illustrated with 100 colour photographs.

Erich Hoyt has spent much of his life on or beside the sea, working with whales and dolphins and marine conservation. A noted conservationist and scientist, he has written more than 20 books including the acclaimed Orca: The Whale Called Killer, The Earth Dwellers and Insect Lives plus several children's books including Weird Sea Creatures and Whale Rescue. He lives in Dorset, England.