16 Must-Read Ocean Books to Read in Self-Isolation

BY MARGAUX MONFARED AND ALLY HUGHES

Missing The Sea? Welcome to your very own ‘Marine Entertainment from your Home’! Each day for the next 10 days, we’ll be releasing a blog article full of juicy, ocean related content for you to explore from the safety of your living room couch...

You all know why I’m writing this article. I don’t even want to mention you-know-what as this article should serve as a catalogue of pure ocean-y escapism to help you get through these days stuck inside away from the salty air, sandy footprints, and soothing sounds of our beautiful oceans. If you are sick of looking at screens all day whilst you adjust to working from home, then order a hard copy and cuddle up with a nice mug of tea to enjoy these..

• Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea and the Deep Origins of Consciousness – Peter Godfrey Smith

  “A scuba-diving philosopher of science explores the wonder of cephalopods, smart and playful creatures who live outside the brain-body divide.” - The Guardian

• The Uninhabitable Earth: A story of the future – David Wallace-Wells

  Wallace-Wells dives into discussing the catastrophic impacts of our warming climate and how we can salvage our future with political and scientific intervention.

• The Deep: The Hidden Wonders of Our Oceans and How We Can Protect Them – Alex Rogers

  “From one of the world’s pre-eminent marine biologists comes a dazzling account of the wonders that lie beneath the ocean’s surface, and an empowering vision of how we can protect them.” - Google Books

• The Unnatural History of The Sea: The Past and Future of humanity and Fishing – Professor Callum Roberts

  An extensive look at how the fishing industry has impacted the ocean from the extinction of the Stellar sea cow in 1741 to the intense exploitation being carried out in modern times.

• Mapping the Deep: The Extraordinary Story of Ocean Science – Robert Kunzig

  “Just as we are poised on the verge of exploiting the sea on an unprecedented scale - mining it, fertilizing it, fishing it out - this book reminds us of how much we have yet to learn.” - Google Books

• The Sixth Extinction – Elizabeth Kolbert

  Kolbert argues that we are currently in the midst of the sixth extinction and chronicles mass extinction events of the past and compares them to the crisis facing many species on our planet today.

•  Do Fish Feel Pain? – Victoria Braithwaite

  “Millions of fish are caught on barbed hooks, or left to die by suffocation on the decks of fishing boats. Biologist Victoria Braithwaite explores the question of fish pain and fish suffering, explaining what we now understand about fish behaviour, and examining the related ethical questions about how we should treat these animals.” - Google Books

• The World is Blue: How our Fate and Our Oceans are One – Sylvia A. Earle

  “This eloquent, urgent, fascinating book reveals how just 50 years of swift and dangerous oceanic change threatens the very existence of life on earth.” - Google Books

• The Soul of and Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wander of Consciousness – Sy Montgomery

  Octopuses are intelligent alien-like creatures that are capable of trickery, playfulness and problem-solving. This book explores the personality and consciousness of these fascinating minds.

• War of the Whales: A True Story – Joshua Horwitz

  “A gripping tale of a crusading attorney who stumbles on one of the US Navy’s best-kept secrets: a submarine detection system that floods entire ocean basins with high-intensity sound - and drives whales onto beaches.” - Goodreads

• Marine Biology: A very Short Introduction – Philip. V. Mladenov

  “Mladenov provides a comprehensive overview of marine biology, providing a tour of marine life and marine processes that range from the polar oceans to tropical coral reefs.” - Waterstones

• The Book of Tide – William Thompson

  “An idiosyncratic, richly illustrated guide to Britain’s rivers, seas and shores, for everyone who loves the water and the natural world.” - Wordery

• Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells – Helen Scales

  “The science and natural history of shells are woven into a compelling narrative, revealing their cultural importance and the way they have been by humans over the millennia.” - Goodreads

• A life Underwater – Charlie Veron

  “Charlie has dived most of the world’s coral reefs, revelling in their beauty. Here he explains what they say about our planet’s past and future, and why it’s critical they be protected.” - Amazon

• The Secret Life of Sharks: A leading Marine Biologist Reveals the Mysteries of Shark Behaviour – A. Peter. Kimley

  “He was one of the first scientists to free-dive among sharks…[and] from his firsthand observations he has learned that sharks are not the vicious man-eaters that we imagine, but fascinating animals with complex behaviours.” - Goodreads
  

• Ocean Drifters: A Secret World Beneath the Waves by Richard B. Kirby

  “Beneath the waves lies a hidden microcosm of life: the world of plankton. These astonishing microscopic algae and the tiny animals that eat them float freely in the sunlit surface of the sea, where they underpin the whole marine food chain.” - Google Books.

And if this selection isn’t enough to satisfy your hunger for the ocean, then why not consider joining our Ocean Book and Podcast Club on Facebook or join the Marine Social Sciences Network book club on Twitter!